Round after round of winter storms have provided a much-needed boost to the snowpack for Utah, and I’m not complaining. Skiing the fresh powder is one of my favorite hobbies. But as the snow has stacked up, so has the traffic for my fellow outdoor enthusiasts eager to hit the slopes, highlighting the decades-old problems facing our canyons. Road closures have trapped employees and guests at the top of the canyon. Slide-offs are commonplace and cars idling for hours have spewed toxins into our air.
That’s why I’m excited about a gondola up Little Cottonwood Canyon to provide an innovative solution that is safe, zero-emissions and lower impact to the canyon than other options.
Many gondola skeptics say we only need to increase bus service. Just like the line of cars stacked up idling along Wasatch Boulevard waiting for the road to open after avalanche control, buses can’t run when the canyon road is closed. Buses are subject to the same delays, slick roads and accidents that private cars encounter.
A gondola, on the other hand, soars above avalanche paths immediately following avalanche control while the road is being cleared, allowing people to not only get up the canyon but also enabling those trapped at the top to get down. Accumulating snow on the ground doesn’t stop a gondola.
The gondola would not create demand but manage existing and future demand. The vast majority of cars in the canyon are going to the resorts and this is true in winter and throughout the entire the year. The gondola provides a year-round alternative that would move people already headed to the resorts safely and with the least environmental impact, while removing thousands of cars off the road and making travel easier for those not headed to a resort.
Opponents say a parking garage brings more traffic, but it simply provides a place to park before traveling up the canyon, emissions-free. Parking at the resorts is very limited and the Forest Service will not allow any expansion which forces many skiers to park alongside the narrow canyon road. Widening the road and constructing avalanche sheds would cost the same as a gondola and scar the canyon forever.
Little Cottonwood Canyon is a state road and UDOT has responsibility for transportation in the canyon. Traffic delays impact travel far outside the canyons themselves. While there are no perfect solutions, we can and need to do something.
UDOT has tirelessly studied the traffic issues in our canyons and we should follow the recommendations that have come from years of thorough analysis. That begins with the immediate implementation to add more buses and start tolling. These steps alone won’t solve the problem, but they are a good start while we move forward with putting together funding for the gondola up Little Cottonwood Canyon. We also must continue serious conversations about solutions for Big Cottonwood Canyon.
We don’t know how much the cost to ride the gondola is and we don’t know yet how much private funding is available to offset costs. We’re just not there in the process, and we won’t get there until we take the next step.
Balancing economic growth, access to recreation and air quality is both achievable and necessary.
As a lifelong Utahn, I have enjoyed mountain biking, skiing and hiking in Utah’s mountain ranges. For over 25 years, I have lived, served and raised my family in Draper. I have a track record as a Utah legislator of championing practical solutions for air quality, infrastructure and safety. This issue combines all of those passions. It’s time to think long-term and move forward on a gondola.
Rep. Jeff Stenquist represents Draper and Bluffdale in the Utah House, is the chair of the Outdoor Adventure Commission overseeing outdoor recreation for the state, is chair of the House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee, and serves on the House Transportation Committee.