The proposed gondola project in Little Cottonwood Canyon (LCC) is an outrageously expensive and unnecessary boondoggle that could cost Utah taxpayers up to $2 billion in lifetime costs – money that could be far better spent on practical, proven solutions like enhanced road maintenance and safety with dedicated snowplows & additional winter buses.

This flawed project prioritizes a ugly, unproven, unnecessary monstrosity over effective alternatives that address traffic, safety, and environmental concerns. 

Utah's stunning Little Cottonwood Canyon is under threat from an aerial ropeway proposal that's ballooned into a growing projected lifetime $2 billion taxpayer-funded disaster.

Originally pitched as a traffic solution for skiers, the flawed project's costs have skyrocketed due to consultants, sub-consultants, inflation, tariffs, insurance, construction challenges, lawsuits and poor planning.

For a fraction of the ski gondola's price tag, we could expand bus services and deploy additional snowplows to keep canyon roads clear, safe, increase throughput, and ensure reliable access without scarring the landscape with massive towers, cables and flashing FAA lights.

UDOT’s purpose for this project is to substantially improve roadway safety, reliability, and mobility from Fort Union Boulevard through the town of Alta for all users on SR–210, yet fails to provide basic winter road maintenance.

The ski gondola represents wasteful government spending at its worst – benefiting 2 private resorts while burdening every Utah household with an estimated $1,700 in costs.

Let's redirect these funds NOW to real solutions that are effective and increase road safety.

Click the links below to deep dive into these issues, solutions, numbers and opposition.  

UDOT's snowplow operators are highly competent and capable professionals who work tirelessly to keep Utah's roads safe during winter storms. However, it appears systemic limitations and policies imposed by leadership—such as inadequate planning, funding and understaffing for snow removal—have created challenges that exacerbate congestion and safety risks in high-snow areas like Little Cottonwood Canyon (LCC).

This under-resourcing appears to align with a "bucket system" policy where plows are deployed based on priorities, often leaving secondary routes like SR-210 as an afterthought. While every road deserves priority for clearance to ensure public safety, the current approach prioritizes major highways, leading to reactive rather than proactive maintenance in the canyons where snowfall is heaviest—resulting in heavy accumulation, spinning vehicles, and reduced throughput.

In previous winters, the lack of dedicated road maintenance in Little Cottonwood Canyon has led to poor conditions, including snow-packed roads, reduced visibility, and hazardous driving—exacerbating congestion and safety risks on SR-210.

The closest UDOT snow plow is parked 15 miles away in the Salt Lake Valley. When a storm hits, UDOT plows are dispatched by “priority” — and Little Cottonwood Canyon is not at the top of the list. I-80, I-15, Parleys all get cleared first. By the time a snowplow is dispatched the mountain road is already buried and gridlocked. Hence the need for wheel chains.

UDOT is also responsible for plowing the Alta Bypass Road — the narrow, steep service route connecting Snowbird and Alta that bypasses avalanche-prone sections of Hellgate and Superior. The Bypass is chronically neglected too, often becoming a snow-packed nightmare causing gridlock with 23 merge points.

Solutions are within reach.

UDOT needs a dedicated snowplow in Alta, and to provide basic winter road maintenance, consistently. Best practices and common sense dictate consistent winter road maintenance to keep surfaces clear for safety and efficiency—preventing spin-outs and allowing more throughput of cars and buses to access and exit the canyon.

Stationing dedicated snowplows in Alta would be strategic and optimal engineering, aligning with the "greatest snow on earth" by prioritizing where it snows the most—without the spectacle of social media announcements for routine plows.

Proactive measures like dedicated canyon plows could resolve congestion issues at a fraction of the cost—saving taxpayers and aligning with residents and community opposition.

The real fix is simple, cheaper and safety-focused: Station a snowplow in Alta, so these mountain roads can be cleared quickly and frequently. The current price of single Mack truck snowplow = $300k. 

With UDOT's recent ROW acquisition of the Alta Wildcat parking lot, a temporary steel hut needs to be installed for quick snowplow deployment.

Additional 40' ski buses on powder days are needed, instead of the current 20–25, per EIS. 

The current price of single 40-Foot Electric Buses (Suitable for 42 Passengers) = $1.1 million-$1.3 million.

For less than 5% of the gondola’s cost, we keep the road open, eliminate most traffic jams, and never have to scar the canyon with a $2 billion gondola that won’t even run in the weather we need it most.

Snowplows + buses = problem solved.

This isn’t just any gondola — it’s a SUPER-GONDOLA!

The longest and highest-elevation aerial gondola ever proposed on planet Earth, facing unprecedented challenges:

SUPER-LONG
The purpose of a ropeway is to go where roads cannot. The LCC gondola would span 8 miles—nearly 3 miles longer than the world's current longest operational systems. North American winter gondola journeys average around 2.5 miles.

No other gondola has been built to run year-round over such a lengthy journey, crossing 30+ avalanche paths in a narrow canyon—for good common-sense reasons, including extreme weather exposure, maintenance and engineering challenges. It's not a practical, cost-effective transportation choice.

SUPER-INEFFICIENT
It’s a high-risk engineering endeavor that would shut down in winds over 35 mph, lightning, and avalanche danger—exactly when access is needed most. Look no further for feasibility than Snowbird's existing tram (costs $60), which spans only 1.6 miles and typically shuts down 20–30 times per winter due to similar conditions.

SUPER-EXPENSIVE
This is not a roadway project, but a ropeway overreach. Because of its extreme length and exposure, the projected lifetime costs are extraordinarily high: now estimated at $1.8–$2.1 billion (in 2025 dollars), making it one of the most expensive gondolas ever proposed. No private business would feasibly fund this scale of project without massive subsidies—why should taxpayers?

SUPER-WASTEFUL

Utah taxpayers are being asked to fund the longest, riskiest, and most expensive ropeway in history—for the primary benefit of two private ski resorts. Unless heavily subsidized, the LCC gondola ticket price is projected to be $75+ per person, adding further cost burden to users. 

The ski gondola represents wasteful government spending at its worst—benefiting two private resorts while burdening every Utah household with an estimated $1,000–$1,700 in costs.

Governor Cox: You Have the Power to End This Crisis and Wasteful Project
You have the power to end this crisis and wasteful project and pivot to real, low-cost solutions immediately — and all it takes is one short, decisive executive directive to UDOT:

“Effective immediately, I direct the Utah Department of Transportation to:

1.  Suspend and terminate all further planning, design, engineering, procurement, and permitting for the Phase 3 gondola in Little Cottonwood Canyon;

2. Withdraw UDOT’s support for the July 12, 2023 Record of Decision selecting the gondola alternative and formally notify the Federal Highway Administration of this withdrawal;

3. Reallocate all gondola-programmed funds to proven, low-cost alternatives including permanent top-of-canyon snowplow deployment, expanded electric bus service, and targeted road improvements;

4. Halt all right-of-way acquisitions, land purchases, and eminent domain proceedings related to the gondola project.

That single directive — signed by you — would:

• End the ongoing lawsuits and stop Utah taxpayers from funding both sides of the litigation 
• Save every Utah household an estimated $1,000–$1,700
  
• Deliver real winter safety and mobility improvements this season instead of a fantasy ski gondola decades away
  
• Prevent further irreversible land takings and protect private property rights
  
• Align you with the growing bipartisan majority of Utahns who oppose this $2 billion boondoggle