Council approves change in crosswalk funds

By Kelly Cannon | [email protected] 

The South Salt Lake City Council approved an interlocal cooperation agreement with Salt Lake County to build a pedestrian crossing. The unanimous decision was reached during the March 23 meeting.

The idea for the agreement was proposed by City Engineer Dennis Pay. Pay explained in 2014, the county was planning a route for Parley’s Trail that would go from 300 West to the Jordan River.

“They had a convoluted crossing at 300 West as part of the plan. It went to 300 West and Haven Avenue to the signal that goes into the RC Willey parking lot. It crossed there and then went back up north up to Andy Avenue,” Pay said. “Looking at that, it was apparent to me that no one would do that. They would get to 300 West and they’d take their chances crossing there.”

Pay approached the county to give them his idea. The county agreed with Pay’s observation but said they didn’t have the budget for a good crossing at that intersection. Pay was then approached by another division of the county who told him they had funds for the cross walk but the funds have to be spent by a local government and not the county.

“We applied for the funds and they were given to us,” Pay said. “We have $135,000. That was the original estimate for the crossing.”

However, as design and construction of that particular section of Parley’s Trail continued, Pay approached the county and asked how the city was supposed to pay for the plan.

“I asked the county, ‘Are you going to invoice us? How do we pay this?’ And a couple of months ago, I asked again and they said, ‘We found other funds to pay for that,’” Pay said. “In the meantime, they had given us a check and we had the funds in place.”

Since the funds were no longer needed for the crossing at 300 West, the county asked South Salt Lake to use the funds to build a similar crossing at 900 West.

“I said we could do that there. It’s the same thing. They went back to the county and they said legally, we have to change the agreement so it’ll say 900 West instead of 300 West,” Pay said. “And that’s why it’s here tonight. It’s kind of a procedural matter.”

The 900 West pedestrian cross walk will have a rectangular, flashing beacon. Pedestrians will push a button and the beacon will begin flashing, notifying drivers they need to stop.

“That’s what they’re going to install on 300 West and it’s been installed in other locations successfully,” Pay said.