We need the community to speak up about the latest Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) from the Wasatch Front Regional Council, which still includes the Little Cottonwood Canyon (LCC) gondola.
We need 2 quick actions from you to help shape the future of LCC:
- Submit a comment by May 13 on the interactive map (look for “Little Cottonwood Canyon Gondola (T-S-36)” and leave a comment).
2. Send a message to WFRC using the pre-generated form.
How to Comment Effectively
Be respectful, clear, and concise! Ask the WFRC to provide the following in the RTP:
- Outline performance metrics before advancing to Phase 3.
- Invest in bus service and O & M funding for enhanced bus in both Cottonwood Canyons.
- Update the gondola’s 2055 cost estimate.
- Remove or reclassify the gondola from the RTP.
A Note About the Upcoming Meeting on May 28th
Call off the dogs! There’s been some confusion about the WFRC meeting on May 28. It’s a regularly scheduled WFRC board meeting, not a special RTP meeting, although RTP general public comments should still be accepted. WBA will give a comment, but no need to have the community come to this meeting.
The formal RTP vote is expected to take place in approximately one year. This is good news, as it allows us more time to connect with the voting members of the WFRC to inform them about the shortcomings of the gondola and to voice community support for the momentum behind improved bus transit.
Thank you to everyone who has already spoken up. WFRC is paying attention, and they are being reminded loud and clear how their constituents feel about the gondola!
How We Think the RTP Can Stop the Gondola
- WFRC can include a project without endorsing it. We recognize that the WFRC must include full projects that completed NEPA review, but inclusion in the RTP does not mean the project will happen.
- Phase 1 transit improvements are already moving forward. Recent actions by UDOT in both Cottonwood Canyons show that enhanced bus service can move forward independently of the gondola, proving Phase 1 does not need to be tied to Phase 3.
- WFRC already adopted a phased approach. In the 2023 RTP, WFRC stated that Phase 1 and Phase 2 should be implemented and evaluated before advancing to Phase 3. We are simply asking them to honor that commitment.
- There are still no public performance triggers. UDOT’s Record of Decision identifies three phases, but it does not establish measurable performance metrics that must be met before advancing to the gondola. WFRC should work to define these metrics.
- The cost continues to rise. Official estimates for the gondola have already increased significantly since the EIS, and independent inflation-adjusted estimates now exceed $1 billion, which doesn’t take into account recent market conditions, supply chain issues, and oil prices. WBA is asking for updated 2055 cost estimates for Phase 3 to be included in the RTP.
- The canyons function as one transportation system. Changes in Little Cottonwood Canyon affect Big Cottonwood Canyon, which is why Phase 1 transit investments should move forward in both corridors together.
- Bus-based solutions are already building consensus. Unlike the gondola, enhanced bus service and mobility hub investments are receiving broader support from local governments, stakeholders, and recreation users.
- If not removed, it should be reclassified. At minimum, the Little Cottonwood Canyon Gondola should be reclassified as an exploratory project until Phase 1 and Phase 2 are completed and evaluated.
Why does the RTP matter?
Because this plan strongly guides what projects receive legislative funding. While UDOT and the state legislature ultimately decide what gets funded, asking to remove the gondola from the RTP would send a clear message to lawmakers about how their constituents feel.
It’s been three years since WFRC’s last RTP, which also included the gondola. During the 2023 public hearing, there was significant public backlash. Despite a packed room and overwhelming comments against it, the council voted to keep the gondola in the plan, because they are mandated to included it under Title 23.
While this issue is front and center for many in our community, it’s worth noting that not all voting members regularly interact with the Cottonwood Canyons or fully understand the nuances. For some voting members without ties to the Cottonwoods, “gondola” may have simply sounded like a cool idea without a deeper look at its impacts or its limitations in solving traffic.
So what’s different this time?
The gondola has gained much more public attention over the past three years, and lawmakers are paying closer attention. In the 2025 Sandy mayoral race, many attribute Mayor Zoltanski’s win to her clear opposition to the gondola. On top of that, the makeup of the voting body has changed since 2023, creating an opportunity for a different outcome.
Cost is also a growing concern. Initial estimates from UDOT were around $550 million. More recent estimates are closer to $1.4 billion. That could translate to roughly $1,500 per Utah household which is definitely not popular for Utah’s population of non-skiers.
Lastly, there’s been promising progress from UDOT, with plans to improve bus service and stops in both Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons by 2028. This is the kind of momentum we should be encouraging: solutions that are more flexible, cost-effective, and based in community consensus.
If you need a reminder that advocacy works, think back to this summer when public lands were at risk of sell-offs in the “Big Beautiful Bill.” Public pressure helped remove that provision. Advocacy works—but only when we show up together.
