{"id":1993505,"date":"2026-06-16T18:13:47","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T15:13:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1993505"},"modified":"2026-06-16T18:13:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T15:13:47","slug":"utahs-cottonwood-canyon-bus-and-toll-system-to-expand-in-2028","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1993505","title":{"rendered":"Utah\u2019s Cottonwood Canyon Bus and Toll System to Expand in 2028"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_383262\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-383262\" style=\"width: 1228px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-383262 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAFoAQMAAAD9\/NgSAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADJJREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T+3sARQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN3HoAAEwzlS7AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/redsnake.jpeg?resize=640%2C360&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/redsnake.jpeg?w=1228&amp;ssl=1 1228w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/redsnake.jpeg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/redsnake.jpeg?resize=1200%2C674&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/redsnake.jpeg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/redsnake.jpeg?resize=600%2C337&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"360\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-383262\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/redsnake.jpeg?resize=640%2C360&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-383262\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">UDOT will pursue expansion of the bus service in Little Cottonwood Canyon this season in an effort to mitigate the intense traffic known by local skiers as \u2018The Red Snake.\u201d | Credit: Deseret News<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-1\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;display: block;clear: both\">\n<!-- GAM 71161633\/SNWBR_snowbrains\/article_hrec_1 --><\/p>\n<div data-fuse=\"article_hrec_1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>After multiple years of planning, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has set a target date for its new transportation plan.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>UDOT has been pursuing an expanded bus service and tolling in the Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons for multiple winters, and is now hoping to have them ready in 2028. <\/strong>With its new bus service and tolling system, UDOT hopes to cut down travel times for skiers traveling the infamous \u201cRed Snake\u201d to reach the ski resorts in the Cottonwoods: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowbird.com\/\">Snowbird<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alta.com\/\">Alta<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightonresort.com\/\">Brighton<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.solitudemountain.com\/\">Solitude<\/a>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <em><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/2026-27-alta-bird-pass-price-increase\/\">2026-27 Alta-Bird, UT, Passes Are Now On Sale \u2014 With a Price Increase of $130<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>New UDOT Buses<\/h2>\n<p><strong>For <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deseret.com\/2000\/11\/21\/19540304\/uta-buses-serving-cottonwood-canyons\/\">over 25 years<\/a>, Utah Transportation Authority (UTA) buses have served the Cottonwoods. <\/strong>However, under the new plan, UDOT will run the service, and the UTA will discontinue its Cottonwoods services. The transition will mark the debut of UDOT\u2019s own bus service.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Under the UTA\u2019s current service, buses run every 30 minutes. <\/strong>In 2028, the UDOT buses will run more than twice as often.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cWe\u2019re hoping to get that down to every 10 or 15 minutes, and that\u2019s just to start with<\/strong>. In the future, we hope to increase it even more, so that you\u2019re seeing buses maybe up to every five minutes, going to every resort,\u201d UDOT project manager Devin Weder told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kuer.org\/news\/2026-06-16\/2028-is-udots-target-date-for-buses-and-tolls-in-big-and-little-cottonwood\">KUER Radio<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The UTA fleet currently operates <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/udot-backs-bus-expansion-and-winter-tolls-rejects-gondola-plan-for-big-cottonwood-canyon-ut-2\/\">400 buses<\/a>, and UDOT is planning to add 20 more. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Buses will be owned by UDOT, and new bus stops will be built at the Cottonwood ski resorts.\u00a0<\/strong>With the current system, buses enter the parking lots of resorts to drop off skiers. There, buses get caught in parking congestion, causing delays and increasing wait times for skiers catching buses outside of the canyons.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cWe\u2019re looking to make it so those buses don\u2019t have to go into the parking lots of the ski resorts, because that\u2019s where the buses lose a lot of their time, because they\u2019re stuck behind everyone trying to park,\u201d Weder said.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bus stops will be built with comfort and safety in mind, encouraging bus use.\u00a0<\/strong>The stops will be indoors, keeping skiers out of the cold and windy mountain conditions. Stops will also feature lockers and restrooms.<\/p>\n<h2>New Tolling System<\/h2>\n<p><strong>To further encourage skiers to use the new buses, people who drive through the canyons will have to pay.\u00a0<\/strong>A toll system will be added in the upper region, just before Solitude, the first ski resort in the canyon.