National Park Service Alternative Transportation Program

PDFTech ReportNational parksPublic private partnershipsStakeholdersTransportation planningTourismPedestriansCyclistsOutdoor recreationEnvironmental qualityAlternatives analysisMaineMassachusettsCaliforniaArizonaNorth CarolinaTennesseeUtahWashingtonUnited States. National Park ServiceJohn A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)United States. National Park ServiceAGR-PUBLIC AND TRIBAL LANDS-PUBLIC AND TRIBAL LANDSNTL-PLANNING AND POLICY-PLANNING AND POLICYNTL-PLANNING AND POLICY-Public Participation and OutreachVolpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference CenterAmerica\ue2\u20ac\u2122s national parks are among the most popular tourist destinations in the country, with more than 424 million visits in 2001 alone. But this very popularity, along with the fact that most visitors arrive by private passenger car, has led to a variety of transportation-related challenges: congestion, overflow parking, air and noise pollution, hazardous conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists, and damage to natural and cultural resources. In an effort to reduce the impact of vehicles and better manage the flow of visitors to and throughout a park, many park units are trying alternative transportation solutions, such as transit systems. To plan and implement effective alternative transportation systems (ATS), parks have found it helpful to work in partnership with a range of stakeholders, including park staff and visitors, gateway community residents, area businesses, municipal governments, regional and state planning agencies, and more. This report summarizes the techniques of and lessons learned by some of the National Parks that have been particularly successful in forming partnerships to support planning and implementation of ATS