Saturday was definitely a day to write in my diary about. I cheered on the Utes in Logan as they dished out a delicious win. I realized my goal of meeting Crazy Lady and getting my picture with her, both of us looking characteristically crazy. Then, while making my way back home, it was there. I traveled the Legacy Parkway on its big day. It was open and eerily quiet.
The issue surrounding Legacy Parkway can no longer be about whether it should have been built over the marshlands of the Great Salt Lake8212;it was built anyway, even after a lawsuit against the state. It’s there now, and it should be used. Staying on Interstate 15 during rush hour is now the less environmentally friendly choice because the extra traffic keeps cars on the road longer.
Legacy Parkway will reduce the traffic on I-15 by 30 percent or 45,000 cars daily, as projected by the Utah Department of Transportation. It will take time for Davis County commuters to change their habits and reach that number. After years of having no alternative to the interstate, commuters must be used to the standstill traffic that happens every day. Now, with the opening of Legacy Parkway and FrontRunner, commuters will get a little room to breathe.
UDOT could take congestion-easing one step further by turning all four lanes of Legacy Parkway traveling south in the morning and north in the evening. Travelers going against the flow won’t be any worse off than before, and the masses of people heading in the popular direction will soon forget they could read a novel a week waiting in traffic.
Since the parkway was built over the marshlands, it’s no surprise the view is scenic. I could tell even in the dark. UDOT emphasizes this, which seems like a way to soften the blow and make us forget how scenic it was before. They even put a bike trail next to it. Still, I can’t argue that the view of Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Mountains from the west is majestic, and Legacy Parkway comes with a view.
Every time it was necessary for me to travel northwest of the Capitol, my heart bled for the poor commuters, stuck in a bus or a car in the inevitable interstate tangle they were trapped in day after day. The Legacy Parkway, now built and open, is the light at the end of the tunnel. Whether heading to the U or to work in Salt Lake City, the Legacy Parkway will ease the burden of the journey.
Anne Roper