What is the Beehive Bikeways Initiative?
The Beehive Bikeways is a highly visible vision and implementation plan for a core set of high-quality, in-town trails that connect Wasatch Choice centers. The initial Beehive Bikeway effort is an internally led identification of the vision. Staff is working with communities to identify routes and priorities. The effort is being coordinated by the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC) with local governments, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), the Mountainland Association of Governments, the Utah Transit Authority, and Bike Utah.
Goals of the Beehive Bikeways:
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- Collaborate to create a highly visible vision and implementation plan for a core set of high-quality,
in-town trails that connect Wasatch Choice centers. - The Beehive Bikeways will connect residents to a high percentage of existing centers through safe, convenient, and beautiful trails.
- The Beehive Bikeways vision will benefit from broad buy-in and a multi-agency commitment for
implementation.
- Collaborate to create a highly visible vision and implementation plan for a core set of high-quality,
How the Beehive Bikeways and the Utah Trail Network Fit Together
These are exciting times in Utah! Two major active transportation efforts are currently underway—one focused on implementing the Wasatch Choice Vision and the other on a statewide trail network. Both efforts are collaborative and complement one another to create a safe active transportation network that can be enjoyed by all users.
What are the two efforts?
Beehive Bikeways
The Beehive Bikeways is a vision and implementation plan for a network of safe, high-quality, in-town trails that connect Wasatch Choice centers. The principal goal of the Beehive Bikeways network is to enable more people to travel by bike for more reasons, more often. The effort is being coordinated by the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC) with local governments, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), Mountainland Association of Governments, Utah Transit Authority, and Bike Utah.
Utah Trails Network
The Utah Trail Network (UTN) is a network of paved trails throughout the state that UDOT will build and maintain. This network will be focused on comfortable and safe facilities that create a regional backbone of trails.
How are they the same?
Beehive Bikeways and the UTN are both focused on safe, low-stress bicycling networks that provide real choices for Utahns in traveling, both for longer trips, like a commute, and shorter trips, like the corner ice cream store.
How are they different?
The Beehive Bikeways is a locally implemented vision, rooted in connecting Wasatch Choice centers. The UTN is a statewide implementation effort led by UDOT, who will construct, operate, and maintain the network. Beehive Bikeways and the UTN complement each other. Together they will create a safe, high-quality system that enables us to accomplish many more daily activities by bike.
How do the two efforts work together?
UDOT is building a backbone of safe, separated biking routes through the UTN. However, they cannot build every bikeway that our communities need. The Beehive Bikeways will complement the UTN to connect the backbone to more local destinations. In turn, the Beehive Bikeways are supported by other local bike routes.
Beehive Bikeways Map
Please visit the Beehive Bikeways map to explore the proposed projects that make up this initiative.
