Park City rolls out traffic-calming pilot projects to curb speeding in neighborhoods

PARK CITY, Utah — In an effort to curb chronic speeding in residential areas, Park City is installing a series of traffic-calming projects this summer through its Neighborhoods First Streets Program. Two new projects have already been installed on Ledger Drive and Payday Drive, with another slated for later this summer at the intersection of Little Kate and Lucky John. 

The Neighborhoods First Streets Committee — a team of engineering, public works, transportation planning, fire, police, and community experts — is overseeing the initiative and selected each project area based on reported speeding concerns and pedestrian traffic.

Ledger Drive

At the intersection of Ledger Drive and Triton, the committee installed a temporary traffic circle on June 5.

The area was chosen because of speeding complaints particularly down the hill on Ledger Way, as vehicles approach the Clubhouse, school bus stop, and other areas of heightened pedestrian activity at the neighborhood’s entrance. According to the committee, the traffic circle will require vehicles to navigate the intersection at slower speeds, limiting fast, straight-through movements.

Payday Drive

The Payday Drive project is rolling out in three phases. The first phase of the project involved painting chicanes, or painted curves that force cars to swerve slightly, breaking up long straightaways and encouraging slower driving. The second phase, installed June 11, added median islands using temporary planters. Later this summer, the third phase of the project will see the removal of the chicanes while retaining the median islands. 

Little Kate and Lucky John

Data gathered at Little Kate Road shows that the majority of drivers are going more than 10 mph over the 20 mph speed limit, particularly between Holiday Ranch Loop and Monitor Drive.

Later this summer, the committee hopes to install curb extensions — features that extend the sidewalk into the street to narrow the roadway, shorten pedestrian crossings, and reduce vehicle speeds. In this pilot, temporary curb extensions will be created at the intersection of Little Kate Rd and Lucky John Dr using paint and flexible posts (delineators). 

What’s next for Neighborhoods First

The committee will be collecting data for the duration of the pilot project and will be analyzing the projects’ effect on vehicle speeds. If the projects are determined to be an effective traffic calming measure and garner community support, the committee will seek funding for permanent installations as a Capital Improvement Project, although this could take several more years. 

The success of the projects will be measured by speed reduction and community feedback gathered through the Engage Park City webpage, which captures both sentiment and perceived safety. 

If the measures prove successful, residents across Park City could see similar changes on their streets in the years to come.