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The transportation commission will set the toll rate, but the number is yet to be announced. <\/strong>The process will likely be automated as well.<\/p>\n<p><strong> \u201cYou might have a little transponder in your car that says, \u2018Hey, you know, send me the bill at this location.\u2019<\/strong> Or it could read your license plate and send you the bill, like you see on many toll systems in other states,\u201d Weder said.<\/p>\n<h2>New Transit Center<\/h2>\n<p><strong>In addition to new buses, UDOT will also build a transit center, or \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/connect.udot.utah.gov\/2025\/12\/17\/udot-moves-forward-with-travel-solutions-for-little-cottonwood-canyon\/\">mobility hub<\/a>,\u201d at the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon.\u00a0<\/strong>There, skiers will be able to park and transfer to buses, reducing the number of cars entering the canyon.<\/p>\n<h2>Phases Two and Three: Widening Wasatch Boulevard and New Gondola<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The new bus service and tolling system are just the first phase of UDOT\u2019s three-phase plan for the Cottonwoods.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>With phase two, Wasatch Boulevard will be widened outside the mouths of the canyon.\u00a0<\/strong>Snow sheds will be built to protect the roads from snow.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Phase three is the new gondola, which is not set to be built until sometime between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/news\/environment\/2026\/06\/15\/udot-purchases-land-little\/\">2043 and 2050<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong>In May, the Utah Transportation Commission <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1Ei9XJvIrSW1UUP7mEBN44QySt8RpiGj9\/view\">purchased an 8-acre parcel of land<\/a> at the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon for a gondola. It was purchased from Quail Run Development for nearly $8 million. The proposed gondola would start at the mouth of the canyon, carrying skiers all the way to Alta Lodge. The proposed gondola has received plenty of criticism, with many questioning the price of the lot, as well as UDOT\u2019s priorities regarding canyon traffic. In response, UDOT spokesperson John Gleason talked about how purchasing the land would open future doors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cWe have the opportunity to go in and purchase the property. That can save us time and money and potential issues in the future, because then you don\u2019t have to deal with eminent domain,\u201d Gleason said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/news\/environment\/2026\/06\/15\/udot-purchases-land-little\/\"><em>Salt Lake Tribune<\/em> article<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <em><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/virtual-tour-visualizes-steel-sky-impact-of-proposed-little-cottonwood-canyon-ut-gondola\/\">Virtual Tour Visualizes \u201cSteel Sky\u201d Impact of Proposed Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT, Gondola<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>While phases two and three are not set to be completed for multiple decades, the Utah Transportation Commission and UDOT hope to have the bus and tolling system ready for skiers in 2028.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_381679\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-381679\" style=\"width: 954px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-381679 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAANSAQMAAADPgu3wAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAFlJREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20PBxQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA8Gw0BAAE4vf9rAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"850\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251208_145449693.RAW-01.COVER_.jpg?resize=640%2C850&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251208_145449693.RAW-01.COVER_.jpg?w=1446&amp;ssl=1 1446w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251208_145449693.RAW-01.COVER_.jpg?resize=226%2C300&amp;ssl=1 226w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251208_145449693.RAW-01.COVER_.jpg?resize=904%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 904w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251208_145449693.RAW-01.COVER_.jpg?resize=768%2C1020&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251208_145449693.RAW-01.COVER_.jpg?resize=1157%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1157w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251208_145449693.RAW-01.COVER_.jpg?resize=600%2C797&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251208_145449693.RAW-01.COVER_.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"850\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\" wp-image-381679\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251208_145449693.RAW-01.COVER_.jpg?resize=640%2C850&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"850\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-381679\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon. | Credit: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>UDOT will pursue expansion of the bus service in Little Cottonwood Canyon this season in an effort to mitigate the intense traffic known by local skiers as \u2018The Red Snake.\u201d | Credit: Deseret News After multiple years of planning, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has set a target date for its new transportation plan.\u00a0 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-1993505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1993505","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1993505"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1993505\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1993505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1993505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1993505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}