Activate our Alleys

Did you know that we have almost 5 miles of public alleys within Liberty Wells? Our goal is to turn these ignored, neglected public spaces into safe and inviting spaces for walking, biking, gathering, and safe access to garages.

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Do you live near an alley and want to share your feedback on how we can reimagine the alleys? Please fill out the form below:

Timeline (Updated October 2021)

March 2021: We knocked on doors near alleys, identified alley issues, and brainstormed with neighbors about how we could transform our alleys into safe, inviting spaces. We also identified 1-2 alleys as pilot projects for alley improvements.

April 2021: Alley Way A-13 was identified for the Activate Our Alleys pilot project. This alley, running east to west between Roberta Street and 300 East and north to south between Browning Ave and Kensington Ave, has long been cared for by nearby residents. Shelley and Shana regularly clean up trash and cut back vegetation.

June 2021: Received $1,500 grant from the Mayor’s Office to be used for lighting, landscaping, murals, art, and other placemaking initiatives.

September 2021: Alley Way A-13 was repaved. Residents and community members joined Mayor Mendenhall for a press conference celebrating the Alley Pilot Project.

In the coming months, we’ll be working with neighbors to install lighting, clear debris, trim vegetation, and install landscaping, garden boxes, murals, and other neighbor-led elements to make this alley come alive.

Five Easy Ways to Help Your Neighbors

Powerful change can happen when neighbors come together to support each other through good times and bad. Here are a few simple ideas for connecting with your neighbors this winter.

1. Leave a Note

Perhaps you haven’t met your neighbors yet. Or, if you have, you don’t have a way of contacting them outside of a chance meeting in the front yard. Write a short note introducing yourself and sharing your phone number, and tape it to your neighbor’s front door. Leave a note for a different neighbor each week.

2. Combine Errands

Before you head out to run a few errands, call a neighbor or leave a note on their door. You can say, “Hi! I’m heading to (name of store). Can I get you anything while I’m out?” Let your neighbor know that the offer is always open, even if they don’t take you up on it the first time.

3. Make a Little Extra

A neighbor of mine often texts me and asks if I’m interested in leftovers when she makes a big meal like soup or chili. The next time you cook dinner, consider making an extra serving or two for someone on your block.

4. Shovel the Walk

If you have the time and energy, consider shoveling the walk for a neighbor the next time it snows. This act of kindness can make a world of difference to neighbors who are elderly or disabled, as well as new parents or an otherwise healthy person who has fallen ill.

5. Get Involved

If you want to make new connections beyond your block, get involved with the Liberty Wells Community Council. We meet on the second Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. (currently on Zoom). When you join us, you’ll meet other neighbors in the community and have the chance to discuss issues impacting your neighborhood.

Help Us Plant Trees

The Liberty Wells Community Council formed an Urban Forestry Subcommittee (UFS) in coordination with the City following the windstorm on September 7 and 8, 2020, which downed thousands of trees across the City.  Liberty Park lost 69 large trees.   

The Subcommittee is tasked with ensuring that trees located within the boundaries of the community council receive the care they need, especially when it comes to watering newly planted “community trees” in residential park strips.  The UFS helps to build support systems to care for trees, alerts the City’s Urban Forestry department when tree-related issues are spotted, and plays a key role in supporting Mayor Mendenhall’s “1,000 Trees” planting initiative. 

Liberty Wells community members can support this effort by participating in our subcommittee’s efforts and by donating to www.retreeslc.com. Funds raised directly help purchase trees that are selected to be hardy in the City’s urban environment for generations to come.  

Traffic Calming

Liberty Wells residents have consistently observed drivers traveling at unsafe speeds on our neighborhood streets. We’re working on creating safer, calmer residential streets both at the resident and city level through the following initiatives:

Yard Signs

We're printing and distributing yard signs for Liberty Wells residents to remind drivers to slow down on our residential streets.

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Donate

We’re printing these signs at no cost to residents and accepting $10 donations to support the effort.

Livable Streets Program

The goal of the Livable Streets Program is to implement traffic calming measures that improve the overall safety, livability, and attractiveness of neighborhood streets in Salt Lake City. We're working with Salt Lake City's Transportation Division to bring attention to the traffic issues in Liberty Wells and push for data-driven traffic calming solutions to reduce speeds on our local streets. You can read more about the program at https://www.slc.gov/transportation/plans-studies/livable-streets/

Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Grant

We're supporting a resident-driven CIP application for traffic calming on and around streets near Hawthorne Elementary. This application, if approved, would fund curb improvements, raised islands, speed humps, or other traffic calming measures to reduce speeds on surrounding streets.

Sweet Streets

Started by a Liberty Wells resident, Sweet Streets educates and advocates for people-first planning, budgeting, implementation and operation of our streets and public spaces. We collaborate with Sweet Streets to highlight the benefits of safer streets, connecting neighborhoods, promoting equity for all residents and building a more sustainable city. More at https://sweetstreetsslc.org/