City Council to Walk Neighborhoods in District Five

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) The Salt Lake City Council meets tonight at the Tracy Aviary to take comment from residents of council district five. But first, they will tour three neighborhoods to assess their friendliness to walkers.

"District five is lucky that we have a lot of really walkable neighborhoods with local businesses and things," says Councilmember Jill Remington Love, who represents district five and chose tonight's agenda. "But I think we need to go to that next level."

Walkability expert Mark Fenton will offer thoughts on improving each area the council visits. The tour starts at Wal-Mart on 13th South, where a large wall has become a barrier to nearby residents who walk there to shop. Next, Love has concerns about the busy intersection of Sunnyside Avenue and Guardsman Way:

"My concern there is we have this residential area, four lanes of traffic and little protection between the sidewalk and traffic," says Love. "And then we have three schools, a rec center and a university - and it's not a place you'd let your kid ride a bike across the street to the swimming pool."

The tour will end at Ninth and Ninth, where the city spent two-million dollars on a facelift that widened sidewalks and improved crosswalks. The area should be a model for city officials trying to improve walkability in other neighborhoods, says Love.

After the tour, the City Council will meet at The Mill at Tracy Aviary at 7 p.m. to receive public comment.

Click here for the meeting agenda.

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