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Benjamin Wood
Lifelong Utahn Benjamin Wood has worn the mantle of City Weekly's news editor since 2021. He studied journalism at Utah State University and previously wrote for The Salt Lake Tribune, the Deseret News and Entertainment Weekly
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Recent Articles
- News, Cover Story March 12, 2025
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With no money to spend and no elections to win, Utah lawmakers went to work tightening their leash on the state.
Dog Eat Dog
- CAPITOL HILL—Some years, the Utah Legislature is flush with cash, generously dispersing spoonfuls of sugar to help the medicine go down their constituents' throats.
- News, March 7, 2025
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Mayor Mendenhall and SLC lawmakers decry capital city micromanagement by the Utah Legislature.
Day 45
- Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said Friday that, in time, she will feel relieved and even grateful about many of the bills that passed during the 2025 legislative session, and how some of the worst potential outcomes faced by her city and its residents were avoided.
- News, March 6, 2025
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Utah Legislature passes bill inserting UDOT oversight into Salt Lake City's local street grid.
Reverse Gear
- A state-mandated pause on transportation projects in Salt Lake City would apply only to "collector" and "arterial" roadways, allowing pedestrian and cyclist safety initiatives to continue on small, neighborhood streets, under the latest terms of a bill that is poised to pass the Legislature on Thursday.
- News, March 5, 2025
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"Champing at the bit": Utah unions launch referendum campaign against ban on public sector collective bargaining.
Labor's Day
- Utah labor unions announced the launch of a referendum campaign on Wednesday that, if successful, would overturn recently-approved legislation banning collective bargaining in the public sector.
- News, March 5, 2025
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"We're not dead yet": SLC scrambles to salvage local street authority after late changes to SB195.
Road Kill
- Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall defended her administration's work to improve street and traffic safety on Wednesday, saying that recent projects have improved conditions for drivers while also saving lives and enhancing quality of life for residents.
- News, March 4, 2025
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Utah House swerves on bill seizing Salt Lake City's authority over local streets.
U-Turn
- A tenuous compromise over traffic management in Salt Lake City appeared to go up in smoke on Tuesday, with the Utah House voting to approve a bill that would halt all street safety projects in the state capital, including work on new protected cycling paths that is scheduled to break ground in the coming weeks.
- News, February 28, 2025
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Utah Legislature passes bill that prohibits drivers from blocking bike lanes.
Get Off My Lane
- A bill creating a statewide standard that drivers are not allowed to block bike lanes passed the Utah Legislature on Friday and is headed to Gov. Spencer Cox for his signature or veto.
- News, February 27, 2025
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Salt Lake City would have to justify its street safety decisions under new, committee-approved version of SB195
Mother May I?
- Salt Lake City would be able to start its next round of street improvement work, but other projects on the horizon would be subject to new levels of state scrutiny under the latest version of legislation scheduled for committee debate on Thursday.
- News, February 26, 2025
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One of the worst bike gaps in Salt Lake City will close this year ... unless SB195 passes.
Roadblock
- Salt Lakers who travel on foot, on transit and by bicycle are set to see a significant improvement in their route planning with the construction of a barrier-protected bikeway on 300 West.
- News, February 21, 2025
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Utah Senate chicanery imposes a moratorium on Salt Lake City's street safety efforts.
Revenge of the Drivers
- Salt Lake City's efforts to reduce traffic fatalities and promote walkability would come to a screeching halt in May, with the city losing its authority over local street design for at least a year, under the terms of an amendment that was snuck into an omnibus transportation bill on Thursday.
Trending
Utah Pride 2023—A bigger festival, a new parade route and an "unapologetic" love
City Weekly Pride Issue
May 31, 2023
FLASHBACK 2020: A long-buried Jordan River confluence sees the light of day.
River of Dreams
October 21, 2024
