Industry News
Traffic congestion in the canyons leading to Utah’s top ski destinations has become a significant source of frustration for the local skiing and snowboarding community, particularly on powder days. It can take hours to just get to the mouth of the canyons, and that’s before accounting for the additional time required to travel from the canyon base to the resorts themselves.
Many skiers and snowboarders take the free ski bus service offered by the Utah Transit Authority (‘UTA’) to reduce traffic into the canyons. The UTA launched its ski bus service for Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons last Sunday, November 26, 2023, with operations continuing through April 13, 2024. For the second consecutive year, buses will run every 30 minutes throughout the day, marking a decrease from the previous season’s more frequent service, where buses operated every 15 minutes.
Although UTA is looking to eventually get back to a place where they can implement more buses and routes, there is still an operator shortage. That said, there have been significant strides in the recruitment and retention of bus operators, which bodes well for the expansion of services in the future.
Nonetheless, UTA has improved a few things this year, as more buses will be sent out during peak periods, such as powder days and holiday weekends. Additionally, UTA and resorts are collaborating to provide van pooling for workers.
