The Central Wasatch Commission has unanimously approved an updated feasibility study to introduce shuttle services in Millcreek Canyon to alleviate traffic congestion and enhance the visitor experience.
This initiative aims to protect local vegetation and wildlife while ensuring a harmonious balance among the four key systems—environment, transportation, recreation, and economy—identified in the Mountain Accord.
Jeff Silvestrini, the chair of the commission and Millcreek mayor, emphasized the importance of this shuttle program.
He stated, “Ten years ago, at the launch of the Mountain Accord, the signers envisioned a shuttle program in Millcreek Canyon to reduce congestion, alleviate parking shortages, and minimize user conflicts in an already busy canyon.
A decade later, this beloved canyon is even busier, and the need for reliable transportation has only grown.
Upper Millcreek Canyon is currently closed, and ongoing construction in Emigration and City Creek canyons has led to an overflow of visitors, pushing the surrounding environment beyond its limits.
The updated feasibility study represents a step towards enhancing the recreational experience in Millcreek Canyon, making it more efficient, accessible, and enjoyable for all users.
This study is a component of Salt Lake County’s 2012 Regional Transportation Plan, which addresses key issues in the canyon, including full parking lots at popular trailheads, illegal roadside parking, pedestrian hazards, and environmental degradation caused by overflow parking.
The project team will explore various solutions, including improved parking management, transit options, and enhancements for cyclists and pedestrians.
For the transit component, the study will examine several shuttle variations: a winter shuttle, a summer all-canyon shuttle, and a summer upper canyon shuttle specifically designed for transporting bikes, skis, pets, and other recreational gear.
The commission also recently completed a Visitor Use Study, providing valuable insights for this updated shuttle feasibility study.
With an upward trend in population along the Wasatch Front and an increasing desire to visit this picturesque canyon, it became clear that an updated analysis was necessary.
Big and Little Cottonwood canyons, along with Millcreek, attract around 3.2 million visitors annually, covering around 80,000 acres, a figure that surpasses visitation rates to Arches and other national parks in Utah.
As visitation is anticipated to rise, officials are preparing to handle the increased pressure on local infrastructure.
In light of future construction closures in Upper Millcreek Canyon during summer 2025—which will temporarily eliminate many parking spaces—Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest officials have consulted with the commission to explore a potential shuttle program for the lower canyon.
The updated Millcreek Shuttle Feasibility Study will be conducted by Fehr & Peers, the Salt Lake City-based transportation planning firm responsible for the original 2012 study.
Scheduled for late summer 2025, this new study will assess parking demand and collaborate with various partners, including UDOT, Salt Lake County, the forest service, Millcreek City, and Skyline High School to identify suitable parking areas.
The study will analyze vehicle occupancy, shuttle frequency, ridership, and overall demand to determine if shuttle implementation can lead to reduced fees.
Up to three different scenarios will be developed to evaluate this potential.
Additionally, the study will create two service plans.
The first will be a “pilot” program to provide transportation during the upper canyon’s construction closure.
This pilot will serve as a testing ground to determine the appropriate fleet size and shuttle frequency while planning operational and capital costs.
A second plan will look to expand the Big Water parking lot area.
Discussions surrounding the shuttle will also consider how to accommodate pets, skis, and bicycles on board.
The Central Wasatch Commission is currently accepting public comments until August 12.
They encourage respondents to consider factors such as incentives for using the shuttle, barriers to its use, optimal seasons for shuttle service, and willingness to pay relative to existing fees of $5 per day or $50 for an annual pass.
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