Over the past year, the Westside Coalition has been working alongside city and state partners to restore safety and environmental integrity along the Jordan River trail and surrounding areas. Thanks to the efforts of community members, regional leaders, and dedicated staff, we’ve seen significant improvements—greater visibility, consistent law enforcement presence, beautification efforts, and most importantly, more of our neighbors enjoying the trail again.
We are proud of this progress and grateful for the collaboration that has made it possible. At the same time, we recognize that ongoing attention and investment are needed to maintain and build upon this success.
We invite you to read our full letter below, which reflects both our appreciation for the strides made and our call for continued commitment from leaders and the community alike.
Dear community members, partners, and leaders,
Just over a year ago, we sent a public letter calling for urgent action from regional leaders to join us in a multi-jurisdictional, collaborative effort to restore the safety and environmental integrity of the Jordan River trail and surrounding areas. We are happy to say that, after a year of a robust law enforcement effort from city and state agencies, two temporary closures of sections of the trail, various infrastructure improvements, and tireless advocacy by the community, substantial progress has been made towards achieving those goals.
Many of us have jogged, walked, or cycled along the trail since the closed section was reopened. We were delighted to see the restorative efforts made to that section of the trail, creating more visibility and safety. We have noticed consistent law enforcement presence along the trail and adjacent parks. We’ve also spotted parks and trail workers making efforts to beautify the natural landscape. Most importantly, we’ve seen more community members out enjoying the trail.
As a historically underserved community, we deeply appreciate the time and energy that has been devoted to this project. We specifically want to recognize Mayor Mendenhall, Chief Brian Redd, SLCPD Detective and Community Liaisons Andrew Cluff and Eldon Oliver, State Fairpark CEO Larry Mullenax, SLC Public Lands Director Kim Shelley, SLC Trails and Natural Lands Director Tyler Fonarow, and their staffs for their contributions. The State of Utah, with its investment and management of the Fairpark and UFAIR District, including significant funding for collaborative law enforcement efforts in this area, also deserves recognition.
While celebrating this significant progress, we also call for continued action to build upon this success. We hope to see city and state officials continue to fund public safety and environmental improvement efforts at current levels. We look forward to the addition of safety cameras with live communication connectivity to further cement safety objectives.
We also call on the community to further activate the trail. While there are some safety risks inherent in public spaces in any city, we believe the trail is ready to welcome you back.
We’ll see you out there!
Sincerely,
The Westside Coalition Board of Directors