My 'Proposed Utah U-Turn Medians' Letter That I Wrote and Sent Today to Utah State House Majority Leader Mike Schultz

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: "John McMillan" <mcmillanj@att.net>

To: "Mike Schultz" <mikeschultz@le.utah.gov>, "contactudot@utah.gov" <contactudot@utah.gov>, "emcmillan@utah.gov" <emcmillan@utah.gov>, "Joe Dougherty (DHHS)" <joedougherty@utah.gov>, "Cameron Roden" <croden@utah.gov>, "Gay Lynn Bennion" <glbennion@le.utah.gov>, "marie.stewart" <marie.stewart@slcgov.com>, "Marsha Judkins" <mjudkins@le.utah.gov>, "Paul A. Cutler" <pcutler@le.utah.gov>, "mballard@le.utah.gov" <mballard@le.utah.gov>, "Aaafoundation Info" <info@aaafoundation.org>, "media@utahsafetycouncil.org" <media@utahsafetycouncil.org>, "Utah Press Assn Director Brian Allfrey 2022" <ballfrey@utahpress.com>, "Utah Peace Officers Association 2022" <homeupoa@gmail.com>, "University of Utah Student Newspaper 2022" <press@chronicle.utah.edu>, "Deseret News 2022" <dnweb@deseretnews.com>, "newsmedia@ldschurch.org" <newsmedia@ldschurch.org>, "Angela Romero" <angelaromero@le.utah.gov>, "Utah Restaurant Association 2022" <info@utahrestaurantassociation.org>, "Utah Apartment Association 2022" <info@uaahq.org>, "UT_Webmanager" <ut_webmanager@hud.gov>, "Attorney General of Utah" <uag@utah.gov>, "Uag" <uag@agutah.gov>, "leo.abila" <leo.abila@slcgov.com>, "todd.mitchell" <todd.mitchell@slcgov.com>, "mike.brown" <mike.brown@slcgov.com>, "accessibility@allstate.com" <accessibility@allstate.com>, "ryanwilcox@le.utah.gov" <ryanwilcox@le.utah.gov>, "Office of Gov. Spencer Cox" <govcomm@utah.gov>, "Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson 2021" <beckiepage@utah.gov>, "jsweeney@sltrib.com" <jsweeney@sltrib.com>, "Fox News SLC 2022" <news@fox13now.com>, "nbauer@abc4.com" <nbauer@abc4.com>, "Jennifer Gardiner" <jgardiner@abc4.com>, "CBS News '60 Minutes' Editors and Reporters" <60m@cbsnews.com>, "Utah Safety Council" <safety@utahsafetycouncil.org>, "Las Vegas Sun newspaper 2022" <feedback@lasvegassun.com>, "DenverPostEditors" <newsroom@denverpost.com>, "Cyprus Credit Union" <shauna.denos@cypruscu.com>, "California Crime Prevention Officers Assn 2022" <info@ccpoa.us>, "Los Angeles Times" <newstips@latimes.com>, "utahdistrict02@gmail.com" <utahdistrict02@gmail.com>, "Angela Romero" <angelaromero@le.utah.gov>, "Internships" <internships@romney.senate.gov>, "Joel_wellum" <joel_wellum@lee.senate.gov>, "Mayor Wilson" <mayor@slco.org>, "llstringham@slco.org" <llstringham@slco.org>, "suharrison@slco.org" <suharrison@slco.org>, "Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall 2021" <mayor@slcgov.com>, "Salt Lake City (UT) City Council" <council.comments@slcgov.com>, "Utah Public Radio 2022" <tom.williams@usu.edu>, "news@ksl.com" <news@ksl.com>, "Joel Briscoe" <jbriscoe@le.utah.gov>, "Jplumb" <jplumb@le.utah.gov>, "Jen Dailey-Provost" <jdprovost@le.utah.gov>, "Arizona Republic Newstips" <newstips@arizonarepublic.com>, "media@nmag.gov" <media@nmag.gov>, "The State of Idaho" <itdcommunication@itd.idaho.gov>, "DenverPostEditors" <newsroom@denverpost.com>, "San Jose Mercury News Editors" <webfeedback@mercurynews.com>, "Letters" <letters@seattletimes.com>, "karilisonbee@le.utah.gov" <karilisonbee@le.utah.gov>, "mgwynn@le.utah.gov" <mgwynn@le.utah.gov>, "Utah Republican Party" <info@utgop.org>, "tlee@le.utah.gov" <tlee@le.utah.gov>, "Utah State Univ Communications 2022" <ucom@usu.edu>, "Utah State University Provost 2022" <provost@usu.edu>, "mediarelations@weber.edu" <mediarelations@weber.edu>, "amy.stutzenberger@uvu.edu" <amy.stutzenberger@uvu.edu>, "Utahtourism Info" <info@utahtourism.org>, "lish.harris@utahtech.edu" <lish.harris@utahtech.edu>, "jyl.hall@utahtech.edu" <jyl.hall@utahtech.edu>, "byu-info@byu.edu" <byu-info@byu.edu>, "sociology@byu.edu" <sociology@byu.edu>, "Molly Sween" <mollysween@weber.edu>, "Westminster College Legal-Risk Mgment-Safety2022" <bbuckley@westminstercollege.edu>, "scott.stuck" <scott.stuck@slcgov.com>, "chad.atkinson" <chad.atkinson@slcgov.com>, "emcmillan@utah.gov" <emcmillan@utah.gov>, "mayor@murray.utah.gov" <mayor@murray.utah.gov>

