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Tribal Trail Connector
Latest News
UPCOMING PUBLIC MEETING- May 30, 2019- 5:00-7:00p.m. at the Teton County Library Auditorium
The public meeting will be outlining the project development and Environmental Assessment processes. Comments can be emailed to: tribaltrailconnector@gmail.com
For more information click here.
Consultant Selection – December 2018
Teton County selected consultants for various components of work related to the Tribal Trail project, specifically Morrison-Maierle Inc. for design, Jacobs Engineering Group for environmental documents, and Strata for geotechnical work. The firms will work with the project team, as well as the Stakeholder Advisory Committee, primarily on tasks related to design and public outreach.
Work will follow the process developed through the Project Charter, and will involve extensive public comment and input. Project planning and design is expected to take 18 to 20 months, and is scheduled to begin in early 2019. As more detailed information related to project schedule and public input opportunities becomes available, it will be posted here and distributed through all County communication channels.
Stakeholder Advisory Committee Selection – August 2018
Per the Tribal Trail Project Charter, the Board of Commissioners appointed a volunteer Stakeholder Advisory Committee to provide perspective from various constituencies to inform the project development process, review and comment on pending decisions and actions, and to provide an additional avenue of communication to the community about the project. The Stakeholder Advisory does not have formal approval authority for project decisions, but will provide critical representation for the community at large.
The following groups/interests were identified to be represented by the committee: neighborhood representatives, wildlife and environmental representatives, non-motorized advocates, school district representatives, emergency services personnel, representatives from the art, business, and tourism communities, as well as a “citizen-at-large”.
The Board of Commissioners received 33 applications from community members to serve, conducted 21 interviews, and selected the following 10 individuals:
- Lisa Carpenter – Schools, Non-Motorized Transportation (Pathways), Neighbor
- Jeff Daugherty – Schools (Teton County School District #1)
- Carrie Geraci – Arts
- Ralph Haberfeld – Neighbor (Indian Springs HOA)
- Tom Holland – Business, Wildlife/Environmental
- Frank Lane – Emergency Services, Transit, Neighbor (Indian Trails HOA)
- Alex Muromcew – Neighbor
- Scott Pierson – At-Large Citizen, Wildlife/Environmental
- Dave Schofield – Neighbor, Business (Commercial Trucking), Emergency Services (Law Enforcement)
- David Schuler – Schools, Wildlife/Environmental
The committee will convene in early 2019, and as additional information related to the committee’s meeting schedule, tasks, etc., become available, it will be posted for public viewing.
Synopsis
The 2012 Comprehensive Plan called for a multi-modal transportation vision, which led to the development of The Integrated Transportation Plan (ITP). The ITP was adopted by the Jackson Town Council and the Teton County Board of Commissioners in September of 2015, and the development of the plan was led by a Technical Advisory Committee comprised of Town and County staff, elected officials, and representatives from WYDOT and START.
The ITP proposed strategies and made recommendations related to transit development, active transportation, transportation demand management, regional transportation planning, and major capital projects. The Tribal Trail Connector Project is included in both Group 1 and Group 4 in the major capital projects portion of the plan. Group 1 projects are intended to address lack of connectivity, redundancy, and capacity in the Highway 22 corridor from West Jackson to Highway 390, and Group 4 projects are intended to provide local connectivity.
Lead Teton County Contact(s):
Background
The Tribal Trail Road corridor was originally identified as an important community transportation link between South Park Loop Road and Highway 22 in the 1982 Rural and Urban Design Assistance Team (R/UDAT) study. It was subsequently included in the 1991 Teton County Transportation Plan, the 1992 Indian Springs Master Plan, the 2000 Teton County Transportation Plan, the 2009 Teton County Transportation Plan, the 2012 Jackson/Teton County Comprehensive Plan, and as mentioned above, the 2015 ITP.
In addition, right-of-way for the road was granted to Teton County and secured in September 1992 as part of the master plan and platting of Indian Springs Ranch.
Current Timeline
June 2017 - The Teton County Board of Commissioners voted to send a "Cooperative Agreement Request" letter to WYDOT to eventually serve as the basis of a contract between Teton County and WYDOT for the preliminary planning and design of Tribal Trail Road.
November 2017 - WYDOT prepared a draft cooperative agreement and submitted it to Teton County for review. Following Engineering and Legal review from Teton County, a draft with changes was returned to WYDOT for consideration.
January 2018 - WYDOT submitted a new version for consideration to Teton County. Additional changes were made by both parties, and a new draft agreement was created.
March 2018 - Teton County staff presented a proposed Cooperative Agreement between WYDOT and Teton County to participate in the construction of the Tribal Trail Connector. The Board of Commissioners voted to continue the discussion and consideration of the Agreement until April 10, 2018. The staff report and proposed Agreement from the March 20, 2018, meeting can be viewed here.
April 10, 2018 - The Board of Commissioners approved the Cooperative Agreement. The staff report and contract can be accessed here, as part of the Action Report for the meeting.
July, 3, 2018 - The Board of Commissioners approved the Project Charter as developed by staff.
Project Charter Process
Any project of this nature requires a formal Project Charter to serve as the official, binding, publicly-vetted plan for the project. A project charter requires stakeholder oversight and a plan for public outreach. This process is outlined on page 38 of the ITP. The Project Charter for the Tribal Trails project was approved by the Board of Commissioners on July 3, 2018.
FAQ
Will the traffic model be incorporated in this project?
Yes, the traffic model was completed in January 2019, and will be utilized significantly as part of the project.
Does the County have control over the design process?
Yes, the Board of Commissioners have the final say and must formally approve design at two stages of the project: at the completion of the "concept design phase" and presentation of the preferred alternative, and at the completion of the "final design phase" before bidding and construction. In addition, the County can terminate the contract with WYDOT at anytime during the project for any reason with 30 days notice.
Will the members of the public have opportunities to provide input and participate in the process?
Yes, County staff is in the process of developing a public outreach plan as part of the Project Charter process that will be be presented to the Board of Commissioners. This plan will include meetings, events, and multiple methods and opportunities for members of the public to acquire information and provide input on the project. In addition, a Stakeholder Oversight Committee will be proposed and approved by the Board of Commissioners that will include members of the public to advise on the project (page 40 of the ITP). Finally, public involvement requirements in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) will be met.
Will this be a high-speed, bypass road?
Per the ITP, various factors and issues in this project will be considered, including "roadway design features that discourage or prevent cut-through traffic from using this route as a shortcut to US-26 south of Jackson by way of either South Park Loop Road or High School Road" and "roadway design features that slow traffic to safe speeds through the corridor" (page 36 of the ITP).
Related Documents
Integrated Transportation Plan