ST. GEORGE — Cedar City is partnering with the Utah Department of Transportation and Iron County to address transportation concerns in the city — and they’re asking for the public’s help.

Avenue Consultants created an online survey as part of their work to collect and analyze information concerning transportation on Main Street, 200 North and in the downtown area. Areas of interest to the team include traffic issues, amenities such as bike lanes or benches, and landscaping.

The work was commissioned by UDOT, said Thomas McMurtry, the consultant project manager. Thus far, the team has received over 1,000 responses to the survey and hopes more individuals participate by the time it closes on Feb. 28.

“We want to understand if there are any issues that we don’t know about,” he told Cedar City News.

UDOT Senior Communications Manager Kevin Kitchen said the team at UDOT hopes Cedar City residents participate in the survey “because we want to get as broad a representation as we can from the public during this process.”

“The sky is the limit on your thoughts,” he added. “This is where you really throw it in. This is a stage where nothing’s off the table.”

Additionally, participants will be entered to win a $50 Amazon gift card, according to a news release issued by the city.

Cedar City’s population is projected to “grow substantially between now and 2050,” the project website states. Project planners hope to identify corridor linkages and improve traffic congestion during that time.

Avenue Consultants analyzed the area’s existing conditions, including transportation, active transportation and safety information, to establish current “needs, gaps and obstacles,” according to the website.

For instance, on Main Street, one of 17 traffic signals meets standards, and “most existing driveways do not meet the spacing standard,” the project’s website states. However, most of the roads in the study area boast an acceptable level of service, with some congestion on the north end expected to increase by 2050.

On 200 North, current traffic signals and 18 of the 25 streets do not meet standards, according to the project’s webpage. But the area maintains an acceptable level of service, which is expected to continue into 2050, with the exception of Westview Drive, where congestion levels could increase substantially.

There were three fatalities on 200 North between 2017-2022, but 65% of the 469 crashes in the corridor resulted in no injuries.

Because Cedar City received grant funding to improve the Historic Downtown, the government was able to “piggyback” on the project to gather relevant data, city Economic Development Director Danny Stewart told Cedar City News.

Information gathered in the survey could concern parking options, downtown design details, and wayfinding signage, he added.

UDOT is working closely with Utah’s Main Street program, Stewart said. Like many other municipalities in the state, Cedar City’s Main Street is located on a highway – state Route 130. And while the department’s primary goal has been “moving traffic,” in the last few years, there has been an increased focus on how the street can be utilized as a part of the community.

Blu Line Designs is working closely with Cedar City and Avenue Consultants with a focus on beautifying Main Street’s streetscape, the company’s president, Cory Shupe, said. Additionally, the organization hopes to create a more “pedestrian-sensitive environment” and stimulate the local economy.

“The goal is: when people come here, they want to return,” he said.

The project primarily was funded by the local governments, UDOT’s Region 4 and the department’s planning division, Kitchen said. Work officially began in November 2022, with expectations that it will be completed by the end of October 2023.

Currently, UDOT is conducting a solutions development process to “clearly understand the context of a specific area,” Kitchen said.

“And as we look toward developing solutions, we want those things to align with the community’s vision and needs,” he said. “So, this is an early planning process. It has different stages, but in essence, the idea here is to make sure that whatever transportation looks like going into the future is in harmony or in context with that local city or that local area that we’re studying.”

Then, using information from the public and local entities, the team will “define the problems and the opportunities” and tailor solutions that could lead to projects, Kitchen said.

More opportunities for individuals to share feedback at public meetings are forthcoming, with one expected in April, McMurtry said, adding that residents should keep their eyes peeled for more information, particularly heading into summer.

“We’re going to want their feedback on those ideas,” he said.

To learn more about the project or take the survey, click here.

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