Council of Governments reviews transportation sales tax allocations and Park City bus-stop upgrades

Mayors and council members heard an update on how transportation sales-tax dollars and a separate small-cities grant are being distributed and spent, and on Park City’s plan to improve many of its bus stops.

The presenter explained the small-cities grant uses a three-year average of each municipality’s tax contributions to determine annual allocations and noted Summit County and Park City are not included in that small-cities allocation. The presenter said small cities have five years to spend their awards, and if projects remain unspent the COG can consider reallocation or other remedies.

Julia Collins, the transportation planning manager, said Park City is coordinating bus-stop work with a planned bus rapid transit line and intends to upgrade a substantial share of stops. “We’re trying to deliver a program right now that is going to improve at least a third, if not half, of those bus stops,” Collins said, adding the upgrades will be guided by public outreach and aimed at matching federal funds to stretch local dollars.

Collins described features the city is evaluating, including enclosed shelters, solar panels for snow melt and heaters, bike and ski racks, benches and recycling, and said the city will avoid building stop infrastructure that conflicts with the BRT design. She also said the program is intended to both design and construct in a sequence that lets funds be backfilled for future construction cycles.

Council members asked whether small-city allocations were calendar-year amounts (staff confirmed the figures referenced the calendar year 2023) and whether unspent funds could roll over. The presenter said municipalities can bank funds and have five years to spend them; the COG will return with a proposed process if the body wants a formal reprogramming or recapture timeline.

The update also covered Summit County projects, a status spreadsheet that breaks awards out by year, and coordination among Park City, Summit County and High Valley Transit to prioritize near-term projects. Staff said they will return at the next COG meeting with the new applications and a fuller project update.

The COG did not take formal action; staff committed to bring recommendations about reprogramming long‑unspent funds back for the body’s consideration.