Big Cottonwood Canyon Mobility Action Plan (BCC MAP)

In summer 2022, the Central Wasatch Commission, at the direction of the Transportation Committee, released a request for proposals for the Big Cottonwood Canyon Mobility Action Plan (BCC MAP). The BBC MAP will identify and develop strategies that will guide multi-modal transportation investments for Big Cottonwood Canyon—expanding sustainable transportation choices that support positive environmental, social, and economic outcomes. The BCC MAP will build upon foundational documents and leverage public and stakeholder input, new and emerging technologies, and enhanced transit options to identify near- and long-term projects, policies, funding, and corresponding next steps that activate further investment—by the Central Wasatch Commission, its member jurisdictions, and other jurisdictional partners—in a year-round mobility system serving all users of Big Cottonwood Canyon.

The BCC MAP is funded by a consortium of partners including the Central Wasatch Commission, Town of Brighton, Cottonwood Heights, Brighton Resort, and Solitude Mountain Resort. Participating partners with jurisdictional oversight include the U.S. Forest Service, Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, Utah Transit Authority, and the Utah Department of Transportation.

The BCC MAP efforts got underway in late fall 2022, and the final plan is slated to be completed in May 2023. Ultimately, the BCC MAP will serve as a crucial next step that builds upon the ongoing and previous planning efforts conducted for more than a decade, and results in a framework of actionable steps toward addressing the mobility needs in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Since embarking on the project, the BCC MAP team has provided the CWC Board and Stakeholders Council updates on the progression of the project. The presentations used during each update may be found below:

January CWC Board 2023 Transportation Committee Big Cottonwood Canyon Mobility Action Plan Update

February 2023 Stakeholders Council Big Cottonwood Canyon Mobility Action Plan Update

March 2023 CWC Board Big Cottonwood Canyon Mobility Action Plan Update

Big Cottonwood Canyon Mobility Action Plan Survey Summary

The primary components of the BCC MAP development process include:

• Evaluate the existing and planned mobility network, identify gaps, and synthesize existing plans and programs to ensure consistency between goals and priorities.
• Develop tailored mobility hub siting criteria, followed by identification of mobility hub locations, features and amenities, and implementation considerations.
• Identify transit investments that improve quality of users’ experience, reliability, frequency, year-round service, and service for all canyon users, and protect critical resources.
• Package the aforementioned items into the BCC MAP, which will:
• Define a prioritized list of near-, mid-, and long-term recommendations — including projects, programs, funding, and policy reform/development
• Lay out an implementation plan for the recommendations with tangible and actionable strategies, including potential funding sources, likely level of environmental analysis and potential lead agencies, equity considerations, and immediate next steps

The Mountain Accord and the Pillars for Transportation Solutions in the Central Wasatch Mountains, as the guiding documents for the Central Wasatch Commission, will broadly guide development of the BCC MAP. In addition, relevant components from the following ongoing efforts will be considered and incorporated as available and applicable:

• Central Wasatch Commission Visitor Use Study
• Utah Department of Transportation Little Cottonwood Canyon Final Environmental Impact Statement
• Utah Department of Transportation Draft Big Cottonwood Canyon Corridor Study
• Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities Watershed Master Plan update
• Varying parking management programs being implemented and/or considered by Brighton Resort and Solitude Mountain Resort
• S. Forest Service dispersed recreation site improvement considerations based on Great American Outdoors Act funding

The BCC MAP will leave the Central Wasatch Commission and its partners well-positioned with a catalog of prioritized mobility projects and initiatives to leverage to pursue funding opportunities and progress toward implementation, beginning with the top prioritized action items. The BCC MAP will enable policy makers to jump start changes to make the mobility system more sustainable and meet the needs of today while dynamic enough to meet future challenges and needs.

Additional project updates and documents will be posted as the project progresses. In addition, an online public survey will be available starting in January 2023. Check back regularly for updates, and to access the public survey when available in January 2023.

If you have questions relating to the BCC MAP, contact Blake Perez at blake@cwc.utah.gov, or 801-702-2522.