Is a Cog Railway or Gondola in the Future for Little Cottonwood Canyon?

A car travels in Little Cottonwood Canyon in 2013. The Utah Department of Transportation is looking at two other options to handle traffic in the canyon: a cog railway or a gondola to ferry visitors to the ski resorts.

Ways to fix the traffic congestion problem that plagues Little Cottonwood Canyon and its outdoor enthusiasts have been bandied about for decades.

Two more options were announced Friday by the Utah Department of Transportation: a cog railway or a gondola to ferry visitors to the ski resorts.

Both options were immediately denounced by conservation organizations and backcountry enthusiasts who say they are an attempt to turn the canyon into an amusement park.

“The Wasatch Backcountry Alliance is concerned the shiny appeal of an expensive train or gondola system may distract us from our goals or actually make things worse,” said Brad Rutledge, co-founder of the organization and current board member. “These solutions not only miss the target on making things better, but the train and gondola concepts threaten many of the things that make the Wasatch Mountains so amazing today.”

 Read the full story at DeseretNews.com