JACKSON, Wyo. — The Teton County Board of County Commissioners approved a motion on Monday in support of building part of the pathway connector on the west side of Teton Pass — without a proposed Coal Creek pedestrian underpass — using about $1.5 million in local funds.
The motion, which passed unanimously, contains a caveat that the Coal Creek pedestrian underpass could still be an option if private philanthropy can raise enough money by the end of the year to cover a $2.2 million gap. More than 10 community members from both sides of Teton Pass gave public comment at the meeting, all in favor of full or partial completion of the pathway.
The path at issue is a 3.6-mile, unfinished segment that was originally to stretch from Trail Creek Campground to the Coal Creek parking area on the west side of Teton Pass. It was also to include a pedestrian underpass connecting Coal Creek to the pathway on the opposite side of WY22. This proposed segment was originally budgeted at $5 million in 2020, and the cost to complete the project as originally planned has since risen to $13.4 million. With $5.1 million allocated to the project from a federal BUILD Grant in 2020, the necessary local contribution has continued to rise with the cost of the project.
Teton County Public Works Director Heather Overholser presented four options to the County Commissioners for how to proceed with the Teton Pass Trail project, which is part of a larger effort to improve transportation, access and safety along the WY22/ID33 corridor between Jackson and Driggs, Idaho. The BUILD Grant Project is a collaborative, multiyear initiative between Wyoming and Idaho. The recommendation from county staff to the Commissioners was Option 4, which would cancel the Teton Pass Trail and redistribute the funds to other BUILD project components.
“Please don’t undercut years of joint investment,” said former Victor City Councilmember Dave Bergart in his public comment. “Idaho communities have already built more than 2 miles of connecting trail and invested years of work to make the cross-state link real. Cancelling now, to be honest, would feel like a bait and switch to the partners who helped make this grant competitive.”
The elected officials expressed agreement with that sentiment, not wanting to let down the involved partners in the overarching project.
“I don’t think it’s about the cost benefit as much as it’s about the fact that this has been a joint project from its very inception,” said Commissioner Luther Propst, “and I think we should continue to treat it as a joint project. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the two counties.”
Commissioners ultimately approved Option 3 for the Teton Pass Trail, which calls for an 80/20 funding split, with federal grant money making up 80% of the funding and Teton County adding 20%, or around $1.5 million. This option does not include the underpass near Coal Creek, and it only allows for 1.6 of the 3.6 miles of pathway. Overholser noted that it offers the largest amount of local savings among the different options, and officials agreed that there is still time down the road to complete the project.
“I agree that there is some risk in attempting to reallocate the funds,” said Commissioner Wes Gardner. “We have a lot of partners who have come to the table here to create a consensus application for the BUILD Grant, and there were certain things that were assumed, and this [component] was one of them.”
The approval contains the ability to switch to Option 2A, which includes the underpass, if local nonprofits can raise about $2.2 million, though the underpass would not be immediately connected to the pathway. With construction bidding to begin in January, the Commission decided on a Dec. 31 deadline for fundraising. The total local contribution necessary for Option 2A would be $3.7 million.
In choosing not to complete the project as initially planned, the County will forego a $1 million grant from the Federal Lands Access Program. That grant had already been designated, but is only available if the entire 3.6-mile pathway and underpass are built at this time. However, there is a possibility that BUILD funds will be leftover after the Idaho Transportation Department’s projects are completed. The figures discussed at the meeting include this money, which could be up to $1 million, pending approval from the Federal Transit Administration.
Tim Young, of the Wilson Advocacy Group, asked during his public comment for five seconds of silence to remember those who could not be part of the conversation because their lives have been lost in vehicle/bicycle collisions in the region.
“The purpose of the Teton Pass Trail is to improve safety for people bicycling and walking on what is generally considered to be the most dangerous section of road for bicyclists anywhere in Teton County, Wyoming,” Young said.
