At the University of Utah Board of Trustees’ meeting on Dec. 9, Red Butte Garden and Arboretum received approval on a proposal to improve traffic flow and add parking capacity. The project will help Red Butte Garden better serve its growing audience, educate more K-12 Utah school children and improve safety and access for all guests.

“The garden is a treasured sanctuary for our entire community, with more guests visiting every year,” said Derrek Hanson, executive director of Red Butte Garden. “We want to make it easier for anyone and everyone to come up and experience the benefits of this place.”

Red Butte Garden will now move ahead and work to create a more intentional arrival experience that will help bring more guests to the location more efficiently, conveniently and safely.

Plans are still conceptual but feature a streamlined traffic flow that will make it possible for more public buses, campus shuttles, motor coaches and school buses to circulate through the garden’s entrance plaza. A dedicated school bus drop-off is a top priority, Hanson said, helping support and expand Red Butte’s already considerable educational impact.

“Last year our educators taught hands-on plant science to almost 8,000 school children on field trips to the garden,” he said. “We’re eager to engage more young learners on-site, but we need to make it easier and safer for them to get here. Better access for school buses is critical.”

The project, estimated to cost about $5 million, will be paid for by Red Butte Garden with earned revenue and unrestricted donor funds, building a future where more people can learn, grow and connect with the healing power of nature.