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Council weighs 300 North bicycle lanes versus shared-use path as parking and cost tradeoffs loom
Summary
Staff presented corridor design options for 300 North, including buffered bike lanes, a shared-use path that would preserve on-street parking, and higher-cost reconstruction alternatives; Council asked staff to prioritize corridor-based decisions and return with funding and design options.
Public Works Director Sam Kelly opened a discussion on corridor cross-sections and the tradeoffs between on-street parking, bike lanes, shared-use paths, sidewalks, park strips, and street trees, emphasizing that many older collectors lack the right-of-way to accommodate all elements without compromises.
Ben Hunter (City Engineer) and Mr. Hunter (staff references to the City Engineer) described several alternatives for 300 North: restriping to add bike lanes, removing parking on one side, building a shared-use path by replacing park strips, or widening and reconstructing the curb and gutter to accommodate both parking and dedicated bike lanes. Hunter presented preliminary costs: restriping at roughly $15 per linear foot versus constructing a shared-use path at approximately $520 per linear foot.
Council members emphasized preserving on-street parking on established residential streets. Council Member Clark Taylor and others argued that many older homes rely on street parking, making restriping a less acceptable option unless paired with property-level improvements. Mr. Kelly and Ben Hunter noted that constructing a shared-use path could often be done within existing public right-of-way by removing park strips, but narrower facilities (9'to 10 feet) would fall short of the 10'12-foot MAG guidance for regional projects.
Participating remotely, Council Member Ryan Hunter reiterated his opposition to continuous green pavement bike markings, saying they are "unattractive, costly to maintain, and wear out quickly," and asked staff to avoid imposing green pavement where not required by existing cross-sections. Mayor Bradley Frost said eliminating green pavement would require technical revisions to adopted cross-sections and standards.
Staff highlighted grant opportunities (MAG, UDOT, Safe Routes to School) and ongoing coordination on the American Fork River Trail feasibility study under the Governor's Utah Trail Network. Council asked staff to continue evaluating corridor-specific designs and to return with clearer cost, funding, and right-of-way requirements ahead of capital-program decisions.
What happens next: staff will continue corridor evaluations, prepare funding options, and coordinate trail feasibility work with UDOT and MAG; formal design decisions will follow the 100 West project's completion schedule.
