The final concept for the redesign of 2100 South at SLC’s Sugar House has been revealed

The corridor begins and ends with four lanes, but narrows to two lanes between 1000 East and McClelland Streets.

Salt Lake City officials released the final redevelopment concept for a main thoroughfare in Sugar House Wednesday night.

The city originally posted two options for updating 2100 South between 700 East and 1300 East: a three-lane option with a car lane in each direction and a turns-only lane in between, and a two-way bike lane; and a four-lane option that included a new shared path.

The city is moving forward with a four-lane option, officials announced Wednesday, but the design incorporates elements of the three-lane alternative, such as: B. Raised medians with plants and some sections just for curves.

The design will also add a shared path along the south side of the roadway, eliminating on-street parking.

How it will look

The corridor begins and ends with four lanes, but narrows to two lanes between 1000 East and McClelland Streets. The design aims to improve and shorten crosswalks to increase pedestrian safety and provide additional space for bus stops along the carriageway.

According to data the city collected during the planning phase of the project, approximately 80% of trips on 2100 South begin or end at Sugar House. This shows that 2100 South “is not a major thoroughfare” and “we don’t want it to be a major thoroughfare,” said Jon Larsen, director of Salt Lake City Transportation.

“We don’t want to discourage people from coming to the Sugar House either,” Larsen said. “And then we also want to double down, which makes Sugar House great. And if we just invest in car housing, then we will push Sugar House away from what makes it so unique and special.”

Sweet Streets, a local organization dedicated to making streets safer, said in a statement that the new design sacrifices “safety and consistency” to please all parties – and that the new design does not improve connections with rail passenger infrastructure in favor of rider comfort.

“Maintaining four lanes for automobile traffic through this dense neighborhood center is in direct conflict with the city’s stated commitment to Vision Zero,” the organization said in a statement. citing the national non-profit “Vision Zero” campaign, which the city announced its participation in January, with the goal of achieving zero road deaths by 2035.

“Sugar House and 2100 South deserve better,” the Sweet Streets statement continued.

Design comes with “compromises”

The redesigned lane is expected to move the same number of vehicles down 2100 South as it does now, but accommodate more pedestrians and cyclists, according to video from the city.

The city acknowledged in a presentation that some of the concept’s “compromises” would result in less space for cyclists than the three-lane concept and would increase traffic and parking on local side streets. Larsen said that spillover should be minimal, but that the city is considering targeted traffic calming projects on nearby side streets that are already experiencing intersected traffic.

Sweet Streets board member Alex Cragun said the organization has been closely monitoring the 2100 South redesign process and connecting the city with “residents and business owners who are demanding a pedestrian- and transit-centric 2100 South.”

“The city needs to rethink how it engages with residents in street transformation,” Cragun continued. “There was a pattern of over-promising and under-delivering. It’s frustrating to be back at this stage of planning with a design that’s nibbling at the edges of the problem.”

However, according to the presentation, officials hope the new medians, improved crosswalks and new parking lanes will create a safer experience for pedestrians and cyclists. In particular, Larsen noted that between 900 East and 1100 East there is an “unusually high” number of left-turn-related accidents, and the ability to have dedicated left-turn lanes will help improve safety in this area.

“This is a classic example of how we can’t make everyone happy,” said Larsen. “As a street and as a city,[as] We are making our roads safer and more comfortable for walking and cycling, we hope that the trend will continue – that more and more people will just leave their cars at home. And instead of having to drive, bike or scooter to the Sugar House, it will be better for everyone.”