General Manager of Alta Ski Area, UT, Reiterates Support of Little Cottonwood Canyon Gondola

In the latest news surrounding the Little Cottonwood Canyon (LCC) traffic dilemma, Michael Maughan, the President and General Manager at Alta Ski Area, Utah, released a statement reiterating the ski area’s support for the proposed LCC Gondola. To resolve the congestion in the LCC, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) proposed an eight-mile gondola. This project is planned to be constructed in three phases and is estimated to cost over $729 million. This proposal has been the source of heated debates for over a decade, as many oppose the project for reasons such as environmental concerns, disrupting canyon access for non-resort patrons, and creating traffic issues at the base of the canyon.

• Related: Alta Ski Area, UT, General Manager Pens “Red Snake Letter” to UDOT to Offer True Solution for Congestion in Little Cottonwood Canyon – SnowBrains

Despite public pushback, Maughan has continued to express his opinion in favor of the gondola. On June 15, Maughan released a letter via the Salt Lake Tribune that restates Alta’s stance on the gondola. This comes shortly after a Salt Lake Tribune article created confusion on where Alta sided on the issue.

“On May 7, The Salt Lake Tribune published an article with the heading ‘Alta Ski Area shuns gondola, says metering signals could be answer to Little Cottonwood Canyon traffic.’ The article highlighted the ‘Red Snake Letter’ recently sent by the Alta Community to the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT). While the article summarized traffic congestion issues experienced by visitors to Alta as well as potential solutions, the article’s headline was misleading, suggesting that Alta no longer supports the gondola.

Alta Ski Area does support the gondola alternative and all transportation improvements that increase public safety, reduce traffic congestion and gridlock in all weather conditions and facilitate an equitable exit from Alta and Snowbird. The Red Snake Letter identified issues and potential solutions that could be made in the short term to address traffic congestion issues today and will complement other transportation improvements made in the future, such as a gondola.

Alta Ski Area is supportive of all parties working together on transportation issues that help visitors to Little Cottonwood Canyon experience the beauty, majesty and magic of Little Cottonwood Canyon and the greatest snow on earth.”

The “Red Snake Letter” was released on April 11, and was written to the UDOT team to express Alta’s concern over a few “Recreation Transportation Hotspots” that were not addressed in UDOT’s Environmental Impact Statement for S.R. 210 in the LCC. The “Red Snake Letter” acknowledges Alta’s approval of the proposed gondola, but the letter was primarily intended to address the three potential unresolved issues below.

1. The number of roadway entry points and roadside parking (including illegal U-turns and failure to yield to oncoming vehicles on the roadway) between Entry 1 and Entry 4 at Snowbird.
2. Closure of S.R. 210 between Snowbird Entry 4 and Alta (the “Mainline”) during peak exit travel times and routing all traffic through Snowbird via the Bypass Road.
3. Vehicles with inappropriate traction devices in the canyon during winter storms.

The letter also proposed solutions to the said issues on behalf of many in the Alta Community. The list below is from the “Red Snake Letter.”

1. Reduce traffic flow impediment (illegal U-Turns) and provide more equitable merging for traffic leaving Alta through modifications to S.R. 210 between Snowbird Entry 1 and Entry 4 and/or management of the traffic exiting Snowbird.
2. Keep the Mainline open during peak exit travel periods (between 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm daily) through the installation of snowsheds on the Mainline or managing and mitigating the Mainline like the mid and lower canyon using technology and more aggressive avalanche mitigation.
3. Keep vehicles without proper tractions devices out of the canyon during storm periods through use of a traction law that requires all passenger vehicles in the canyon on any day there is a forecast for snow to have a UDOT sticker indicating the vehicle has approved traction devices.

It is unclear at the moment how UDOT plans to address the concerns from Alta, but it shines a light on the conversations that are being had in the hope of completely resolving the traffic issues in the LCC. The first phase of the project is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2025. The first phase will increase the bus services, including resort bus stops, a mobility hub, tolling, and winter roadside parking restrictions.