UDOT extending comment period for Little Cottonwood Canyon project

Study Area for the Little Cottonwood EIS project. Photo: Utah Department of Transportation

LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON, Utah — The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is extending the comment period for the two preferred alternatives for transportation in Little Cottonwood Canyon until September 3rd.

🔊 Based on the review of comments thus far, @UtahDOT has decided to extend the comment period for the #LCCEIS to 70 days to allow for a more thorough review of the Draft EIS. The comment period will now end on Sept. 3, more info on website. 🔗https://t.co/3SJfiuVkHa pic.twitter.com/U1nBxJI2TY

— LCC EIS (@UDOTlcceis) July 12, 2021

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The two options being discussed are enhanced bus service with roadway widening for the peak period, and a gondola from the La Caille base station with bus service from mobility hubs. UDOT originally started with 124 different concepts and has now funneled it down to two.

Bus rider parking would be at either the gravel pit hub at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon, or at the intersection of 9400 South and Highland Drive in Sandy. Buses would arrive every five minutes.

The gondola would require a base station near the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon, with roughly 1,500 parking spaces. The gondola would arrive every two minutes and would be able to carry a maximum of 35 people.

Alta, Snowbird, and Ski Utah have endorsed the gondola idea, together forming the Gondola Works Coalition. Meanwhile, the Wasatch Backcountry Alliance has said that both options are insufficient- they have Black Diamond, Kuhl, and Voile listed as their sponsors.

UDOT officials have said the bus option meets their mobility goal, while the gondola would be more reliable.

At the public hearing last night there were several views on display.

A man by the name of Steve said the idea of a mobility center in Sandy “is kind of absurd.” He said a better alternative would be to have that center down by the track station, instead of a residential area.

A Wasatch resident named Eric highlighted how the infrastructure projects were simply going to increase traffic in the area. He cited the increase in car accidents so far this year. “There has to safety prioritized for the people that live there,” he said.

An original author of the La Caille base station plan, he emphasized that they had no plans to build adjacent apartments or condominiums near the base station. He argued that the road extension in the bus plan would do more harm to the preservation of Little Cottonwood Canyon.

You can provide a comment to UDOT in a variety of ways. In addition to public hearings, you can call at 801-200-3465 or send an email to LittleCottonwoodEIS@utah.gov

There will be a virtual public hearing over Zoom on July 20th from 6-8:30 p.m. Click here for more info.