Following two hours of debate over the increasingly tight traffic situation at Utah Valley State College, the Orem City Council did what it could to solve the problems - essentially accepting the report of an ad hoc citizens committee.
"If we had seven Solomons up here, I don't think we could make everybody happy," said Mayor Stella Welsh, facing an overflow crowd gathered to discuss the near gridlock conditions and impacts to the neighborhood.Neighbors wanted everything from new freeway interchanges to a shutdown of all accesses to the college from residential Orem.
"Our options are limited. Most of the problems are not the city's to solve. We just wanted to bring the groups together and get things moving," said the mayor.
Welsh said UDOT told her a new interchange would cost between $25 million and $30 million. An overpass from the west side of the freeway would need to clear the railroad by 26 feet, and a tunnel would be even more expensive.
"The state must do some things. The college has some things to do. The city can do a little, but what we need is to somehow get everybody to put down a time line."
Mayor Welsh said it's imperative that some decisions be made and adjustments done before the Special Events Center goes into operation next year.
Following the lengthy discussion, the council agreed to reverse stop signs on 1200 West and 400 South so traffic can flow unobstructed on 1200 West to the north and south.
"There are two things needed," reiterated Councilwoman Judy Bell. "We need a commitment by the Utah Department of Transportation, and the school needs to make some internal improvements. The preservation of neighborhoods and the safety of children stays as our priority."
The ad hoc committee suggested the col