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May 2014 – Community Forum Newsletter

Next Community Forum


Thursday, October 9, 2014 | 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

University Union Building
200 S. Central Campus Drive
Union Den (1st Floor)

The Union Building is served by UTA bus and free campus shuttle.
Parking validations will be available for those who park in the
lot east of the Union Building.

We welcome your attendance, comments, and participation in the discussion.

AGENDA of Next Forum


  • Wall Mansion Update
    Jason Perry, Vice President of Government Relations
  • Emergency Response Exercise on November 3
    Kevin Holman, State of Utah Office of Emergency Management
    Major Jared Wandell, Utah National Guard
  • Current Construction Update and Impacts
    John McNary, Director of Campus Planning, Facilities Management
  • Traffic and Transportation Study
    Melissa Johnson, Director of Operations, Commuter Services
    The University Campus and Transportation Master Plan project team collected data on the campus during April, which included daily counts at 20 pedestrian crossings, daily counts at 22 intersections, more than 600 counts in parking lots, bus routes and the U shuttle system. This information will help the project team as they make recommendations for the Campus and Transportation Master Plan. Please share your input during the meeting. If you are unable to attend, comments are accepted online at maps.horrocks.com/upubliccomment.

 

Recap of the May 8, 2014 Community Forum


Comprehensive Campus Traffic and Transportation Study Gets Under Way
Alma Allred, Executive Director, Commuter Services

The University is working with Horrocks Engineering to develop a comprehensive, campus-wide parking and transportation master plan that will include Research Park. At the time of the last Community Forum meeting, the project was roughly six weeks into the data collection phase. The traffic and transportation master plan will work hand-in-hand with the campus master plan, providing support and recommendations regarding traffic, parking, transit, pedestrian access, and safety.

The October community forum will include time for residents to share input about the plan. If you are unable to attend, comments are accepted online at maps.horrocks.com/upubliccomment. The University is looking forward to hearing your feedback and will also work closely with the Utah Department of Transportation, Salt Lake City, and Utah Transit Authority throughout the process.


U Community Solar
Myron Willson, Director, Sustainability Resource Center

The U’s new Community Solar program, which makes it simple and affordable for members of the U community to install rooftop solar panels, is available through October 1, 2014. Participants will receive the following benefits:

  • A substantial discount on solar made possible through University facilitation of a supplier discount.
  • Simplified and streamlined solar installation process with access to a local clean energy advocacy group to provide you with expert information about solar.
  • Pre-screened installers have been selected by theU to participate in the program based on qualityand price for members of the campus community.

Members of the University of Utah campus community who live in Salt Lake, Summit, or Davis counties are eligible to participate in the program. You must own your home and live in a grid-tied residence. Here’s how it works:

  • Learn About U Community Solar: Attenda workshop or an event to learn about U Community Solar. Get answers to your questions and start thinking about your energy goals. Find upcoming events online at MyCommunitySolar.org/UCommunitySolar.
  • Take the Solar Survey: Available until October1, 2014, the survey will provide informationabout your solar needs and connect youwith an installer. Access the online survey atMyCommunitySolar.org/UCommunitySolar.
  • Connect with an installer and schedule a sitevisit: Your installer will contact you to talk aboutyour energy goals, provide you with an estimatefor solar, and schedule a site visit at your home.
  • Receive site visit at home*: During a site visitat your home, you will have a chance to reviewyour options for a solar installation with your UCommunity Solar-approved installer.
  • Review Final Quote: After your site visit, your installer will provide you with a final quote for solar, based on the discounted rate. Take some time to review your final quote and explore financing options.
  • Contract to Install Solar: Sign a contract withyour installer and provide a $500 non-refundabledeposit to secure your participation. Your installerwill schedule your installation and help you complete permitting and net metering paperwork.
  • Spread the word: Tell your friends and neighbors.

*There is a $35 fee for a site visit payable to the installer; this fee will be applied toward the final cost of your solar installation, should you choose to install. The $500 deposit will also be applied toward the final cost of your solar installation.


