Utah bill directing Salt Lake City to ‘mitigate’ bike lanes sparks legislative control debate

The Salt Lake City & County Building in Salt Lake City is pictured on Wednesday, January 3, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)

Utah Republican lawmakers are running legislation directing Salt Lake City to make changes to city roads with state oversight for a second year. The action, included in an extensive transportation bill, may have an impact on recently installed bike and bus lanes, but may also change how the state supervises city streets. 

It also brought back chatter about the state potentially exerting more control over local governments, especially in Democrat-led Salt Lake City.

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The bill, sponsored by Taylorsville Republican Sen. Wayne Harper, mandates that Salt Lake City enter an agreement with the Utah Department of Transportation before implementing programs designed to reduce the amount of cars travelling on a highway. The city must also submit plans to “mitigate the impacts of traffic calming measures and highway reduction strategies previously implemented” on different downtown roads, including 300 West, 200 South and 400 South. 

Harper emphasized the word “mitigate” when speaking to reporters on Wednesday about the potential removal of bike and bus lanes. 

“The request that I’ve gotten is to have Salt Lake City to go through and take a look at all that they’ve done — and they’re amenable to this — take a look and see what’s working good with that,” Harper said. “And are there some negative things that they can go through and tweak in order to make it so that safety is enhanced?”

That request, he said, comes from businesses that have complained about limited access to their facilities caused by traffic mitigation tools the city has installed.

Before Jan 1, 2027, Salt Lake City and UDOT must also agree on the designation of street tiers, going from regionally significant highways to the lowest-volume residential roads. 

The first tier, which would have the highest traffic, would be blocked from city-led highway reduction strategies, while tier two roads could qualify for programs to reduce the amount of cars travelling on a highway, but only after completing certain studies and receiving a nod from UDOT. 

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To a question on whether the legislation would feed the perception of a state takeover of the city’s say on its streets, Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said lawmakers are “simply responding to constituents.” 

For Adams, capital cities are different, since not everyone who works in them lives within their boundaries. 

“The capital city is a spot where people gather. So we need to make sure (for) those coming (that) it could function,” he told reporters.

The plans are also timely, he said, as downtown undergoes revitalization plans for 100 acres adjacent to the Delta Center.

“We’ve committed a lot of resources, so I think it’s in our best interest to make sure those resources function well, and the city functions right,” Adams said. 

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a statement the city is committed to partnering with the state, UDOT and the Utah Transit Authority to support a strong regional transportation network serving everyone.

“Although we believe this goal can be achieved without additional legislation, we appreciate the Legislature’s willingness to collaborate and believe we have identified solutions that serve all stakeholders,” Mendenhall said.

Nothing in the bill says the bike and bus lanes must be removed, Harper said, “they just have to make sure that it is not causing an impediment to the pedestrians, the bicyclists, or to the drivers that would deteriorate safety.”

And Salt Lake City leaders are committed to making changes, Harper said, a fact Mendenhall confirmed.

“I would characterize the discussions as good faith and collaborative. I am appreciative of them,” Mendenhall said.

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