By Taylor Stevens | The Salt Lake Tribune
Opponents of the Utah Inland Port, a large import and export trading hub planned for Salt Lake City’s northwest quadrant, estimate the project could create about 11,600 new truck trips and 23,000 additional car trips every day — even at only half of its developable potential.
That number, included in a report released Wednesday outlining the potential harms of the future development, is based on estimates that each 2,000 square feet of warehouse space would generate about one truck trip per day.
“By way of comparison, the total number of daily vehicle trips on I-80 between downtown and the [Salt Lake City International] airport was about 42,000 in 2017,” the report states. “This traffic would not only affect I-80 but also I-15 and other streets serving the Port area, including Bangerter Highway and 5600 West.”
In the absence of information about the way the port will develop, the 13-page report — written and researched by members of the Stop the Polluting Port coalition — is meant to provide an interconnected look at the possible impacts of construction, traffic, pesticide use and more on the project location near the Great Salt Lake, a globally important ecosystem for migratory birds, and on the diverse west side communities nearest to the development.
