There are many reasons I oppose the Gondola Alternative B project, specifically:

The gondola is too expensive and Utah taxpayers are picking up the bill:

UDOT is using our hard-earned money to fund a $1.4 billion project. The multi-million dollar corporations that stand to benefit from the gondola should be picking up the tab. UDOT’s EIS states, “The [gondola] would provide an economic benefit to the ski resorts by allowing more users to access the resorts.” [Ch. 6]. If the gondola is built, the number of cars visiting resorts will remain the same while skier visits will increase by 20%, per the EIS. Only 2-3% of weekend skiers are Utah residents, but every Utah citizen will pay approximately $175 just to build the gondola, not to mention supporting the steep operating costs. For a family of four, that is $700 for a method of transportation they will likely never use.

The gondola poses a tremendous risk to the environment and vital watershed in Little Cottonwood Canyon: With a proposed 22 towers up to 262 feet tall, the gondola will irreversibly change the landscape we all know and love. It will also risk contamination of the Little Cottonwood Canyon watershed, which is responsible for providing swaths of vital water in Salt Lake Valley.

The proposed gondola fails to serve its intended purpose of reducing traffic congestion: The Little Cottonwood EIS specifically states that UDOT does not anticipate traffic volumes will decrease with their proposed gondola alternative. As stated in EIS 8.4.3.2, “daily traffic volumes would be similar to the existing conditions in 2020.” Why are we paying for something we know won’t work?

I am not alone in my objections; 80% of Utahns oppose building a gondola in Little Cottonwood Canyon. As someone with great influence over the project funding, I urge you on behalf of your voters to amend or repeal Utah Senate Bill 277 and to oppose this project.

Signed,

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