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Redefining SLC's Wide Open Street-Spaces w/ Jon Larsen, Transportation Division Director
Description
In this episode, I connect with Jon Larsen, Salt Lake City, Utah's Transportation Division Director, for a conversation about how he and his team are making progress in their efforts to create safer, more inviting street spaces for "All Ages & Abilities" across all mobility modes.
Salt Lake City's historic grid features massively wide streets and incredibly long blocks, but its origin isn't rooted in car-centric design, rather it was a practical solution to freight logistics - the ability to do a u-turn with a team of oxen or horses driving a cart or carriage. Since 2017 Jon Larsen and his team have been striving to reimagine what this space can be and who it serves with the systematic, incremental installation of safer, more inviting "All Ages & Abilities" active mobility infrastructure.
Does Salt Lake City, Utah, come to mind when you think of cities leading the way in innovative cycle infrastructure? Probably not. But, they were one of the early protected cycling infrastructure adopters in North America, with one of the first official "Dutch-style" protected intersections. Unfortunately, the car-centric status quo pushed back, and things slowed down significantly for a couple of years, but they are back on track now.
Additional Helpful Links:
Salt Lake City Projects Mentioned:
- 300 West - video
- 900 South/9-Line
- 200 South
- Neighborhood byways
- Livable Streets Program
- Streets Typology Design Guide
- State Street Project - Life on State
STROAD:
- Definition
- Not Just Bikes STROAD video
Seattle Streets Illustrated Guide
PeopleForBikes - Shed the Monster video
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Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
Various mixes also by John Simmerman
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording p