Park City within weeks is expected to provide at least preliminary information about the prospects of creating an aerial transit system linking the Main Street core and Deer Valley, a connection that may be pursued amid the talks about the future of both sides of a potential route.
Mayor Nann Worel and the Park City Council on Thursday are scheduled to receive an update about progress regarding the municipal government’s vision for public spaces in the Main Street core, where a broad range of improvements are under discussion. One of the key possibilities is aerial transit via gondola between the Main Street core and the Snow Park base of Deer Valley Resort.
A report drafted by City Hall staffers in anticipation of the meeting on Thursday says the municipal government has “convened a team to assess the feasibility of a gondola from Main Street to Snow Park to better connect these two major destinations.” The team also reviewed “relevant materials” in the municipal files, the report says, referencing previous efforts exploring aerial transit.
It says the review is considering “a host of Main Street locations, or along the entirety of Swede Alley” rather than exclusively the Brew Pub lot toward the southern end of Main Street. The Brew Pub lot has long been seen as a potential terminus for an aerial transit system.
The report indicates an update for the elected officials is anticipated in late May. It also acknowledges the talk about a gondola “seems to have gotten a lot of attention, both from the public and from the City Council.” The contents of the planned update in May are not known, but it seems likely it could include at least some details about potential terminal locations.
The concept of creating a gondola system for transit purposes has been discussed occasionally since at least the late 1990s. Aerial transit would be designed as a traffic-fighting measure, with the thinking being that people would opt for a gondola rather than driving between Deer Valley and Main Street.
A proposal has never advanced, but there appears to be new momentum with complaints about traffic continuing, with Deer Valley preparing plans for a major development at the Snow Park base, and with City Hall discussing improvements in the Main Street core that would be designed to increase the competitiveness of the commercial district.
There is also the possibility monies could be made available from Washington for transportation projects with the state preparing for the 2034 Winter Olympics, as was the case during the 2002 Winter Olympic era.
The talks about aerial transit connecting Main Street and Snow Park would likely be held in the context of eventually creating a wider gondola system that would connect other important destinations. Some of the previous discussions have also included terminals at Park City Mountain and City Hall-owned land off the intersection of Kearns Boulevard and Bonanza Drive, where leaders are continuing to craft a vision for development.
The City Council meeting on Thursday is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. at the Marsac Building. It will be broadcast on the municipal website, parkcity.org.