Downtown bike commuters may have to wait for more off-street space on 300 West as part of the continued fallout from Senate Bill 195, which added an extra layer of scrutiny on Salt Lake City transportation initiatives.
A crucial connection on the 300 West Bikeway, part of the recent 300 West reconstruction, won’t be developed, according to an update posted on the city’s website for the project.
Rupturing a last-block connection piece of the city’s bike network, UDOT has put the brakes on the connection between 400 and 300 South. City transportation officials had begun design work for the separated path on the west side of 300 West between 300 South and 400 South along the east edge of Pioneer Park–but it’s no longer clear if that’s happening.
The protected lane, as currently designed, would take up the parking lane and part of the right-turn lane on the west side of 300 West. That, apparently, qualifies it as a “highway reduction strategy project” that SB 195 requires UDOT to review.
The alternative for the city, if it wants to install a protected bikeway, is likely to tear out the park strip, sidewalk, and the row of trees currently bordering the east edge of the park.
“The 300 West Bikeway was originally planned to go from 900 South to 300 South,” city transportation staff wrote on the 300 West Bikeway website. “However, the section between 300 South and 400 South is owned by the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT). At UDOT’s request, this section of the bikeway was removed from the project. The city is now working on a new design for the 400 South crossing.”
Design work on the 300 West Bikeway project began in Spring of 2024, the city’s website says, and construction is slated to begin in June.
The goal of the bikeway project is to incorporate bike lanes into the recently-finished 300 West roadway and build bike lanes running between 300 South and 900 South — which would connect to the 9-Line Trail in Central 9th.
When reached Thursday, Jon Larsen, Salt Lake City’s Transportation director, said he couldn’t speak to the decision to remove the strip of bike lanes, adding it was a decision made by UDOT.
While the city’s website makes it seem as if the construction is indefinitely on hold, UDOT struck a softer tone on the future of the bike lanes.
“UDOT is currently evaluating this project,” said UDOT spokesperson John Gleason in a statement to Building Salt Lake. “As part of SB195, UDOT was directed to evaluate all highway reduction strategy projects and their impacts to the transportation network.”
“In accordance with the law, we are soliciting public feedback from the entire community on all highway reduction strategy projects,” Gleason added.
SB195 was one of the recent bills passed by the Utah Legislature that Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall called “punitive” earlier this year. The bill requires UDOT’s approval on any project that could slow down cars or limit the number of lanes in streets — like, for instance, if a car lane would be eliminated in favor of a bike lane.
Larsen recently told Building Salt Lake that the city has seen increased bike traffic in areas the city has recently improved, like along 900 South. He also lamented SB195 and said the legislation will likely cause delays in construction projects.
“The fact that now we have to get UDOT permission to do projects on city streets, that’s really unprecedented,” Larsen previously told Building Salt Lake.
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