SALT LAKE CITY — A major street in Salt Lake City is in violation of the International Fire Code and city officials are trying to figure what, if anything, to do about it.
KUTV.com reported that when the city installed bike lanes, it narrowed the street in spots to 20 feet. According to the IFC rules, the street should be 26 feet wide near buildings that are three stories tall or taller. The rules are in place to allow a ladder truck to fight a fire in high-rise structures.
“The fire department was brought into the discussion when the bike lanes were being put in and there was some concern,” Jason Asay, with the Salt Lake City Fire Department, said.
Robin Hutcheson, with the city’s transportation department, said they are working with the department to mitigate the problem.
“We’ve been working with fire for some time on this, we plan to work with them very collaboratively,” Hutcheson said.
The department conducted a test in October 2015 to make sure ladder trucks could be placed on the street without problem. According to Asay, the department was able to place rigs without issue.
At this time, there are no plans to make changes to the street to bring it into compliance with code.