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SALT LAKE CITY - To those who've wasted countless hours and gasoline sitting in traffic through the Cottonwood Canyons, take heart. Momentum is building as planners develop a long-range proposal that aims to solve this pesky congestion problem.
World-class skiing and other recreation entice people to the Salt Lake canyons like catnip for kittens. But Alta Mayor Tom Pollard thinks of another creature when describing the line of cars in the canyons on a busy day -- a "red snake" of taillights.
"So they really are almost at this point getting loved to death," he said.
This issue has to be looked at now so that we can plan for the future.
–Alta Mayor Tom Pollard
At peak, Big Cottonwood Canyon sees 5,200 cars daily, while Little Cottonwood sees 8,000. That puts more pressure on a fragile landscape that supplies fresh water to hundreds of thousands.
"This issue has to be looked at now so that we can plan for the future," said Pollard.
Salt Lake County is doing just that, announcing the completion of a trio of transportation studies aiming to tame overwhelmed roads in the Cottonwoods and Mill Creek Canyon.
"The most important thing for the residents to know is that we're taking action," said Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon.
In Millcreek, they're looking at a pilot project for an upper-canyon shuttle system, improved parking information and signs, and uphill bike lanes. Possible options for the Cottonwoods include more parking, bus rapid transit, and eventually even a rail line.
"In Little Cottonwood Canyon, rail is a definitely possibility," said Salt Lake County transportation engineer Andrea Pullos. "Connections all the way down the FruntRunner line is always something. That's what the next step will look at is the actual lines on the map and seeing the environmental impacts associated with that."
Alta's mayor thinks a shuttle system like that in Zion National Park is worth exploring.
"I would say, using Zion as an example, that's actually improved the experience down there dramatically," said Pollard. "I feel like the same thing could happen in our canyon."
Canyon conservationists want potential impacts of other proposed projects like the controversial SkiLink to be part of the plan.
"It should address SkiLink and all of the other projects that are important," said Carl Fisher, executive director of Save Our Canyons.
