Isle Royale National Park transportation study

Technical report; Jul 2013-Apr 2015PDFTech ReportDOT-VNTSC-NPS-15-02139/128344P13PG00312VM04Transportation planningNational parksAlternatives analysisFerry serviceSeaplanesOperating costsTouristsIslandsMichiganUnited States. National Park ServiceFisher, FrancesMannheim, DanielPray, BobLamoureux, KatieCarter, PeterBettisworth, CaitlinJohn A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)United States. National Park Service. Midwest Regional OfficeAGR-OTHER TOPICS-TourismAGR-PUBLIC AND TRIBAL LANDS-PUBLIC AND TRIBAL LANDSNTL-PLANNING AND POLICY-PLANNING AND POLICYNTL-PLANNING AND POLICY-Marine Planning and PolicyNTL-MARINE/WATERWAYS TRANSPORTATION-Marine Planning and PolicyNTL-ECONOMICS AND FINANCE-ECONOMICS AND FINANCENTL-ECONOMICS AND FINANCE-Marine Economics and FinanceVolpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference CenterIsle Royale National Park is a remote archipelago located in western Lake Superior, fourteen miles from the closest mainland and 60miles from the park\ue2\u20ac\u2122s headquarters in Houghton, MI. While visitors treasure the parks pristine environment and solitude,transporting visitors to and operating a park in such a remote location is costly. Isle Royale has the highest cost per visitor ($170) ofany unit in the National Park System.In this transportation study, Volpe defines what transportation activities are necessary to maintain operation of the park anddetermine what alternatives may feasibly replace the current manner of doing business. At the time of writing, the 55-year oldRanger III provides the primary means of transporting visitors, cargo and some fuel to the island. Other vessels with the Park\ue2\u20ac\u2122s fleetare used on a limited basis. Upgrading and replacing Ranger III is considered as well as outsourcing specific actives and changingthe operations of some activities such as waste disposal. The park has already begun to add solar energy systems to reduce the needto transport fuel for electricity