COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah — There are some perks to taking the bus, especially when it comes to safety and affordability.
“It's the best and safest option when we don't have good tires or chains,” said Knox Tranter from Riverton.
“Definitely save money. We get it for free. If you have a pass, you can go for free. So, we save money on gas,” added Eli Chavez who was also waiting for the bus on Saturday afternoon.
Sometimes it’s good for just avoiding a headache.
“Parking is a nightmare,” Tranter added. "That's another pro of the bus, just avoiding parking. Such a blessing."
Ski resorts are encouraging skiers to take the Utah Transit Authority ski buses to avoid canyon traffic and accidents, especially after seeing an influx of visitors with the recent weather change.
“This is a narrow road. It's only one way in and one way out, so if one car gets stuck, then everyone is stuck,” said Jacob Marquardt with Snowbird.
Some riders, however, told FOX 13 News that the bus has its challenges.
“There's limited parking here, the bus fills up pretty quickly, like at the earlier stops, and even if I do get up, sometimes getting down is even more of a problem,” said Ray Watanabe, who works at Solitude, "which kind of makes me averse to taking it, even though I really want to.”
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“Earlier we were saying we needed more buses,” said Katie Jarvie from Lehi, who took the bus with her friends Jordyn Johnson and Bridger Warr.
“More buses, or a lot more times of buses coming,” added Johnson. “It took us, like, three hours to get on the bus the other day.”
Ski resorts said it’s something they monitor with UTA.
“The Little and Big Cottonwood Canyon assessment programs going on right now, they're looking to see what they can do to help out, if it is bringing more buses, more mobility hubs for those buses and transportation centers, so I think that's all in the works,” said Jared Winkler with Brighton Resort. "It's kind of eye-opening and letting them get the data they need to know, like, hey, there's a demand for this.”
If carpooling or the ski bus is not an option, there are some things to consider before you take that trip up the canyon.
“Ski or snowboard on off-peak times, like Brighton has night skiing, so going up there for evening ski, it's a lot easier to just get up there and find a place to park,” Winkler said.
“Please assess your vehicle and make sure that it is properly equipped and ready to drive up the canyon," Marquardt added. "If it's not a four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive car, and if your tires don't have good tread on them, you're not only putting yourself at risk, but you're putting other people at risk too."
FOX 13 reached out to UTA to see if there is any update when it comes to adding more buses or frequent stops, but we have not received a response.
More information on the ski buses can be found on UTA's website.
