Two more lawsuits challenge UDOT's LCC transportation process, decision - KUTV 2News

Two more lawsuits challenge UDOT's LCC transportation process, decision | KUTV

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Concerns over the drinking water and allegations of a flawed process have sparked two new lawsuits against the Utah Department of Transportation.

These legal actions, which coincide with Monday's deadline for filing to legally challenge UDOT Record of Decision, raise the number of lawsuits against UDOT to three, centering on the department's transportation solution in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

One lawsuit filed by Salt Lake City, Sandy City, and the Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake does not oppose UDOT's decision to implement a gondola system, but rather calls for a more thorough analysis of its impact on the canyon's water.

Jesse Stewart, Deputy Director of Salt Lake City Public Utilities, said the concern is over the potential impact on the canyon's water resources.

"As the water provider, we're very concerned about the water resource up there... it's a precious commodity, a precious resource to us up there. And if it's not evaluated ahead of time, trying to resolve an issue after the fact will be very difficult, if not impossible," Stewart said.

Stewart highlighted the significance of the canyon as a substantial water source, capable of serving up to one million people in the valley.

He emphasized the risks involved if the water's impact is not adequately assessed, "So there’s not a lot of room for what ifs and not taking our charge seriously every single day."

A separate suit by the non-profit "Save Our Canyons" challenges the gondola decision, alleging that UDOT's decision-making process was “flawed”, with accusations of premature political backing and insufficient consideration of regional alternatives like mobility hubs.

A UDOT spokesman responded to the new legal challenges:

“We are aware of the new legal challenge to the Little Cottonwood Canyon EIS Record of Decision. We have not yet reviewed the details of the litigation and cannot comment on specifics. In coordination with our agency partners, we continue to work toward implementation of Phase 1 in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. Phase 1 includes improved and increased bus service along with a mobility hub, resort bus stops, and tolling. Phases 2 and 3 are currently unfunded. Despite the legal challenges, our goal is to have Phase 1 bus service operational by the 25/26 ski season. However, due to litigation, implementation of the bus service and other improvements may be delayed. At this time, we still do not know the full impact that any of the legal challenges will have on the implementation of improvements such as bus service and tolling. We will continue to assess potential schedule impacts to Phase 1 as we work through the legal process.”

The U.S. Forest Service, a defendant in the case, did not comment pending the ongoing litigation. The Federal Highway Administration, another defendant, has not responded to requests for comment.