Commuter Services – Traffic and Transportation Master Plan
Melissa Johnson, director of transportation services for Commuter Services, University of Utah
During the May community forum open house, Commuter Services and Horrocks Engineering representatives were available to answer specific questions from community members and discuss the Transportation Master Plan, which is a comprehensive look at parking and transportation issues in and around campus with recommended solutions.
University and study goals
- Reduce single occupancy vehicles
- Parking strategy based on entire “transportation system”
- Understand regional mobility and multi-modal needs
- Address mass transit issues by engaging surrounding neighborhoods, communities, and agencies
- Maintain campus integrity through embracing a holistic“complete streets” concept
- Include stakeholders, campus departments, university and Research Park employees, hospital staff, neighborhoods, community leaders, specialty groups, and the public
- Create a master plan with phasing and financially viable options
Transportation Master Plan – This plan includes a comprehensive look at parking and transportation issues in and around campus and recommended solutions for all transportation modes that support the university’s goal of reducing single occupant trips, reducing traffic, and lowering emissions.
Visit facilities.utah.edu/campus-planning/transportationmaster-plan.php to view the complete plan.
Research Park updates
Jonathon Bates, director, University Real Estate Administration
Since the Utah State Legislature established Research Park in 1969, Research Park has become an increasingly vital part of campus and a major source of economic development.
The mission of Research Park is to attract and promote the growth of industrial technology; foster the economic growth and development of Utah by providing an environment conducive to the interaction of the university and industrial communities; and encourage the transfer of university research and technology to the private sector for the creation of jobs and state revenue. Research Park is a huge beneficiary of the U’s long tradition of technology commercialization, particularly in health sciences and biotechnology. Some of the biggest companies created from research at the U are located in Research Park.
Campus construction
John McNary, director of University Campus Planning for Facilities Management
With the campus master plan as a back drop to conversation, John McNary visited with members of the community and answered questions regarding planning and construction activities on campus. A common thread of questions was traffic, which gave us a chance to explain our concerns with managing and reducing traffic on campus, and providing adequate parking. We also referred people to the Traffic and Transportation Master Plan, which looks comprehensively at the parking and transportation issues in and around the campus area, and addresses possible solutions for all transportation modes. We also discussed our cooperation with Salt Lake City to find solutions for improving traffic on Foothill Drive.
Other members of the community were interested in the construction activity that continues to take place. We reviewed projects in the planning stages, in context with the master plan, and answered questions regarding progress on current construction projects. Visit the construction impact map to see current construction on campus, and go to facilities.utah.edu for more detailed information.
UDOT improvements to safety on campus
Patrick Cowley, traffic operations engineer, UDOT Region Two
- In 2015 we made changes at 500 South near the VA Hospital and 1725 East to improve the safety of the signalized pedestrian crossing. A fence was added along the concrete median to channel pedestrians to the marked crosswalk at the signal. A pedestrian push button was also added in the median.
- In 2015 we restriped a small piece of Mario Capecchi Drive between Primary Children’s Hospital and the new Ambulatory Care Center across the street. The new striping creates more of an intersection-type striping (including specific left turn pockets to each facility) to bring attention to drivers that left turns are being made into and out of each facility.
- In 2015 we added a white-stripe line around the corner for the right-hand turn movement from southbound Mario Capecchi Drive to westbound South Campus Drive to help delineate the path that vehicles need to follow to avoid conflicts with the TRAX line. After recent discussions with U representatives, we have committed to repainting that white stripe line with a larger radius so that it is more visible and realistic for drivers to follow.
Foothill Drive Implementation Strategy – The Foothill Drive Implementation Strategy will identify short-term and long-term strategies to address traffic congestion, improve neighborhood connections, enhance safety, and provide transportation options.
This project is a partnership among Salt Lake City, UDOT, UTA, Salt Lake County, University of Utah and Wasatch Front Regional Council.
You can leave location-specific comments on our interactive map or use the form to submit general feedback to the project team here.
Athletics
Chris Hill, director of Athletics, University of Utah
The university continues to evaluate the feasibility of locating a baseball stadium on campus. Through the feasibility study, the university will assess:
- Siting options
- Placement configurations at the various sites
- Lighting and sound mitigation strategies
The university will continue to engage in community dialogue as project evaluation continues.
