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SALT LAKE CITY — With ski season fast approaching, new strategies will be implemented to control traffic in Little Cottonwood and Big Cottonwood canyons this winter.
The Utah Department of Transportation and Unified Police Department Monday announced their plans to manage the expected increase in skier traffic in the heavily traveled canyons.
"We anticipate an influx of vehicles this year. We saw that a lot through the summertime. It's a good escape during the COVID pandemic (and) it's a good place to go as far as people being able to spread out and be safe and still get some recreation," said UDOT district engineer Shawn Lambert. "We anticipate that will continue through the winter. So all signs are pointing toward a lot of skiing and a lot of backcountry use."
In addition to vehicle restrictions into the canyons, ski resorts will also monitor parking lots to determine when their facilities reach full capacity, while UDOT and police will keep tabs on roadside parking through traffic count data, visual assessments and the canyon's uphill queue, he said. An uphill restriction will be implemented when both resort and roadside parking is full and can no longer safely support additional vehicles at that time.
In a joint effort, resort representatives along with transportation and law enforcement officials will be stationed at strategic turnaround points to determine if a traveler meets uphill travel exceptions, such as employees who have critical passes or are in a resort vehicle, ride-share vehicles that do not require parking, UTA buses, canyon residents or parents picking up children, along with hotel/restaurant/spa guests with reservations, a news release stated.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, UDOT expects canyon traffic to be heavier than ever, with more people trying to relieve the stress of being self-quarantined. UDOT also anticipates less carpooling with people avoiding exposure to individuals outside of their own households. Additionally, lower ridership on ski buses is expected because of the pandemic.
"We expect a lot of vehicles up the canyon and to exacerbate that issue, the shuttle service and UTA buses will be at limited capacity," Lambert warned. "So we expect a lot of vehicles to take their place. We see a lot of challenges coming up this year, so we're just trying to address these with a couple (of new tactics)."
In addition to the new access procedures, UDOT is relaunching the vehicle sticker pilot program initiated last year for resort employees and canyon residents to ensure their vehicles are properly equipped for winter driving. Following the success in its debut year, the program is expanding to include the general public, allowing for a greater number of qualified vehicles to enter the canyons.
"Together in coordination with the resorts, UPD and UDOT may determine that the heavy amount of traffic congestion creates a public safety hazard that requires the restriction of uphill traffic," said Unified Police Sgt. Ed Twohill. "Having a plan for coordination on uphill restrictions and better-prepared vehicles through the sticker program ensures a better experience for all canyon travelers."
Stickers will be distributed to past participants, with three pickup times available to the public on Monday until 6 p.m., Thursday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. Currently, participation in the sticker program is limited to 3,000 vehicles on a first-come, first-serve basis. The amount was based on last year's participant numbers. More information on the program, traction laws and uphill traffic restrictions can be found on the UDOT Cottonwood Canyons website.
Twohill encouraged drivers to plan ahead by checking the UDOT Traffic App, the UDOT Cottonwoods website and resort social media channels and webpages before venturing out to those areas. UDOT also advises drivers to adjust travel to off-peak days and times wherever possible.
Despite the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, local resorts are expecting a high number of visitors this season.
"We'll still have a good demand. There's going to be some of our East Coast skiers that probably won't come out this year, because in some of the states they might have to go home and quarantine for two weeks. So we'll see a decrease in that," said Andria Huskinson, communications manager for Alta Ski Resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon. "But for sure, we will see an increase in local skiers. Our canyons this summer have been super busy. People are trying out getting outdoors to socially distance. So we'll have a pretty good demand of skiers this winter."
In Big Cottonwood Canyon, resorts are anticipating strong attendance as well, but are also planning for limited capacity to ensure public safety during the pandemic.
"We've definitely prepared for skiing in the new normal, but a lot of that is more digital with a lot of reservation-based activities like ski lessons, rentals, tickets and passes," said Brighton spokesman Jared Winkler. "Some of them you make reservations for now, so (we're) planning on (limited) quantities, doing a better job of managing our on-hill capacity with people and just trying to make sure we have plenty of elbow room for everybody when they're up there skiing and snowboarding."
