A public works project can drive many sentiments: some people may welcome the improvement. Others may be irked by the property impacts or irritated by the inconvenience. Whatever opinions they have about the project, residents likely want to be engaged in the process and receive clear responses to their concerns. Typical questions may include:…
When the fast-moving Knolls wildfire threatened the Saratoga Springs community in 2020, it forced 13,000 residents to evacuate their homes, while hundreds of firefighters battled the 13,000-acre fire throughout the night. As winds gusted up to 57-mile-per-hour, the fire moved dangerously close to nearby neighborhoods. While no injuries were reported and structural damage was minimal,…
Quite often, surveyors get asked about landlocked parcels of land and the owners’ rights concerning Utah boundary laws. A landlocked parcel is a piece of property only accessible by crossing another parcel with no boundary on a public right-of-way making the parcel appear to have no apparent access associated with it. Access is defined as the ability…
I get asked this question a lot, and the short answer is “it depends.” What it depends on is if pushing the pedestrian button will change the signal timing or not. Let me explain. During rush hour traffic, most signalized intersections have lots of vehicles. The traffic signal is programmed to optimize service, so major…
Part 3 in a 3-part blog series showing how roadway design should control vehicle speeds, not speed limits. I presented a traffic study at a City Council meeting a few months ago. A new development with 20 new homes on quarter-acre lots was under review. I’ve seen similar proposed developments in urban neighborhoods met with…