UTAH COUNTY GENERAL PLAN
CHAPTER 3: TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC CIRCULATION
ELEMENT
Local county roads, state roads and federal highways adequately serve the rural unincorporated area of Utah County, but the transition through the urban municipalities and along the narrow North-South Wasatch Front corridor impedes the efficient traffic flow into the unincorporated areas and to destinations outside of Utah County. With the Wasatch Mountains to the East and Utah Lake on the West, planning for efficient North-South and East-West routes is made difficult.
Funding and construction of adequate transportation facilities has not kept pace with the population growth in Utah County. The State Department of Transportation, Mountainland Association of Governments and the Utah County Engineer can only accomplish annual maintenance and new road construction as funding allows. Utah State Code does not currently allow traffic corridors, as identified in a jurisdiction’s general plan, to be held as open land for future transportation development without purchase of the proposed corridor.
Major streets The map in this chapter shows streets designated as Arterials, Collectors, U.S. Highways, State Routes, Interstate Highway, Proposed State Road Transfers and Proposed Mobility Routes. All other local county roads are identified on the Official County Road Map for Utah County. Many existing county roads designated as an arterial road or as a collector road do not have as wide a right-of-way or paved surface as is needed to function under these designations. Additional right-of-way should be obtained to acquire the land needed to widen and upgrade the paved surface, shoulders and clear areas of these major roads.
Unincorporated Utah County Major Street Standards and Identification
Arterial Roads
Standards
• Right-of-way width is eighty (80) feet, pavement width is thirty-two (32) feet and the clear zone is sixteen (16) feet (see arterial standard drawing)
• Through road
• Significant connecting road
• Required turning lanes at intersections
• Primary function is to move traffic
• High speed (speed limits of 40 mph or greater)
• High volume (traffic counts at or above 4,000 vehicles per day)
• Access control (access to the arterial road is fully or partially controlled by Utah County)
• Restricted public parking within the road right-of-way
• Restricted pedestrian and bicycle activity within the road right-of-way
Identification
• Lehi-Fairfield Road/7600 North (Ranches Parkway to SR 68)
• Woodland Hills Drive (11,200 South to SR 164) Utah County maintains this entire road length
• 6800 North/Sam White Lane (6800 West to Pleasant Grove Blvd)
• 9550 West/Saratoga Road (SR 68 to SR 73)
• Mount Timpanogos Blvd/Training School Road (US 89 to SR 92)
• 6800 West (US 89 to 9600 North)
• 8170 North/Lehi 700 South (9550 West/Saratoga Road to I-15)
• 7900 North/Pleasant Grove 1100 North (US 89 to SR 146)
• 6400 North (600 West to I-15)
• US Highway 189/Provo Canyon Road
• State Route 73 (County line to I-15)
• State Route 68/Redwood Road (County line to US Hwy 6)
• US Highway 6 (County line to I-15, west side & 1-15 to County line, East side)
• US Highway 89 (Springville City to County line)
Collector Roads
Standards
• Right-of-way width is sixty-six (66) feet, pavement width is thirty (30) feet and clear zone is ten (10) feet (see collector road standard drawing)
• Through road
• Connecting road
• Turning lanes at intersections may be required
• Main function is to move traffic, secondary function is to access abutting land and developments
• High speed (speed limit of 40 mph)
• High volume (traffic counts at or above 2,000 vehicles per day)
• Access control (access to the collector road may be fully or partially controlled by Utah County)
• Limited public parking within the road right-of-way
• Limited pedestrian and bicycle activity within the road right-of-way
Identification
• Elk Ridge Drive (11,200 South to SR 198) Utah County maintains the entire road length
• 11,200 South Street (Elk Ridge Drive to Woodland Hills Drive) Utah County maintains the entire road length
• 8000 South (3200 West/SR 115 to I-15)
• 8800 South/Power House Road (SR 198 to US 6)
• 9600 South (5600 West/SR 147 to 3200 West/SR 115)
• 12,000 South/11,950 South/4600 West (SR 141 to SR 178 at I-15)
• 10,400 South/Utah Avenue (SR 147/SR 141 to SR 198)
• 2400 East (US 6 to US 89)
• 6800 South (US 6 to US 89)
• Grove Drive (Alpine City to Forest Service parking lot)
• 7350 North (8000 West to 9550 West)
• Highland Blvd. (SR 92 to Salt Lake County boundary)
• 8800 West/Lehi 1200 West (I-15 to SR 92)
• 10,400 North/10,400 West/9600 North (SR 68 to US 89)
• Goshen Canyon Road (US 6 to Juab County boundary)
• 8000 West/Lehi Center Street (7350 North to 8170 North)
• Mill Pond Road/7750 North/Frontage Road/6000 West (8170 North to 6400 North)
• 9600 North (6800 West to SR 74)
• State Route 92 (US 189 to I-15)
• All State Routes indicated on the map as “Proposed State Road Transfers”
Local County/Development Roads
Standards
• Right-of-way width is fifty-six (56) feet, pavement width is twenty-four (24) feet and clear zone is ten (10) feet (see development road standard drawing)
• Primary function is to provide access to property
• Lower speed (speed limit less than 40 mph)
• Lower volume (traffic counts less than 2,000 vehicles per day)
• Access control (access to the local county/development roads by abutting properties)
Identification
• All county roads on the Official Utah County Road Map unless specified with other designations
Proposed Mobility Routes
Standard
• Mobility routes, as proposed, would connect existing arterial roads and collector roads and be constructed to the major road designation of the existing roads that the mobility route connects.
