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Overview

The Salt Lake City Street and Intersection Typologies Design Guide is an aspirational vision linking street design and land use. Several corridors within Salt Lake City are state routes under the jurisdiction of the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT).

The state code Title 72 Chapter 4 Part 1 Section 102.5 Paragraph 3 states that “state highways shall primarily move higher traffic volumes over longer distances than highways under local jurisdiction.” While the movement of higher volumes of people on these corridors is their primary purpose, the Typologies Design Guide elevates other functions on these streets, including person mobility, greening, curbside uses, and placemaking. These functions will not conflict with the primary purpose of state routes.

State Route Application

• Lane Number: The existing number of lanes on state routes in Salt Lake City will be maintained and are included in the typology cross sections applied to state routes. Certain typologies show conversion of some lanes to transit; future studies would be needed to assess the appropriateness of this conversion. Additionally, UDOT does not have authority to implement transit operations on state routes in Salt Lake City and will coordinate with the Utah Transit Authority on capital projects.
• Maximum Target Speed: Posted speed limits on state routes are currently set based on the 85^th percentile prevailing speeds and range from 30 to 55 mph. However, both street design and surrounding land uses affect how fast a street should be driven (maximum target speed) and how fast it feels it should be driven (design speed). As such, when opportunities to redesign rights-of-way are planned to occur, UDOT may coordinate with Salt Lake City to ensure that maximum target and design speeds are appropriate and result in safe and comfortable environments, given land uses, any new policies, and other factors.
• Frequency: It is anticipated that the application of the principles, design criteria, and street cross sections in the Typologies Guide may occur at various times and with various intensities, depending on the type of work being performed. For example, perhaps limited improvements may be possible because of some regular and capital maintenance activities (e.g., repaving and restriping, curb ramps, and other curb and gutter work), while more substantial changes and complete redesigns may only be possible because of reconstruction and other opportunities of significant investment.
• Geometric Design: Will comply with the current processes and procedures as described within the UDOT Roadway Design Manual (RDM), or current State-applicable design guidance.
• Coordination: Salt Lake City and UDOT have and will continue to coordinate and evaluate where aspects of the typologies documented in the Guide align with UDOT’s strategic direction and transportation program. This Guide is a tool to document and illustrate the goals of Salt Lake City but should not replace coordination between Salt Lake City and UDOT.
• Prior to implementing transportation solutions, projects that are part of UDOT’s transportation program are required to go through UDOT’s project development process. Part of this process involves formally identifying what is needed of the street, how these needs can be addressed, and the impacts that would occur as a result of doing so.  This process follows the procedures of The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or UDOT’s State Environmental Policy (State).  It may consider the typology identified by Salt Lake City, but would select the solution identified through the NEPA or State process.  This may or may not result in the cross-section identified in the Guide.
• Implementation of active transportation facilities, as included and designed in the typologies applicable to state routes, is contingent on also being included in an approved, local active transportation plan, such as Salt Lake City’s 2015 Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan.

As noted in UDOT’s language above, Salt Lake City and UDOT will need to coordinate implementation of these typologies on state routes, on a corridor-by-corridor basis. Salt Lake City’s intent is to work collaboratively with UDOT to create public spaces, even on state routes that meet the needs of the community and surrounding land uses. The agencies will need to work together to achieve these goals.

For more information, please contact Grant Farnsworth, UDOT Region 2 Planning Manager: gfarnsworth@utah.gov or 801-975-4900.