During Tribal Trail Connector Stakeholder Committee meeting #12, stakeholders were asked to select a build or no-build option and a preferred intersection design.
During their August 17 meeting, the Tribal Trail Stakeholder Committee met to identify a preferred plan forward for the proposed Tribal Trail Connector Road (TTCR). The stakeholder group is comprised of community members of varying constituencies, from neighbors and schools to representatives from the arts, business, and nonprofit communities. While the committee does not have decision-making authority, the Teton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) will partly weigh their decision on this group’s input.
When asked to choose between building the connector or the “no-build option,” three preferred the no-build option, two were in favor, and two leaned towards building but said it depends on which design is selected. Three of the ten stakeholders were unable to attend the meeting. It is notable that the committee was not asked to come to a consensus on either question.
Of the 389 public comments received during the public comment period, 63% did not support building the connector, with the biggest concerns being increased traffic and wildlife impacts. Only 21 letters expressed the belief that the connector would improve traffic. In fact, the county’s own studies show it would increase traffic on Highway 22 by at least 6%. You can watch the August 12 stakeholder meeting, view the PowerPoint presentation, and read all public comments on tribaltrailconnector.com,
Of the four intersection designs, the most preferred was N5b, which would include a southern frontage road with a Highway-22 underpass and convert Indian Springs Drive and Coyote Canyon Road to allow only right-in and right-out turns.
The Alliance continues to oppose completion of the Tribal Trail Connector, as it will make traffic on Highway 22 worse, will cost millions of taxpayer dollars, and is widely opposed by our community. Let your county commissioners know how you feel and stay tuned for the Teton County Board of Commissioners workshop on Tribal Trail, currently scheduled for September 12.
