Transportation corridor improves bus access, pedestrian safety along 200 South

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, along with the Utah Transit Authority and the Downtown Alliance made a ceremonious re-opening of 200 South Tuesday morning.

The event marked the completion of a major reconstruction project expected to offer better and more frequent access to 10 bus routes.

“(This) reopening of 2nd South is a shining example of what city streets can look like, especially in our downtown that has such abundantly wide downtown city streets,” Mendenhall said. “It’s also a major west-east connector for the city, and it features some of our most iconic establishments.”

Some 34 buses per hour will make stops along the corridor, which spans between 400 West and 900 East, offering close access to TRAX and FrontRunner.

“This is the example of what a city can look like where it thrives with transportation, economy, education, and residential connections,” Mendenhall said.

Businesses along 200 South feel hopeful

For the businesses that have endured the two years of construction, there is now hope that better accessibility will bring a boost that perhaps was not seen previously.

“Downtown is the center of commerce, of arts, of entertainment. And this new line is contributing to the access and to those elements,” said Dee Brewer, executive director of the Downtown Alliance. “It is time to welcome holiday shoppers downtown. It’s time to welcome commuters. It’s time to welcome the workforce.”

Duncan Burrell, owner of Bar-X and Beer Bar, said he’s excited to see what the improvements bring in the coming years.

“There’s also a lot more residential building and growth that’s given us a lot of hope,” he said. “I feel like there’s already been a little bit of that growth, and we’ve still felt some of a bump already, so we’re excited. We’re excited for the future.”