Related to UDOT’s June 25, 2021 Little Cottonwood Canyon Draft EIS, Save Not Pave particularly opposes the “Gondola with La Caille parking garage” because the 1500 parking stalls which vehicles will access from the east side of La Caille on SR 210/Little Cottonwood Canyon Road North will induce demand (heighten traffic) into Sandy, Granite and Cottonwood Heights neighborhoods.
“Thank you for your statement opposing the gondola and favoring an enhanced bus system for SL County!” says Aaron Dekeyzer, co-director of Save Not Pave.
“There are several reasons why SNP opposes UDOT’s gondola preference. Only one third of anticipated gondola riders will be able to park and load the gondola at the new parking garage. The other two thirds will have to make two to three transfers schlepping their ski equipment from car to bus, bus to gondola and, if going to Alta, schlepping one more time from gondola car to a different gondola car at Snowbird. It is statistically proven that when transit users have to transfer even one time, ridership goes down dramatically. Gondolas are a great thing but NOT in this long and convoluted application. Also, for the gondola’s $500B price tag, SL County could be well on its way to developing a new MICRO-HUB transit system serving ALL SL County users as well as out-of-state visitors for their various commutes including but not limited to recreation!” -Ellen Birrell, SNP co-director.
