Will 8000 South Get The Green Light To Expand?
Jan 30, 2015 12:31PM ● By Peter WoronaThe intersection of 8000 South and 700 East. 8000 South leads to a dead end right now, but it could be extended through the neighborhood, where residents are split in their opinions about it.
There seems to be some tension between two groups of Sandy residents over a proposed 8000 South street expansion. The planned expansion would bring the current road east from 700 East and connect it to Cedar Terrace Drive (about 7985 South).
Traffic is the number-one complaint of those opposed to the street expansion, according to a group who presented their case to the Sandy City Council in January. They are concerned that routing a main road like 8000 South into a local road will cause an influx of vehicles, thus needlessly endangering those who already live in the neighborhood.
“My concern is that one day my daughters will be on their scooters when someone flips around really quickly,” said Tyler Maynard, who lives in the area. He echoed the concerns of other residents who believe that drivers already go too fast without even yet having to worry about more vehicles than they’re used to.
Carol Garden, a longtime resident of the nearby neighborhood, brought up a different concern: crime. She said she has noticed an increase in crime since Ponderosa Way was connected to 7800 South, and she believes this situation will cause another increase.
“If you open that road, [criminals] will have an easy-access out,” she said.
Not everyone is opposed to the 8000 South expansion, however. According to Sandy City Public Works Director Rick Smith, a petition signed by 60 residents in favor of the expansion was brought to Sandy City soon after the city council heard the arguments of those opposed to the project.
Smith cited safety as the major reason this project is being proposed.
“The big issue with the area here is that you have several outlets to 700 East, but there are no signalized outlets to 700 East from that subdivision,” he said. “That’s a safety issue. Fifty years ago, it wouldn’t have been, but the traffic is so heavy now that in order to get out onto 700 East, especially going left, it’s very, very difficult.”
Sandy City has already purchased the property needed to begin the expansion, but the project cannot begin unless the city council approves it.
The city is currently doing studies on all of the interior streets of the subdivision to show how the distribution of traffic would be benefited by the traffic signal. If the council ultimately approves the project, it will begin sometime later this year.