Air quality and sustainability efforts
Myron Wilson, deputy chief sustainability officer, University of Utah Sustainability Office
Michael Brehm, manager of Environmental Protection, University Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety
Since the 1990s the University of Utah, spearheaded by Environmental Health and Safety and Facilities Management, has been working to reduce its permitted air emissions. In fact, the university has been a significant leader in air quality emission reduction efforts. Initiatives in transportation, energy and building efficiency, renewable energy, waste reduction, and education have been responsible for major reductions in both regulated and non-regulated emission categories.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Principal strategies
- Designate campus-wide point person to provide campus-wide coordination and strategic leadership.
- Collect and analyze data for effective planning.
- Include air quality as a factor in decision-making.
Air quality initiatives
- Communicate request for action
- Adjust temperature set points
- Generator maintenance scheduling
- Two-stroke engine ban
The Utah Division of Air Quality has developed a new air quality alert system to better communicate the complex health implications and activity restrictions based on real-time pollution monitoring data. The new alert system consists of a symbol code for action alerts and a color code for health guidance.
Best management practices
- Behavior change and communication
- Mobile sources
- University fleet and operations
- Student, faculty and staff commuting
- Point sources (natural gas combustion on campus)
- Area sources (grounds equipment, solvents, cleaning
supplies, paints, etc.)
A copy of the emission mitigation strategies for the University of Utah can be found online here.
Health Sciences
Bob Simonton, director of Capital Projects, University of Utah
There are three phases construction projects go through: planning (or programming), design, and construction. Most of the projects for Health Sciences are in the planning phase at this point.
Projects in planning phase
- Ambulatory Care Center – This is one of three buildings that will replace Building 521, which is the original University Hospital built in 1965. This 228,00 square-foot medical office building will cost an estimated $104 million, and is approved through construction. The site of this building is where most of the hospital’s underground utilities are located, which means they will need to be moved. Substantial completion of this building is anticipated for Spring 2018.
- Medical Education Building and Discovery Center – This is the second of three buildings that will replace Building 521, becoming the new School of Medicine. This building will require the demolition of Building 521 because it can’t meet current safety codes. The 200,000 square-foot MED building’s estimated cost is $100 million, and the 50,000 square-foot Discovery Center is estimated at $28 million.
- Rehabilitation Hospital – This is the third building that will replace Building 521, making up the new School of Medicine campus. This 150,000 square-foot building will accommodate services displaced from Building 521. Its estimated cost is $90 million.
- HSC Utility and Energy Master Plan – The purpose of this project is to free heating and cooling capacity with energy-efficient projects and to identify the best utility infrastructure to meet current and future needs. The project costs are still being determined, but the university plans on using the energy savings to pay for improvements.
- Orthopedics – The design for this 16,500 square-foot addition to the existing Orthopedic Building is currently underway. The project cost is estimated at $13 million, and will allow for physical therapy space and additionalpatient care.
Projects in the design phase
- Madsen Clinic Renovation – The estimated cost of this project is $6 million and is approved through construction. The projected impact of this renovation is better use of space, allowing the movement of 20,000 existing patient visits per year from the hospital to the clinic, allowing less acute visits to move off campus to facilities in South Jordan, Sugarhouse, Farmington, and Murray.
Projects currently under construction
- Huntsman Cancer Phase IV – This phase of the renovation will provide 225,030 square-feet of new research space focused on child and family cancer, improve long-term quality of life for cancer survivors, treatment for patients, and accelerate new drug discovery. It will also provide office and meeting space. The project began in September 2014 and will cost an estimated $106 million. The concrete and steel are complete and the building’s exterior skin and interior work are progressing. Contractors are parking off site and being shuttled using the haul route to reduce the parking impact on campus. At peak construction, there are 200 workers on site.
- HSC Parking Garage – This six-story parking structure will provide more than 1,000 employee parking spaces for Health Science employees at an estimated cost of $25.4 million. The structure will be constructed to allow for two additional floors of office or housing space above the parking. With the location close to student housing, the back-up alarms on work trucks have been replaced with white noise directional alarms to reduce noise in the area.
- Farmington Clinic – This 128,000 square-foot clinic will serve patients in Davis and Weber counties, providing closer access to lower-acuity care. This project is estimated at $72.9 million and will help reduce patient visits to campus by 50,000 visits per year.