Riders who catch the ski bus up Big Cottonwood Canyon would pay $6 each way starting as early as spring 2027, up from $5, under a fare increase the Utah Transit Authority proposed Wednesday, Aug. 19.
The hike is UTA's first since 2013. Base fares on buses, TRAX, FrontRunner and UTA On Demand would jump from $2.50 to $3. Express and ski bus routes, including Route 972 to Solitude and Brighton, would go from $5 to $6 one way.
Route 972 picks up passengers at the 6200 South Wasatch Boulevard park-and-ride and the Big Cottonwood Canyon park-and-ride, both within easy reach of Cottonwood Heights and Holladay neighborhoods. The bus runs Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and select holidays during ski season.
UTA public information officer Gavin Gustafson told The Salt Lake Tribune the increase would generate roughly $10 million more per year, though that alone wouldn't cover a new bus route, which costs about $17 million annually. He cited rising operating costs as the main driver.
"The cost of operating, maintaining and expanding transit — and everything else in life, it seems — has certainly gone up," Gustafson said.
Fares account for just 4% of UTA's total funding. But the proposed $3 base fare would tie UTA with agencies in Seattle and San Francisco for the highest in the country, according to a 2025 American Public Transportation Association survey of 163 transit systems.
Christopher Stout, co-founder of the Utah Transit Riders Union, said riders are paying more for less. He noted UTA cut back frequent 15-minute bus service during the pandemic and hasn't restored it, meaning the $3 fare buys less than what riders got five or 10 years ago. He opposes the plan.
Smaller Utah systems already operate fare-free. Cache Valley Transit District and Park City-based High Valley Transit charge nothing to ride.
Local canyon stakes
The Cottonwood Heights City Council has been closely involved in Big Cottonwood Canyon transit planning, including co-funding the Big Cottonwood Canyon Mobility Action Plan. That plan recommended expanding Route 972 service and adding a reservation-based shuttle to reduce private vehicle traffic in the canyon.
Many resort season passes, including the Ikon Pass and passes for Brighton and Solitude, already include free ski bus access. Riders without those passes would bear the full $6 cost.
How to weigh in
UTA is accepting public comments through Wednesday, Sept. 9, via an online form at rideuta.qualtrics.com. A virtual public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 5:30 p.m. The final decision is expected by year's end from UTA's executive officers, after they review public feedback. The agency's new seven-member transit commission, which replaced its board of trustees in July 2026, will also provide input.
