Forget Snow: Alta is for $$$$$

[Zand]

I'm surprised it took this long for Alta to charge (and that the others haven't started yet besides Solitude). But I mean...almost every other major resort in the west either charges for parking or makes you park far away and take a shuttle. Just based on that fact alone, I'm surprised it took,this long. Add in the canyon traffic factor and it's a no brainer IMO. If it gets even a small amount of people to take the bus instead of drive, it's working.

Even with free parking available, I still took the bus almost every day I was there. Ive found that the bus always runs on schedule (unless the canyons are a shitshow, in which case it doesnt make a difference time wise if you're in a bus or car). Oh, and the bus is free with an Ikon pass (I'm assuming with the regular season passes as well) and theres ample parking at the station by the Sandy Walgreens. Plus the added benefit of not having to find parking in the Snowbird clusterf*ck parking lot.

I think charging for stuff like the Grizzly Gulch parking lot and the hotel parking lots is going overboard, but as far as the main lots it's 100% a positive.

On that note, f*ck any resort in the east that charges for anything besides maybe a perferred lot super close (like Bay 1 at Killington).

 

[Kingslug20]

Now I wonder if the lot at the bottom will have enough capacity if more start taking the bus.

 

[drjeff]

Now I wonder if the lot at the bottom will have enough capacity if more start taking the bus.

Probably just example number 1001 of where the best intentions behind trying to solve 1 problem, ends up creating another problem, which will then see the best intentions in trying to solve that problem create another problem and on and on and on.....

 

[snoseek]

How much more bus capacity? They get pretty jammed up at the end of the day.

Albion base is where you want to wait if things get busy.

 

[Zand]

Now I wonder if the lot at the bottom will have enough capacity if more start taking the bus.

The lot at the bottom of LCC isnt a bus stop any more. Just a park and ride. The lots on 9400 are more than large enough to withstand any kind of increase.

 

[Zand]

You want a ripoff? How about Wachusett charging $249 for a 3 pack of tickets.

 

[ss20]

I'd like to remind people... paid parking is a short-term thing (theoretically) till a more permanent solution is imposed (gondola or additional bus lane)... which will both come with tolling for personal cars going up the canyon.

 

[Smellytele]

View attachment 52045
You want a ripoff? How about Wachusett charging $249 for a 3 pack of tickets.

What is a single day ticket for wawa ?

 

[deadheadskier]

I'd like to remind people... paid parking is a short-term thing (theoretically) till a more permanent solution is imposed (gondola or additional bus lane)... which will both come with tolling for personal cars going up the canyon.

How long would that gondola ride be?

 

[Zand]

What is a single day ticket for wawa ?

They break days down into a few 3-4 hour segments and it's $59-$72 for a ticket for one segment. Reservations required and it's $25 to cancel or change your reservation. If they aren't busy they're kind enough to let you ski two segments for *only* $20 more.

The 3 packs are for double segments, but still it's not really saving any money. And it's asinine for them to be charging that much to begin with.

 

[Smellytele]

They break days down into a few 3-4 hour segments and it's $59-$72 for a ticket for one segment. Reservations required and it's $25 to cancel or change your reservation. If they aren't busy they're kind enough to let you ski two segments for *only* $20 more.

The 3 packs are for double segments, but still it's not really saving any money. And it's asinine for them to be charging that much to begin with.

So 79-92. So at best a $9 savings per outing

 

[thetrailboss]

I was told employees will get some type of parking pass but was still pretty up in the air. Oddly enough I haven't heard anything... I would've kinda figured they'd let us know by know what the scoop is, three weeks from opening day.

That is weird.

