Central Wasatch Commission seeks $750,000 a year for three‑year Mill Creek Canyon shuttle pilot

The Central Wasatch Commission asked the subcommittee to fund a three‑year pilot shuttle service for Mill Creek Canyon that would reduce parking pressure in the Cottonwood canyons and provide an alternative to private car access.

Lindsey Nelson, director of the Commission, said the pilot would operate 10 hours per day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the summer season (June–October), using 25‑passenger vans with 15‑minute headways. The feasibility study the Commission completed and two public comment periods indicated strong public support for a transit option. Nelson told the committee the operational ask is $750,000 per year for three years to establish the service and build ridership; sponsors said the intention is to move toward a self‑sustaining model but not to divert existing toll revenues used by Salt Lake County and the U.S. Forest Service to maintain the canyon.

The Commission proposed Virginia Way (near Skyline High School off I‑215) as the parking and staging location because it already contains approximately 135 stalls and presents minimal land‑use conflict. The presenters noted that the upper canyon is currently closed for construction related to a FLAP grant and stressed the shuttle would help relieve congestion that has shifted to other canyons.

What’s next: Committee members pressed on questions of user fees and long‑term sustainability. The Commission said modest shuttle fares could be considered in the future but requested state seed funding now to establish the pilot and test operational models.