SALT LAKE CITY — With more and more people heading up the Salt Lake-area canyons to ski "The Greatest Snow on Earth," the Utah Transit Authority says it will increase capacity on its Ski Bus routes this season.
In addition to great capacity, UTA has partnered with the local ski resorts on creating more efficient ways of getting buses in and out of parking lots, as well as creating what they call "employee-specific transportation."
The announcement comes after the most recent season in which skiers often waited in long lines to be brought to the four resorts in the canyons. UTA added that backup buses will be utilized during high-traffic periods when available.
Public bus routes up both Big and Little Cottonwood canyons will be begin all-day service starting Nov. 26 and run through April 13, 2024.
UTA will work with resorts to support employee-specific buses, which they believe will alleviate crowding on designated Ski Bus routes.
“The engagement between UTA and its partners over the past six months has helped UTA to better understand the transit needs in the canyons and to collaborate with all of the impacted stakeholders to look at innovative ways we could work together to expand service,” said UTA Exec. Dir. Jay Fox.
Due to staffing shortages last season, UTA was forced to run its Ski Buses every 30 minutes up the canyons; an increase from every 15 minutes the season prior. Officials with UTA says they have partnered with an advertising firm to increase bus driver recruiting this year.
