Increased Bus Service To Cottonwood Canyon Resorts Coming Later This Month
For those that ski and ride at the Cottonwood Canyon resorts in Utah, there might be an easier way for you to get to your favorite hill...if you take the bus that is. The Utah Transit Authority ski bus is getting an upgrade that should improve the ride.
Starting November 23, 2019, UTA’s Cottonwood Canyon ski bus will be speeding up service and adding more trips to Snowbird, Alta Ski Area, Solitude Mountain Resort, and Brighton Resort. The public can anticipate the following improvements:
- A 26 percent increase in trips on Route 953 (to Snowbird and Alta Ski Area) thanks to funding provided by the Central Wasatch Commission.
- Route 972 (to Solitude Mountain Resort and Brighton Resort) will no longer serve the Bingham Junction Station on the TRAX Red Line, due to high traffic congestion which causes delays for ski bus riders. Riders are encouraged to use the Midvale Fort Union Station on the TRAX Blue Line.
- Route 953 and Route 994 (to Snowbird and Alta Ski Area) will no longer serve the park and ride lot at the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon, due to traffic congestion which causes significant delays. Bus riders are encouraged to use the park and ride lot located at 9400 South 2000 East. The Little Cottonwood Canyon Park & Ride lot will now be reserved for people carpooling.
- To increase efficiency and capacity for more riders, the ski racks will be removed on Routes 953, 972 & 994. Riders are advised to hold their ski gear while riding the bus.
The UTA and the Central Wasatch Commission were joined by member jurisdictions, ski resorts, Save Our Canyons, and Wasatch Backcountry Alliance to bring these plans to the table and see them through to fruition.
Increasing space on the bus for riders and more opportunities to catch the bus should increase the appeal, thus getting more riders. The more riders there are, the less traffic, parking hassles, and environmental issues there will be. To the point of traffic issues, an additional effort to curb traffic congestion, all four Cottonwood Canyon ski resorts are participating in the R.I.D.E (Reducing Individual Driving for the Environment) app for the 2019/2020 ski season. The R.I.D.E. carpool program encourages skiers to take the UTA ski bus or carpool with 3 or more people to any of the four Cottonwood Canyon ski resorts and rewards users with points redeemed for prizes. Season pass holders to any of the ski resorts in the Cottonwood Canyons are able to ride the ski bus free of charge. Learn more online.
For further information, please contact Lindsey Nielsen at 801-706-1004 or lindsey@cwc.utah.gov or Carl Arky at 801-859-6095 or CArky@rideuta.com.
Photo Credit: Crystalmountainskier at en.wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
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