I don't want to take an opinion on a topic I've yet to experience...LCC/BCC traffic. But, my 2,000 mile away perspective is that paid parking/reservations are supposed to suck. If there's too many people coming up the road, make them not want to come or encourage them to take the bus. If 1 out of 20 vehicles says "f it I'm not gonna pay to park" and they find an alternative to do on a mid-winter Saturday...good. If 1 out of 20 vehicles decides to take themselves up to AltaBird on the bus...good. If the mountain can make money on the other 18 vehicles still going up the canyon...good. I do certainly understand anyone frustrated with the system. @thetrailboss it would suck getting your small children up to the hill without taking your personal vehicle... I get that.

What will those people do? Go to Snowbird because they reopened (some) of their parking to first-come-first-served. The problem will remain. Again, no cooperation and no foresight by both as to issues. The only thing they agree on is having us locals foot a $500 million bill to fix their traffic problem.

 

[jimk]

I have a friend in Utah who has been skiing out there for 30 years. He made the sad joke last season that parking is the new profit generator for ski resorts.
Fortunately, one of the recent enhancements to busing is a new bus stop about 7 minute walk from where I stay out there and it's just before the big bus stops on Wasatch Blvd where all the crowds get on.

 

[thetrailboss]

America has a Car problem and the Cottonwood Canyons are a prime example of it. i'm guilty of it myself. Hell my wife and I work together and 99% of the time drive 2 cars to our office 3.5 miles away.

I don't know what the solution is and peoples habits are hard to break. Mine included...

I hear you, but that ain't changing.

 

[thetrailboss]

I have a friend in Utah who has been skiing out there for 30 years. He made the sad joke last season that parking is the new profit generator for ski resorts.
Fortunately, one of the recent enhancements to busing is a new bus stop about 7 minute walk from where I stay out there and it's just before the big bus stops on Wasatch Blvd where all the crowds get on.

If you used the buses, how did they work for you last year?

 

[KustyTheKlown]

today i learned there is a 'downtown' in alta? where is this? what is there? lol

 

[ss20]

How long would that gondola ride be?

I believe the proposal is a 30 minute ride IIRC. One of the arguments for the bus is that it will be quicker than the gondola...assuming good weather of course. But the measuring is a bit funky. They measure it with total time of person getting to the bus/gondola AND the ride of the bus/gondola. And the argument is "well if it's a bus people could walk/short drive to the nearest stop rather than having to get to one central hub a la gondola (which, most people would probably be bussed to anyway they are saying).

 

[jimk]

If you used the buses, how did they work for you last year?

I only used the new bus stop once about a week before they stopping bus service in the spring. The bus was almost empty all the way up to Snowbird by that time. I rode the buses a couple times before that from some of the main bus stops on Wasatch, once when a bus was quite crowded, but I was vaccinated by then and kept mask on. Didn't have trouble getting a seat last season from my limited sample. Maybe it was busier earlier in season, but I suspect threat of covid probably caused a dip in ridership all winter??

 

[Kingslug20]

I used to stay a bit far from Alta to get a good deal on a room. The bus ride in full ski gear was a bit much if you had to stand..especially with the heat cranked up..not sure why it was cranked up, but it mostly was.

 

[thetrailboss]

I'm surprised it took this long for Alta to charge (and that the others haven't started yet besides Solitude). But I mean...almost every other major resort in the west either charges for parking or makes you park far away and take a shuttle. Just based on that fact alone, I'm surprised it took,this long. Add in the canyon traffic factor and it's a no brainer IMO. If it gets even a small amount of people to take the bus instead of drive, it's working.

Dirty secret. Remember how in the Fall of 2019 Solitude abruptly started charging for parking on a half-assed roll-out that got everyone angry? The reason why was because Alterra was getting killed paying for people to use their IKON passes to ride the bus to ski non-Alterra areas. So that whole, "we're donating the proceeds" was pure B.S. An employee told me that he asked to see a list of the charities who received these proceeds and magically the list did not exist. All the money went to UTA.

I think charging for stuff like the Grizzly Gulch parking lot and the hotel parking lots is going overboard, but as far as the main lots it's 100% a positive.

Yeah, major overkill. Especially the lot right in the village (OK, not downtown).