Salt Lake City opened a new bike lane this year. A local business owner wants it gone

SALT LAKE CITY — Marci Rasmussen had concerns about the 4th South Viaduct Trail before the project was completed outside of her business earlier this year.

She contends that her fears have played out since it opened. Traffic at her business, Especially For You Flowers, is down by over 20%, she told KSL, and she said customers have been frustrated or confused about parking outside of her store and in a nearby driveway to a tiny adjacent lot.

A recent run-in with a bicyclist proved to be her tipping point. Rasmussen said she was backing out of the business driveway when she and a biker nearly collided. The biker, she said, began yelling at her, calling her "every name in the book."

"That was it," she said.

She began crafting an email to Salt Lake City and Utah transportation leaders, telling them that she planned to file a petition over the trail.

Rasmussen is now making it her mission to get the bike lane removed, receiving some support from neighboring businesses, as she launches a petition over it.

Salt Lake City transportation officials said they tried to work with local businesses before the bike lanes were installed, and they are open to potential mitigations.

The pending dispute comes as the city begins work with the Utah Department of Transportation over a new state law that was partially inspired by the new trail, which allows the state to have a greater say in some of the city's transportation projects.

'So dangerous'

Salt Lake City eyed the 4th South Viaduct Trail well before its conception, aiming to improve alternative transportation connections between its east and west sides, considering that only a few routes aren't blocked by either I-15 or a large railroad corridor dividing the two.

It's a project that's been years in the making, and project officials argued when the trail opened in May that it gives alternatives for the fast-growing Granary and Post districts.

Crews modified the driveway and fencing to "improve visibility and access" for businesses like Especially For You Flowers, according to Sofia Jeremias, a spokeswoman for the city's communities and neighborhoods department, which oversees its transportation division.

Rasmussen confirmed that those modifications were made, but she said a two-way bike lane that passes the driveway is disorienting for drivers, who may have a biker run up on them from either direction as they back out of the driveway.

That's led to some unpleasant interactions for her, her staff, delivery drivers and customers, she said.

"It is so dangerous," she said, describing her concerns with it to KSL. "My drivers ... are petrified. It is a really scary (crossing)."

She fears a serious collision occurring outside of her longstanding business near Pioneer Park, which she said feels inevitable based on the current setup. She said she's unsure who the bike lane is for because she hasn't seen many bikers use it.

Salt Lake City has not received any reports about on-street crashes or safety incidents since the path opened on May 27, Jeremias said.

As for use, the trail hasn't been open long enough to provide any ridership data. The city, she explained in an email, often waits a year after all construction has ended to begin evaluating traffic trends, and three to five years to evaluate safety data.

Feedback has been mostly positive so far, especially from west side residents, city officials said.

"The 400 South Viaduct Trail is one of the few east-west connections where people walking and biking don't face train delays. Anecdotally, we've heard a lot of positive feedback, especially from Poplar Grove residents," Jeremias added.

Biking advocates say it's an important addition in active transportation infrastructure.

No project is ever perfect, but the city did a good job including protected bike lanes, according to Julian Jurkoic, the board chairman of Sweet Streets, a Salt Lake City-based organization that advocates for safer active transportation.

Jurkoic said protected bike lanes generally make it safer for cyclists and are "a net positive for the city."

Potential modifications

The debate comes as Salt Lake City and Utah transportation leaders begin to review potential modifications to recent bus and bike lanes that were specifically outlined in SB242, an omnibus transportation bill that included greater state oversight on some transportation projects within Utah's capital city.

It specifically called for potential mitigations to projects on 400 South, from I-15 to West Temple, and 300 West, from 400 South to 900 South, such as the 4th South Viaduct Trail and its connection with a pathway at 300 West.

Salt Lake City and UDOT are still negotiating a required agreement over transportation by a Jan. 1, 2027, deadline, which will include a plan and timelines to address any impacts of traffic-calming projects on those streets.

"We are first working to identify impacts. Once we have determined the impacts, we will identify a suite of mitigations that could range from signage, to retiming traffic signals and to making modifications to curb management," Jeremias wrote.

Rasmussen said she has no issues with the 4th South Viaduct Trail as it crosses the railroad tracks from the west, but she would like to see changes as it crosses over the 400 South Viaduct bridge toward downtown — potentially moving it to 400 West or other streets where there is less traffic.

"I wish the city would admit it's been a big mistake," she said.

Jurkoic agrees that any type of conflict between a trail or bike lane and the road, whether an intersection or driveway, can be unnerving. He isn't sure what type of solution can eliminate safety risks, but better signage could help reduce conflicts.

He mostly hopes mitigations don't turn into removals as those types of discussions begin.

"I hope that the city and UDOT are cognizant of the empirical data that we have from countless studies that show the numerous benefits of bike infrastructure," he said. "It makes us healthier, it cleans up our air and it even reduces traffic and congestion. I think that's all very important to keep in mind."

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