Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall speaks to the media next to a new wifi enabled picnic bench at Jordan Park in Salt Lake City, March 25, 2021. Photo: Salt Lake City Government
SALT LAKE CITY — Residents in Salt Lake City’s western neighborhoods should start seeing solar-powered picnic tables enabled with Wi-Fi.
Mayor Erin Mendenhall showed off one of the new Wi-Fi picnic tables during a news conference at Jordan Park on Thursday. She hopes the technology will help bring more digital equity to the city.
“This is the first solar-powered, Wi-Fi enabled, USB charging bench that we’re deploying in the city,” she said, standing next to one.
She said there are currently 11 such pieces of park furniture around the city. Some are tables, some will be benches.
Mendenhall said funding for the high-tech tables is coming from a portion of the $87 million they’re getting in COVID-19 relief.
“This sum of money isn’t just a helping hand, I see it as a slingshot that’s going to be able to thrust us into the future we’ve been talking about. The future of an equitable change that benefits all Salt Lake City residents.”
The city’s west side neighborhoods will host most of the first Wi-Fi benches and picnic tables. Mendenhall said she hopes it will bridge the digital divide.
“There is an incredible opportunity to do so much good with these dollars coming from the Federal Government. I want Salt Lakers to be able to look around their city and see the tangible impact on their lives, on their neighborhoods and on their quality of life here from these dollars we have yet to invest.”