Salt Lake Climbers Alliance Request for Extension of Environmental Impact Statement Draft Formal Comment Period

You may have heard that UDOT has been conducting an analysis on transportation “improvements” in Little Cottonwood Canyon… all of which will have impacts on the climbing resource.

This just in from the UDOT’s LCC EIS…

Two preferred alternatives have been identified to improve transportation in Little Cottonwood Canyon in the Draft EIS.

To identify preferred alternatives, UDOT considered an alternative’s ability to substantially improve transportation-related safety, reliability, and mobility for all users on S.R. 210 from Fort Union Blvd through the Town of Alta. UDOT also considered an alternative’s environmental impacts with water quality, air quality, visual and noise, among others.

Based on the technical analysis conducted, UDOT identified the Enhanced Bus Service in Peak-Period Shoulder Lane as the alternative that best improves mobility while the Gondola Alternative B (base station from La Caille) as the alternative that best improves reliability.
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In addition to the preferred alternatives, other elements have also been developed that would be combined to support each alternative. These include snow sheds; mobility hubs; widening and other improvements to Wasatch Boulevard; tolling or single occupancy restrictions; addressing trailhead parking & eliminating winter roadside parking above Snowbird Entry 1.

The 45-day public review and comment period starts today through August 9 and UDOT will be holding an in-person public hearing on July 13 and virtual hearing on July 20 to receive public input. Details on the hearings and how to participate are posted on the project website, make sure you review before attending to have an idea of what to expect.

Visit the project website for even more details and help us out by sharing this post with your fellow canyon lovers. Thanks for being here everyone! @udotcottonwoods

The Salt Lake Climbers Alliance (SLCA) welcomes the opportunity to provide input to UDOT’s Little Cottonwood Canyon Environmental Impact Statement Draft Alternatives Development and Screening Report that was released today, June 25th, 2021.

The SLCA is formally requesting that UDOT provide an extension of the planned LCC EIS Formal Comment Period from 45 days to 60 days.

The SLCA recognizes the need of the study and proposed alternatives. Safety and efficiency of roadway travel are essential for users of Little Cottonwood Canyon and also for UDOT.  The EIS is the primary method to provide review and stakeholder feedback regarding any changes made to the Canyon. The SLCA is heavily invested in preserving the climbing resources and natural beauty and appeal of the canyon and finding the solution that best supports those goals. It is essential that during this time period, before decisions are made and funding allocated, that a thorough review and understanding of all the potential impacts from a proposed alternative is completed; in order to do that effectively, 45 days is not enough time.

Photo by Jon Vickers LCC Bouldering