Park City 224 transit project cuts footprint by 65%, cost questions remain

Park City traffic at Kimball Junction. Photo: TownLift

PARK CITY, Utah – In a significant shift from earlier discussions, High Valley Transit officials presented revised plans for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project connecting Kimball Junction to Park City, acknowledging previous cost estimates had overshot the mark.

During Friday’s council meeting, transit officials admitted they had greatly overestimated how much Park City would need to contribute to the project. Just weeks ago at a November council meeting, Park City was asked to potentially contribute up to $20 million as a “worst case scenario” – up from an initial estimate of $6 million for the city’s portion. After talking with contractors this week, officials learned the total project will actually cost much less than anticipated – possibly leaving extra money in the budget.

The project has undergone major modifications from its original National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) design, reducing added asphalt from 28 feet to 10 feet – a 65% reduction. Property impacts have been cut in half, from 62 parcels to 31, with trail impacts eliminated entirely.

Following a robust discussion at a Joint Council meeting with county council on November 18, High Valley Transit has increased collaboration with Park City staff, appointing Alex Roy as the primary point of contact for the project.

Officials project the BRT system will operate with six-minute frequency, running 10 buses per hour. The service aims to provide consistent 17-minute transit times between Kimball Junction and Old Town, regardless of traffic conditions.

However, council members expressed concerns about road widening impacts on residential neighborhoods. “I am absolutely against road widening in Park City because the value can’t be explained, and anecdotally, don’t think it’s there for the negative impacts it introduces,” council member Jeremy Rubell stated.

Cell phone data presented at the meeting showed 75% of trips from the Kimball Junction area end in Park City, with daily patterns indicating 21,000 total trips starting at Kimball, of which 17,000 continue to Park City. These traffic patterns have evolved as surrounding areas have been built out, creating new dynamics for the transit corridor.

The project currently has $66.75 million in obligated funds from various sources, including federal grants, state funding, and transit sales tax. This marks a significant evolution from the original 2022 NEPA design estimate of $70.9 million, which had grown to approximately $100 million when adjusted for inflation.

The transit authority has recently selected a construction manager/general contractor and expects to execute the contract in January, marking the next phase in the project’s development.