How do you want to get into Big Cottonwood Canyon?

In yet another effort to improve access to the much loved Big Cottonwood Canyon, the Utah Department of Transportation has started an environmental study focused on evaluating tolling and enhanced bus service to address winter-time traffic congestion management on state Route 190 .
The effort to solve the traffic woes is driven by a legislative measure passed in 2023, SB2.
SB2 specifies and directs the agency to use certain funds allocated by the legislature to “provide enhanced bus service, tolling, a mobility hub, and resort bus stops for Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons.”
Potential improvements that the transportation agency is considering as part of the environmental study include enhanced bus service for Big Cottonwood with buses running from a mobility hub near the canyon’s mouth every five to 10 minutes during peak hours, enclosed bus stops at the resorts, minor road improvements to help the bus system, and a winter-season tolling system starting below Solitude Entry 1 with variable pricing.
“Big Cottonwood Canyon is a gateway to some of Utah’s best winter activities. We’re keeping this study focused on the improvements outlined in Senate Bill 2 to address the canyon’s transportation needs,” said UDOT project manager Devin Weder. “Our goal is to use the money already provided by the legislature to address traffic in the canyon now and into the future.”
As part of the study’s efforts, the agency will be hosting two public meetings on Nov. 13-14 and a public comment period from Nov. 13-Dec. 13 to gather input from the community:
“The road is already at capacity during peak times and our models show travel demand is expected to increase by 2050,” Weder said. “These public meetings and comment period are a great opportunity for people who visit the canyon to learn more about what we’re proposing as a solution and share their insights with us.”
During the public comment period, UDOT is asking for input on the preliminary purpose and need of the project, observations or concerns associated with existing traffic conditions, and the community and natural environmental resources that should be evaluated in the study. The public is encouraged to review the project documents, attend the public meetings, and submit comments when the comment period opens next month.
“We’re excited that they’re actually studying what we would call common sense solutions to traffic congestion, since it seems like this hasn’t been seriously considered,” said Dani Poirer, operations director for the Wasatch Backcountry Alliance.
“So we’re quite optimistic. Wasatch Backcountry Alliance is actually participating as a stakeholder in the Big Cottonwood Canyon study. We’re eager to have the backcountry employees represented and any decisions made around changes to Big Cottonwood Canyon.”