Salt Lake firm trying to help Idaho prepare for eclipse traffic
Aug 8, 2017, 6:22 PM | Updated: 7:55 pm
As of May 2019, Utah has a new motorcycle filtering law that allows bikers to navigate between stopped vehicles in order to move to the front of the traffic line. The new law is designed to imporve motorcyclists' safety.
SALT LAKE CITY – Traffic data analysts say there could be some big traffic headaches for people going north to see the eclipse later this month. That state has reached out to a Salt Lake City firm to help them get ready.
Analysts say a higher number of cars going toward Idaho means a higher number of cars passing through Utah. “You can actually see advertisements in Utah for the Idaho Department of Transportation,” according to Blyncsy CEO Mark Pittman. His company studies how people move, which includes vehicle and pedestrian traffic. He says Salt Lake City would be a likely airport for eclipse viewers to fly into before they drive north to see the solar event.
There are a lot of problems they’re expecting to see. Pittman says, “There is going to be congestion and probably a higher number of accidents. Summer is also the construction season, so there is going to be these three factors converging.”
His company’s job will be to analyze the data, then give it to transportation officials in Idaho who will make whatever adjustments they need. “That could be things like offering detours and alternative routes. That could be things like changing traffic signal timing data. That can be things like putting up vehicle messaging signs to tell you when to leave and when not to leave,” Pittman says.
