Salt Lake County urges cities to think outside the lines in long-term planning

(Salt Lake Tribune) Salt Lake County has stitched itself -- and its 16 cities -- closer together with a countywide plan that could help residents map out a bicycle route to work, find the nearest public library or figure out how their community ties into a proposed trail system.

The county unveiled a cooperative plan Monday that combines information about land use, transportation, trails, fire stations and schools in communities reaching from the eastern heights of Emigration Canyon to south-valley burbs such as Bluffdale and Herriman into a single, searchable database.

It's a "major breakthrough" in countywide planning, said county Public Works Director Linda Hamilton. She said it will enable communities to work more collectively in charting the valley's future.

"Ultimately, this will lead to better coordination," she said, "which will result in better services for all our residents both in the unincorporated county and in the cities."

The county has already posted its plan online with an interactive map -- complete with aerial photography -- that allows residents to pinpoint everything from bus stops to senior centers to central business districts. They can plot out a bicycle route and calculate the mileage. They can find a phone number and e-mail address for their child's school. They can trace public transit routes with information about park-and-ride lots, bus connections and light-rail stations.

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