Quinn’s Junction Park and Ride to return to city council Thursday

The Quinn's Junction Park and Ride would create 465 parking spots along Old Highway 40 beside SR-248 Photo: Park City Municipal Corporation

PARK CITY, Utah — The Park City Council is scheduled to hold a work session over the proposed Quinn’s Junction Park and Ride at their meeting on Thursday.

A consideration to authorize two agreements related to the project’s construction are also slated for public input and action later in the meeting.

In a late March meeting, the council voted 3-2 to delay the item.

If approved, the project would create 465 parking stalls along Old Highway 40 near SR-248, with construction anticipated to finish by early summer 2023.

Park City has received nearly $4 million in grants from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the project. If the development doesn’t move forward, the city is responsible for paying back all associated expenditures eligible under the FTA grant. The city is unable to reallocate the funds to other projects.

“We remain concerned about long-term implications for future Federal grants after holding money for Park City for so many years to return it,” city staff wrote in a report.

Many have pointed to the unused Richardson Flat lot as a reason to not approve the Quinn’s project.

An analysis conducted by AECOM on behalf of the city found that Richardson Flat “scored lowest in the top three priorities of connectivity, safety, and accessibility because it was the farthest from the US40/SR248 interchange. It is also privately owned, lies in a complex area to develop because of the soils which impact future improvements, and the property owner is entwined in the ongoing dispute over Hideout’s annexation in Summit County.”

Park City Transit, at the direction of council, is currently studying a potential pilot program to service Richardson Flat’s 650 parking spaces. The department has said it is confident it can provide service there or nearby Park City Heights by next winter.

The city’s staff report also notes the degradation of the SR-248/Old Hwy 40 intersection, saying that it will be in “failing condition in 2026.” A realignment project for the area currently ranks at #7 on Summit County’s long-range transportation plan.

“The relocation, though currently unfunded in the County’s Long-Range Transportation Plan, is a project with regional significance, given it is one of only two entrances to Park City,” the city staff report says.

“Ongoing efforts between PCMC, Summit County, and UDOT will continue to focus on holistic solutions for SR 248. Many solutions will be required as we work collaboratively to reduce traffic and congestion by reducing the need to drive into Park City.”

The work session is scheduled to begin at 4:45 pm.