Salt Lake County's car dependence leaves walkers and bikers behind

By the numbers: Just 1 in 10 trips in Salt Lake County was taken by foot or bicycle in 2023, per a study by StreetLight, a transportation data firm.

• The vast majority of trips (90%) were by car, compared with 9% on foot and 1% by bike.

Between the lines: Salt Lake City's unusually wide streets can discourage walking and biking by promoting high vehicle speeds, lengthening the time it takes to cross a road and reducing pedestrian safety.

Zoom in: StreetLight ranked all continental U.S. counties with at least 150 people per square mile by their share of trips taken via "active transportation" — walking and biking — compared with by automobile.

Caveat: Public transit trips aren't included in the report.

Reality check: Vehicles are dominant in most of the U.S., with active transportation accounting for fewer than 10% of trips in over two-thirds of the counties analyzed.

• Many areas are designed and governed by a cars-first mentality.
• Even bike-friendly metros like New York and Boston are constantly engulfed in fierce battles over bike lanes and road use.

What's next: Salt Lake City's bike infrastructure is slowly improving.

• A new bikeway on 300 West — between 400 South and 900 South — is expected to be completed this fall.

Read more: A cruise down Salt Lake City's new and improved 300 West