Project Abstract
"Surrounded on three sides by Zion National Park, the town of Springdale, Utah, has long served as the gateway community for the park's visitors ... However, with almost three million visitors every year, by the early 1990s, traffic congestion and illegal parking were taking their toll on the park and its gateway town. The heart of the project is the free shuttle bus system that runs through town, picks up and drops off passengers at parking facilities, hotels and major areas, and ends at a new visitor center located within Zion National Park."
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Shuttle buses equipped with front bicycle racks bring visitors to Zion National Park from parking lots in neighboring Springdale, Utah, and from the park's visitor center.
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With almost three million visitors every year, by the early 1990s, traffic congestion and illegal parking were taking their toll on the park and its gateway town.
In 1993, the National Park Service recommended a mandatory shuttle system to transport visitors to Zion's inner canyon. They held public meetings in the surrounding communities. Springdale residents, led by Mayor Phillip Bimstein, suggested that the park extend the shuttle system into town. Park visitors could be encouraged to leave their cars in Springdale and take a free shuttle service to the park; reducing traffic and, at the same time, allowing visitors to explore the town.
Zion National Park Superintendent Don Falvey was receptive to the idea and gathered together a ten-member Springdale-Zion Liaison Committee. The group partnered with the Zion Natural History Association and the Utah Department of Transportation, who together applied for federal highway funds.
The heart of the project is the free shuttle-bus system that runs through town, picks up and drops off passengers at parking facilities, hotels and major areas, and ends at a new visitor center located within Zion National Park. Visitors are directed to the clean, propane-powered shuttle service through posted signs in and around Springdale as well as through a special radio station with park information that is promoted to visitors along the roadways. Springdale supplies about 1,000 spaces in town for visitor parking.
Encouraged by UDOT's flexible, context sensitive design program, Route 9 was narrowed from 40 feet to 32 feet at four locations, where pedestrian crossings and bus shelters that match those in the park were installed. The roadbed, curbs, and sidewalks were colored red to minimize the visual impact on the natural landscape, and to create a seamless experience for visitors traveling through town into the park. "We are doing whatever we can to marry the park and town together," said Mayor Bimstein.
In the shuttle's first week of operation, residents of Springdale were seen using it for daily errands, to go to church, and, of course, to visit the park. The shuttle's bike racks are especially convenient for them, as they can ride the bus to the end of the line and bike home. Reports from the park are also encouraging. "The first night the road was closed to car traffic, we spotted a mountain lion," said Tom Haraden, Assistant Chief Naturalist, Zion National Park. "We haven't seen mountain lions in this part of the canyon for years."
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