(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) A street sign for Harvey Milk Blvd. in Salt Lake City is shown on July 22, 2022.
Some members of the Utah Legislature are apparently in such a hurry to speed through the capital city that they are moving to take away Salt Lake City’s ability to engineer its streets for the safety of its own residents.
Over several years, Salt Lake City’s mayor, council and staff have been promoting safer ways to drive, bike and walk around town, especially the central core. They have added bicycle lanes, bus lanes, speed bumps and other techniques known collectively as “traffic calming” devices to make travel safer for all concerned.
But lawmakers who live in other cities and barrel through our town on their way to and from the Capitol are pushing Senate Bill 242, which would allow the state to meddle in the city’s street-design efforts.
City streets are properly a municipal function, designed and paid for by city officials who are answerable to city residents. Even when some of the money comes from the state, city officials should make the decisions.
The Legislature should also ignore a proposal that the state take away a city’s power to name its own streets, and force Salt Lake City to change the name of one major artery from Harvey Milk Boulevard to Charlie Kirk Boulevard.
State lawmakers have enough on their plate. They should not be micromanaging the business of our cities.
Editorials represent the opinions of The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board, which operates independently from the newsroom.
