JACKSON, Wyo. — “Angry August” is prime time for thinking about the valley’s current transportation landscape.
Ahead of the Aug. 18 primary election, Buckrail sent a five-question survey to the nine candidates for Teton County Board of County Commissioners vying to move to the general election. This week, see how the candidates are split on different issues. Yesterday, we posted their thoughts about current housing policies. Today, compare and contrast the way each respondent tackled the following prompt:
In regard to transportation, what do you believe are a County Commissioner’s obligations to residents, tourists, and the environment? What would you prioritize?
Buckrail sent the survey to all nine candidates: Democrats Dr. Brent Blue, Karyn Chin and Ali Dunford; incumbents Wes Gardner, Mark Newcomb and Luther Propst; Independent Alex Muromcew; and Republicans Melchor Dylan Moore and Vicky O’Donoghue. In alphabetical order below, see unedited answers from candidates who replied in time for publication.
Blue:
I would prioritize HOV lanes for 22 and Moose/Wilson. It is the only viable option and the least impact on the environment.
Chin:
Our responsibility isn’t to move as many cars as possible — it’s to move people safely while protecting the place we all depend on. That’s why I’d prioritize expanding START service, bringing back the airport shuttle, investing in safe bike and pedestrian connections, and improving regional transit.
Also, we have to recognize that transportation and housing are inseparable. We will never reduce traffic if more and more working people are forced to live farther and farther from their jobs. Solving our transportation problems isn’t just about reducing traffic — it’s about making it possible for people to live where they work, giving people back time with their families and allowing them to enjoy the community they support.
Dunford:
First and foremost, our mobility corridors must ensure human and animal safety. Commissioners need to be a liaison and advocate between the community and WYDOT to ensure this is prioritized. As a commissioner, I would focus on the following: working collaboratively with WYDOT on safety improvements on Teton Pass and WY22 planning; funding and improving public transportation; building wildlife crossings; and ensuring pathways are well maintained. I would also push for an e-bike mobility and safety assessment that looks at speed limits and pathway design. Our pathways were designed and built for a much slower mix of users.
Gardner:
Prior to my election, I served on the START Board for four years, and since becoming Commissioner, I have served as the liaison to START. Here are the issues that I have raised over the past eight years.
First, we need to treat transit systematically. Historically, START has operated more as a series of unconnected routes than as a comprehensive system. The Village Local, which duplicates the Town Shuttle for its in-town routing, offers a good example. Instead of scheduling the Town Shuttle to coincide with the Village Express, we run the Village Local quite inefficiently. While some riders might hesitate at the sound of a transfer, if the schedules are properly paired, we can offer seamless transfers and reduced ride times.
Making the system more efficient for riders carries the additional benefits of cost savings as well as requiring fewer drivers (the limiting factor in all of START’s operational decisions). Currently the app for on-Demand does not communicate with the rest of the system. For years I have argued that riders should be able to schedule their ride on one app and as one ride (even if it includes transfers). Imagine how much more successful the Airport service could have been if the Teton Village or on-Demand service was paired with it.
Second, we need to develop better funding streams for START. Currently, START is funded by the Town, County, and Village partners with heavy subsidies (50% of operations and 80% of capital) by federal grants. This year, the federal funding was cut for the first time in decades, and although I expect these funds to return, we are likely facing multiple years of reduced funding.
Through the years, I have begged START to deploy and market the Employer-Funded Pass Program that I developed over six years ago. This program invites employers to purchase appropriate passes on behalf of their employees at significant discount. Full implementation of this program would generate significant benefits for all involved. Employers would offer a new benefit as part of their employees’ compensation package. Employees would receive free passes that are tied to their area of residence. Finally, START would not only develop new revenue streams, but also new relationships with businesses providing input on routing and scheduling needs.
Let’s make START more efficient and effective for the working folks in our valley. In doing so, we improve the service for all user groups.
Moore:
Transportation improvements should prioritize measurable community need. Where bicycle infrastructure reduces parking or changes neighborhood access, decisions should be supported by transparent data and accompanied by input from residents, businesses, and county employees.
Organizations proposing pathway expansion should address local connectivity concerns before extending facilities into new areas. For example, improving safe crossings near Wiley Lane and Tucker Ranch would provide direct benefits to existing residents before the creation of additional expansion.
Muromcew:
I prioritize the environment. The number one reason people visit Jackson Hole is to see the wildlife. Tourism is the base of our economy. I do not want to see our community and ecosystem become over-developed like Vail, Aspen or Park City. I know plenty of people who move here from those resort communities because we are less developed. I do not know anyone who left for such places because “their infrastructure is so much better.”
Once a vehicle is on the road, does it matter whether the driver is a resident or tourist or seasonal resident? Yes, traffic is bad in the summer, but it is pretty good compared to most of the country. We have to be careful that building more or wider roads doesn’t just lead to induced demand. Building more and wider highways didn’t solve the traffic in LA or Houston!
Newcomb:
Safety is the highest priority. The County, aided by a $600,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration, is implementing a safe streets for all vision to ensure the Town and County transportation system is safe, equitable and in line with the community’s goals of a healthy environment. The study produced a safety action plan based on identifying locations with the highest density of crashes and studying the crash patterns. We are actively pursuing immediate, near-term recommendations, such as lowering speed limits and adjusting parking design near intersections. Capital improvement such as better transit hubs will require more time but are now clearly mapped out. We are also requiring new development to pay for, if not build, transportation safety enhancing infrastructure, like the $3.5 million in improvements required of new affordable housing development in Northern South Park. Working with the Wyoming Department of Transportation is essential to implement safety measures such as lower speed limits, multi-use pathways, transit facilities and wildlife crossings on State highways. This is an important partnership, but one where the County needs to remain steadfast to ensure our community’s values are incorporated in new and existing road infrastructure. Future road and highway improvements should not come at a cost to wildlife, open space or vital habitat.
Propst:
The tragic July 7 crash on Teton Pass was a heartbreaking reminder that our antiquated transportation system is failing under stress. It’s time to re-envision our transportation system.
First, we improve safety for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. This requires us to recognize that a modern transportation system has to do more than move automobiles rapidly. It can and should move people safely, regardless of how they choose to travel. It can and should protect wildlife movement, wetlands, and water quality. It can and should support pathways and other recreational assets, transit, and local businesses. It can and should serve residents, commuters, visitors, and first responders. And it can and should enhance, not diminish, the character of our community.
Today’s challenges require a more balanced and comprehensive transportation philosophy. That means using technology to improve traffic flow in real time before adding pavement. It means targeted engineering improvements at high-risk intersections. It means stronger commercial vehicle enforcement and truck safety measures where they’re needed most. It means investing in transit, pathways, and safe bicycle connections so driving isn’t the only practical option for every trip. It means rethinking the subsidy inherent in “free” parking downtown.
Fortunately, Highway 22 presents a prime opportunity to think and act differently. That means taking an incremental approach to improving problem intersections such as Spring Gulch Road and Highway 22, and dangerous ones like Coyote Canyon Road in front of Teton Science Schools. Expanding commuter transit and high-occupancy vehicle options. Continuing to invest in pathways that serve both transportation and recreation. Protecting wildlife movement, wetlands, and scenic character as essential parts of the transportation system — not afterthoughts.
Thinking back on the July 7 tragedy on Teton Pass, no transportation system can prevent every tragedy. But tragedies must challenge us to ask whether we are doing everything we can to make our roads safer, and to employ modern research and technology to make our roads more efficient for the long run, not just create a blank slate to fill up with cars.
