Jackson council to discuss full-length Moose-Wilson pathway proposal from Park Service

The National Park Service amended its Moose-Wilson Corridor plan on August 14. The change adds a separated multiuse pathway along the full length of the corridor and moves one segment of the road. The Jackson Town Council has the amendment on its October 19 workshop agenda under matters from the mayor and council (agenda). The only item attached is Teton County's October 5 letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, signed by Chair Mark Newcomb, which asks the department to reconsider the full-length pathway and to bring the County back in as a cooperating agency (packet). The packet has no Town staff report, draft letter or suggested motion. It does not say whether the Council will join the County's letter, write its own, or only discuss the amendment.

The County's position goes back to 2016. Its earlier letter backed the narrow road with a 20 mph limit but rejected a pathway along the entire corridor. Instead it proposed traffic calming and short one-way bicycle climbing lanes, 5 feet wide, on the steep uphill segments, where the speed gap between cars and bikes is largest (September 28 draft). The October 5 letter says the County was not invited into the 2026 reevaluation. The only public comment period was 15 days on a draft historic-preservation agreement (County letter). Neither letter shows whether the Park Service considered climbing lanes as a smaller fix for cyclist safety in 2026.