Sent: Fri, Jan 26, 2024 at 10:23 PM

Subject: Is UT Hurt by Not Enough Median U-Turns In Our State

https://www.ksl.com/article/18433891/is-a-freeway-u-turn-ever-legal

https://www.abc4.com/news/wasatch-front/police-respond-to-car-crash-after-driver-makes-unsafe-u-turn-in-salt-lake-city/#:~:text=Utah%20State%20Code%20Section%20802,vehicle%20approaching%20from%20either%20direction

https://www.ksl.com/article/50201925/police-investigating-crash-caused-by-trooper-making-u-turn

https://kutv.com/news/local/3-injured-after-illegal-u-turn-causes-crash-on-sr-18

https://www.shmoop.com/drivers-ed/utah/u-turns.html

https://www.findlaw.com/traffic/traffic-tickets/illegal-u-turn-state-laws.html

https://star981.com/do-we-love-doing-u-turns-too-much-in-utah/

https://www.in.gov/indot/traffic-operations/median-u-turns/

January 26, 2024

Dear Utah State House Majority Leader Mike Schultz,

Thank you again for your very thoughtful November 27, 2023 (correction by me on date), reply letter to me in which you invited me to send you follow-up letters about concerns of mine relating to Utah.

I am very  concerned that  the possible current absence of a "Utah Median U-Turns Traffic Safety  Design and Construction Project" for our entire state may be playing a role in numerous preventable  injuries ---including fatal injuries---- occurring each year to Utahn motorists, bicyclists, electric bike riders,  scooter-riders, and pedestrians throughout  our state.

Directly above is a copyrighted online report about Median U-Turns that is provided by the State Government  of  Indiana's Department of Transportation state agency.

 Some key paragraphs  from that report:

"A Median U-turn (MUT) is a type of intersection in which some left-turns or crossings from the mainline road or secondary crossroad are made using indirect, downstream U-turn movements. Intersections of this type are common and have performed successfully in other states, notably Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and North Carolina.

"MUTs are a subset of design styles referred to as alternative, non-traditional, or innovative intersections, which also include roundabout, continuous green T, quadrant roadway, and displaced left intersections. While they differ in style, what these designs all share is a reduced number of conflicting traffic movements in comparison to traditional intersections, and that characteristic improves safety performance and lowers travel delay where certain traffic and site conditions are present."

Utah House Majority Leader Schultz, I would like to respectfully recommend that you please ask the Utah State House for generous funding toward the proposed  design and construction of numerous "Median U-Turns" throughout Utah that can help save numerous motorists' lives and pedestrians' lives each year on our state's roadways.

I have also included with this letter numerous online links to recent copyrighted reports about the current often-chaotic, very  confusing, and very  dangerous "U-Turns Tradition" at traffic light street  intersections  here in our state---a very precarious "status quo" that recks  havoc on public safety efforts for Utah and Utahns in our increasingly densely populated and fast-growing state.

I also sense that the current over-reliance on conventional U-Turns at traffic light intersections here in Utah may be partly responsible for the alarming recent increase in Road Rage-related violence on Utahn roadways.

Incidentally,  I myself do not recall having ever resided in any state other than Utah where I have directly witnessed as frequent an occurrence at traffic-light street intersections of a motorist attempting to make a U-turn at that intersection, often with other motorists and pedestrians being startled and unnerved by that very  abrupt U-Turn maneuver on the roadway.

I hope this brainstorming letter is helpful to you and your other nobly idealistic colleagues in the Utah State House of Representatives.

Sincerely and Best Wishes,

John Kevin McMillan, former Texas DPS full-time permanent staff member and the founder and only member of the non-proseltyzing and public-safety-minded, permanently-alcohol-free and tobacco-free, politely non-Christian and implicitly deistic "Progressive Prohibitionist Religion".

My Murray (UT) native Father, Dr. Calvin McMillan, consistently placed a heavy emphasis on driving very safely on highways and roadways, including here in Utah, and took great pride in never being the driver in any motor-vehicle accident anywhere in the USA or any foreign country.

My current  solo-occupancy bolt-locked and fully locked studio  rental apartment unit  home address ever since June 1, 2022: 535 South 200 East, Apt. 912, Ninth Floor, Salt Lake City, UT 84111.

My cell  phone: (512) 993-7305.

My home phone: (801) 355-0850.