Current Construction Update and Impacts
Cory Higgins, Executive Director, Facility and Construction Operations

  • Business Loop Parking Garage
    A new parking garage will be constructed within the existing parking lot in the Business Loop, near the new Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts and Education Complex. The four-level structure will include about 800 spaces, a net increase of about 550 from what’s there now. The top of the structure is built with a reinforced roof that allows it to also serve as a play field. Construction began in July and should be completed in the spring of 2015. During that time, the existing lot will be closed. The location of this structure will provide much-needed parking for events at the Huntsman Center and Rice-Eccles Stadium in the evenings and on weekends, and traffic parked there will be able to exit the area quickly.
  • Northwest Parking Garage
    A second parking structure, the Northwest Parking Garage, will be built immediately west of the Albert Sutton Building located on 100 South near Wolcott Ave. Construction began September 15 and should be ready for use by the beginning of fall semester 2015. The structure will have a brick finish, and although it is four stories, it will be built into the ground, keeping the height low enough to not impact views from the Sutton Building. The roof will be metal. Additional information on this project is included in the next section of this newsletter.
  • Law Building
    The new law building, now under construction, is scheduled for completion next summer. Some classes will be held in the building that summer, with full use by fall 2015. Track the progress on a live cam atfacilities.utah.edu/projects/sj-quinney-law.php.
  • Kennecott Building
    The renovation of the Kennecott Building, located on the northwest corner of North Campus Drive and 100 South, is completing its second phase. The first phase was completed last fall and included the south and west corners of the building. Everything except the exterior brick walls were taken down, and the structure is being completely rebuilt on the north and east sides. It is scheduled for completion in April. A future phase, which is not yet funded, will fill in the loading dock area with classrooms and labs. Changes in the design of the bus stop located on North Campus Drive near 100 South will impact the design, which is also not yet funded.
  • Ambulatory Care Complex
    The Ambulatory Care Complex parking structure, located near the north end of Mario Capecchi Drive, was completed about one year ago. The north side is for Primary Children’s Medical Center and the south side is for the U. The center officially opened in September. A low-water-use sod was planted this summer. A sidewalk leading from the south side of the complex to the TRAX station and the hospital were completed this summer.

 

 

Northwest Parking Garage Traffic Study
Preston Stinger, Senior Transportation Engineer, Fehr & Peers
Master plans and information for this project are online at facilities.utah.edu.

In preparation for construction of the new Northwest Parking Garage, to be located at the site of the current surface parking lot immediately west of the Frederick Albert Sutton Building, (near the intersection of 100 South and Wolcott Ave.), Fehr & Peers conducted a traffic study of 100 South and its intersections at Wolcott Ave. and University Street. The garage will increase the parking capacity in the area from 85 to 360 stalls. The study, completed in Spring 2013 while school was still in session, shows that 60 percent of the stalls will fill up between 7 – 9 a.m. and will empty out between 4 – 6 p.m. The study found that the greatest impact will occur on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during these peak hours.

The study assigns grades A to F to indicate congestion levels. Grades A through D are considered acceptable and do not require mitigation, while grades E and F show extreme congestion, and mitigation measures are recommended. When an intersection is studied, traffic engineers look at the average delay in seconds experienced by every car going through the intersection. Reaching an 80-second delay earns an F grade.

The study projects that during evening peak hours, the level of service on 100 South will decline from a B grade to a D by 2025 because of additional demand generated further east on North Campus Drive for the Ambulatory Care Center. The study indicates that additional trips to the new garage alone will not make traffic worse.

By 2025, a left-turn-only lane will be needed, along with a shared through and right-turn lane for traffic entering 100 South from the parking garage, to prevent cars from backing up inside the structure during evening peak hours. The left-turn lane will be planned and designed now so it can be installed when it’s needed.

First South will remain open throughout the construction period. The pay lot will remain open, but parking will be somewhat restricted. Construction is scheduled to be completed by the beginning of fall semester 2015.
A few facts:

  • The estimated number of trips on 100 South during the morning peak hours in 2025 is about 3,000 eastbound and 1,000 westbound and the reverse during the evening peak hours.
  • Traffic flow can fluctuate by 10 percent on any given day. The estimates of what this garage will generate are based on what was happening at the time of the study—2013—and adjusted based on the increased number of spaces.
  • Patrons attending evening events at Kingsbury Hall and Gardner Hall may use the parking garage.
  • The safety of pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, etc. is critically important, and pedestrian counts were taken at the Wolcott intersection and are included in the modeling.
  • The increased traffic generated in the future by the Ambulatory Care Center will impact traffic far more than this garage. Mitigation to address the impacts around the Ambulatory Care Center is in the planning stages. The campus traffic master plan currently under way will be inclusive and will look at mitigations throughout the academic and health sciences campuses.

 

 

 

Additional announcements


National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
September 27

The University of Utah Department of Public Safety, in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U’s College of Pharmacy, will collect unused or expired medication for safe disposal on Saturday, September 27, between 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Medications can be dropped off at the U Department of Public Safety Office, 1735 E. South Campus Drive.