Falls tram may rise again

PROVO — Nearly 12 years have passed since the Bridal Veil Falls tram was so popular that people waited in two-hour long lines for a trip on the "world's steepest tram."

But if the nostalgic ride, which stopped functioning in 1996, is resurrected in 2008, its attendance could reach higher numbers than ever with almost twice as many visitors as before, according to a recent feasibility study by Lewis, Young, Robertson and Burningham, a Salt Lake City-based investment banking firm.

"We feel there would be some heightened interest in the first year (that the tram starts running again)," said Susie Becker, a representative for Lewis, Young, Robertson and Burningham, who presented the study to Utah County Commissioners on Tuesday. "We know there are many people who remember the good old days, and there may be people coming back to revisit Provo that may have some interest."

The Bridal Veil Falls tram originally functioned as a family business in Provo Canyon for about 22 years under the Grow family until 1996, when an avalanche destroyed the resort and its aging cable car.

In 1993, at the height of the tram's popularity, the Grows say they had about 27,000 riders during their short operating season of May to October.

But with a faster tram that seats more people, an increase in population in Utah County and a lack of available entertainment opportunities, Becker says a new tram could bring about 42,000 visitors to Provo Canyon.

"I think that one of the really big pluses of this is that you have an experienced management team who has already been successful with this," Becker said.

Wyatt Grow — whose father, Dave Grow, owned and operated the previous tram — is attempting to bring the ride back in as soon as 2008, but he's asking the commission to sign off on a $3.6 million industrial revenue bond to help the project get started with basic tram construction.

If Grow's request is approved, the county will not financially be responsible for paying off the money with public funds, but Grow will obtain the benefit of receiving a tax-exempt bond that is only available through municipalities. He plans to repay the bond through private investors.

With ticket prices estimated to cost between $9 and $12 per person, Becker said the business would likely break even within the first or third year, but the Grows say gaining a large profit isn't a main goal.

According to Dave Grow, the family plans to contribute a portion of the earnings to the Scenic Canyons Preservation Society, a nonprofit organization that works to improve Provo Canyon.