JACKSON, Wyo. — The Teton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) voted to move forward with the Wilson Active Transportation Improvements Project during a long and well-attended meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 7.
The new layout of the WY22 corridor where it bisects downtown Wilson will prioritize pedestrian and bicycle accessibility. Pathways will be added along both sides of the highway, 10 feet wide in most places, separated from the highway by a buffer area. A center lane will be added to the roadway to allow two-way turning into local businesses without impeding the flow of traffic to and from Teton Pass. The plan also includes bus turnouts and a button-activated flashing crosswalk sign. A recent addition to the plan aims to find space for on-street parking at the east end of downtown, along the south side of the highway.
Commissioners approved the plan with a few amendments in a four-to-zero vote; Commissioner Natalia D. Macker had to depart just before the vote was held. The BCC’s regular meeting began at 9 a.m. with a packed house, and commissioners addressed 19 other meeting topics before arriving at the Wilson question around 10:30 a.m. Other than a break for lunch, the Wilson discussion occupied the bulk of the day.
Nearly 30 people made public comments during the meeting, mostly in-person with a few from the livestream. Jana Stearns, Hungry Jack’s scion, set the tone with the first comment.
“Crossing Highway 22 was like a game of Russian roulette,” she said of her frequent walking route from Hungry Jack’s to the bank across the street. “I believe this current plan will signify to drivers that this is a community and that they need to slow down,” Stearns added. “People are here. Traffic is here. Welcome to 2025 in downtown Wilson. It’s time to create a safe community.”
Stearns’ comments were echoed by a string of others voicing support for the plan, with many citing Wilson’s older population as a reason to improve safe walkability. Commenter Charlie Thomas, a board member of the Jackson Hole Climate Action Collective, said he supported the plan because it could lead to fewer cars on the road and thus fewer emissions.
Sara Adamson, a Wilson resident and a representative for Teton Trust for Historic Places, asserted that the proposed updates would not jeopardize Wilson’s historic character, as some project detractors had previously stated.
“Historic preservation is not about freezing time,” she said, adding that preservationists repair leaking roofs and build ramps to make historic buildings accessible. “Historic districts across the country make these changes all the time to keep historic areas vibrant, functional and, most of all, safe.”
A number of commenters were more critical of the project, calling it overkill for what they consider to be a small, rural community. Some said that proposed retaining walls built between pathways and business parking lots would impede wildlife permeability. Two commenters mentioned spotting two moose walking along WY22 on Tuesday morning as they drove into Jackson to attend the BCC meeting.
Sally Stevens mentioned that she had already written three letters to the BCC asking them to consider how this plan would impact moose in the area, calling the retaining walls an “unacceptable barrier for wildlife.”
“The moose live here, too, and they deserve to move through Wilson the way they always have,” Stevens said.
Lee Barlow made a comment in that same vein. Barlow brought a visual representation of the proposed retaining wall and railing height to emphasize her point.
“It would be a great disservice to the look of Wilson and to the wildlife here,” Barlow said.
Commissioners agreed; they unanimously voted to eliminate the retaining wall option and instead directed staff to plan on sloping the ground around the pathways. Commissioner Wes Gardner said this was a design element he was “sick over.”Chairman Mark Newcomb said the decision mattered significantly to him, too, as he felt that retaining walls would have impacted downtown Wilson’s character.
One other major point of discussion was the proposal of bus turnouts, which would be formalized in front of Hungry Jack’s and Fish Creek Center. Some members of the public said Wilson ridership was not high enough to justify the turnouts, while START representatives endorsed the plan.
Commissioners voted to move ahead with the bus turnouts as planned, though some adjustments are expected following Hungry Jack’s declining to grant the necessary easement. Commissioner Len Carlman excused himself while the turnouts were being discussed due to his affiliation with Hungry Jack’s.
Commissioner Luther Propst recalled a quote from “Field of Dreams” in his discussion of the turnouts.
“If you don’t build it, they won’t come; if you do build it, they might come,” Propst said, suggesting improved bus service could encourage increased use of public transit. “It’s important to invest in the bus system. I’m strongly in favor of keeping the bus stops.”
Macker also supported the bus turnout plan.
“If we eliminate bus service in Wilson, that is a step in the wrong direction,” she said.
Project presenter Brian Schilling, who serves as Teton County Pathways Coordinator, told Buckrail that the next steps will be to make final design updates and then enter the bidding process, with construction anticipated to begin during the 2025 construction season, potentially as soon as late spring.
For project details, read the 203-page staff report here. Watch the full meeting video here.
