Salt Lake City will begin returning some City streets to normal operation as it downsizes its Stay Safe, Stay Active Streets program beginning June 30. The initiative provides additional public spaces for people to recreate and easily practice social distancing on City streets, while relieving pressure from crowded City parks and trails.

Resources for the initiative allowed for an approximate six- to eight-week implementation, but the city is extending some of the open streets that have been most popular and utilized.

“We are grateful for all those who have been supportive of this initiative and have enjoyed having some extra space to socially distance while staying physically active,” said Transportation Division Director Jon Larsen. “We are excited to keep some of these street openings going and hope residents and communities will continue to stay engaged and work with us as we continually strive to make Salt Lake City’s streets safer and more inviting for everyone.”

Streets that will remain open are: 

• Emery Street between 400 South and Harrison 
• Wasatch Dr between 1300 South and Crestview Dr
• 600 East between 600 South and 900 South
• 800 East between 800 South and 1700 South
• 4th Ave between E St and N St 

Feedback on the Stay Safe, Stay Active Streets has been overwhelmingly positive, with many residents asking if it can be made permanent. The City will be exploring ways that it could reintroduce more-permanent safe streets in the future, and will welcome public feedback in that process.

Upcoming similar, but permanent City projects that will improve the usability and safety of streets for all users include:

• Completion of the central portion of the “9-Line” multi-use trail along 900 South (construction beginning in 2021)
• Construction of the Poplar Grove Neighborhood Byway, creating a safe, comfortable north-south route along neighborhood streets for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities (construction in summer/fall of 2020)
• Additional enhancements to key intersection on the existing 600 East Neighborhood Byway (construction in 2020)
• Planning and design for additional Neighborhood Byways on roadways such as Kensington Avenue and 800 East
• Crosswalk and other enhancements on 500 North to improve pedestrian safety (design in 2020 and construction in 2021)
• Development of a City-wide traffic calming implementation plan (summer/fall of 2020)

In late April, in response to social distancing needs related to COVID19, Salt Lake City began opening certain streets for community recreation. The implementation followed a week-long online survey in which the City received over 6,200 responses regarding which streets the public would like to see opened for recreation.

Work began today to remove signage and barricades and return the following street sections to normal operation: 

• 500 North between Redwood Rd and 800 West
• 900 South between 300 East and 700 East
• Stratford Ave between 1300 East and 2000 East
• 200 West between 600 North and North Temple Street
• Kensington Avenue between 700 East and 1400 East, and between 1500 East and 1600 East

###