Identification
• 10,000 North (SR 68 to I-15)
• Lehi 1200 East (US 89 to SR 92)
• 9600 North (Lehi 1200 East to 6800 West)
• 9600 North (SR 74 to Mount Timpanogos Blvd.)
• North Lake Parkway (7350 North and 8000 West to 6400 North and 6000 West)
• East Lake Parkway (6400 North to SR 241)
• Provo Bay Parkway (Provo Airport Road to I-15)
• Spanish Fork Main Street (I-15 University Ave. Exit No. 263 to I-15 Spanish Fork Main Exit No. 257)
• Elk Ridge Drive (SR 198 to SR 164)
Utah County has adopted an “Official Utah County Road Map,” consisting of nineteen map sheets, that indicate the county roads that can be utilized for development purposes and are maintained by Utah County with surface repair, snow removal, widening, and rebuilding or resurfacing.
Subdivision street design standards “Half roads” bordering a subdivision, which are roads built to one-half the normal width, under the assumption that the adjoining property owners will complete the other half, are contrary to the policies of Utah County. Past experience with half roads has shown that the traffic on them is just as heavy as it is on standard roads once the subdivision is occupied, and, particularly in the unincorporated area, it may be a long time before the remaining undeveloped half is ever constructed.
Off site improvements, including curbs, gutters, and sidewalks should not be required in subdivisions when the lot area is less than five acres and the width of the lot is less than 150 feet. These improvements are necessary for safety and convenience in small lot subdivisions, but do not pertain to the rural subdivisions lots of five acres or larger.
Subdivision access roads are those roads leading to a subdivision from the general county road system to give lot owners access to that system. It is the policy of Utah County to not accept dedication of platted subdivision streets if access roads leading to the subdivision are unpaved. Access roads should be paved from the nearest paved county road up to and along the entire frontage of the subdivision. This policy exists because once the land is developed the usage of the road has changed from rural to urban. Undeveloped land or agricultural enterprises can operate satisfactorily with seasonal unpaved roads, but year-round subdivision occupancy needs paved all-weather roads for their own access and for access by public safety and fire vehicles.
When arterial or collector roads are used for access to subdivision lots, it is recommended that: (1) lot designs be kept as wide as possible along the frontage of the major street; (2) driveways be designed to allow cars to enter and exit a major street without backing into traffic; (3) all driveways be constructed to intersect the arterial or collector at the same grade or elevation as the street surface for at least the length of one vehicle; and (4) adjacent driveways share access when possible.
The Utah County Engineer maintains a book of standards for the development of all designations of county roads and other subdivision improvements. These standards are modified and updated as new products are introduced and as nationally tested road criteria are evaluated.
Airports The largest airports within Utah County are the Provo airport and the Springville-Spanish Fork Airport. Both of these facilities are continually expanding their air traffic and facilities. There are other military and private airfields, but they do not produce the commercial travel of those mentioned. With the increase of population coupled with the increase in business, education and industry, air travel will continue to increase in Utah County. Provo City has made improvements to their airport facility in anticipation of scheduled air service in the next several years. The county should be aware of the need to provide land use regulations and zone map designations surrounding these airport facilities that will not impair their operation.
Railroads An urban rail system from Box Elder County to Utah County utilizing an existing rail line has been planned. This system, when completed in the future, would link with the existing TRACS commuter rail lines in Salt Lake County/City, allowing commuter rail service along the Wasatch Front and within the urbanized municipalities of Salt Lake County.
Utah County should continue to work with the railroads to eliminate dangerous county road surface crossings and to install crossing lights and barriers.
Public Transit Utah Department of Transportation has bus service to Utah County with limited service to the rural unincorporated area. Airport shuttle service and taxi service is also available.
Hiking, Biking and Equestrian Trails With the abundance of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management property in Utah County, hiking, biking and equestrian trails have been developed by local government and the Provo-Jordan River Parkway Authority. Utah County should continue to work with other local governments and groups to continue to help in the acquisition of land for the opening of new trail heads and trails, and to maintain their current trails. Trails are not utilized for daily travel in the rural unincorporated county, but are available for all county residents and tourists to provide recreational access to the canyons, mountains, rivers and lakes of Utah County.
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