Park City sees possibilities in Snow Park-China Bridge aerial route
A gondola that could someday link the Main Street core and Deer Valley Resort may land at a different location than had been discussed for some time.
Mayor Ryan Dickey and the Park City Council on Thursday addressed the future of Main Street, including the possibility of aerial transit via a gondola.
There had previously been talks about a gondola route that would link Snow Park with the spot where the Brew Pub lot is currently located toward the southern end of Main Street.
But comments on Thursday centered on a route between Snow Park and the China Bridge garage on Swede Alley. That route has been under consideration for more than a year instead of one involving the Brew Pub lot. China Bridge and the Brew Pub lot are close to each other, and each would put passengers just off Main Street.
The elected officials were not scheduled to make important decisions about a route, and the meeting was instead meant to provide a progress report on the broad vision for Main Street.
An eventual decision regarding whether to pursue aerial transit and, if so, a precise route will be a landmark moment in the decades of talks about the topic. There have been discussions about aerial transit since at least the 1990s, when a concept emerged amid the discussions about what became the Empire Pass development in Deer Valley.
The current talks are underway, with officials seeing the possibility of tapping any infrastructure-related monies that may become available as the region prepares for the 2034 Winter Olympics. Transportation projects have been seen as a category that could benefit as the Games approach.
Municipal staffers on Thursday presented estimates for two gondola routes. One linking the China Bridge garage and Snow Park was priced at between $33 million and $55 million. The other, linking Richardson Flat and Snow Park, was pegged at $40 million. The elected officials heard that angle stations needed for the China Bridge-Snow Park route drove up the cost.
The talks remain in the early stages, and officials have not yet engaged stakeholders. Discussions with Deer Valley Resort and the Main Street business community will be crucial. The engagement efforts with the wider community will also be important.
Supporters of an aerial system see it as a traffic-fighting measure in a community where the lines of cars have become a year-round frustration. Aerial transit, supporters say, would provide an alternative to driving a vehicle.
The shift in thinking from the Brew Pub lot to the China Bridge garage also is notable with the strategic location of the lot along Main Street. If there is not a gondola terminal on that ground, there would be a wider range of possibilities at the Brew Pub lot. There had been talk about creating a plaza as an attraction to draw people to the uphill end of Main Street.
Discussions about a gondola terminal at the China Bridge garage would be associated with decisions about the future of the aging structure.
The meeting on Thursday continued the discussions about the efforts to ensure Main Street remains competitive with other commercial destinations in the area.