Phoenix (TAN): United States’ National Park Service (NPS) will run shuttle buses between Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park and the neighbouring town of Tusayan, beginning March 1 this year.
The Tusayan Route bus will operate every 20 minutes from 0800 hours to 2130 hours daily.
Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Christ Lehnertz said: “We are pleased to provide this service to park visitors and local residents. Riding the shuttles helps protect resources, reduces crowding on park roadways, and reduces our carbon footprint. We hope visitors and residents will continue to use and enjoy the Tusayan Route this year.”
NPS claims over six million people visit Grand Canyon annually, with spring break being one of the busiest times when parking lots get saturated early and visitors have to wait for an hour or more at the entrance stations. The date of the start of shuttle operation has been fixed keeping the issues in mind, so that visitors can ride from Tusayan, and avoid the problems. Shuttle rides also contributes towards reducing vehicle congestion inside the park.
According to NPS data, approximately 7.5 million people used the park’s shuttle last year, which helped lessen around 2.5 million short in-park vehicle trips.
To board the bus in Tusayan, visitors must carry a valid park pass, including lifetime or annual passes.
The first bus going into the park departs Tusayan at 0800 hours from the IMAX Theater stop, while the last one departs the stop at 2145 hours.
In the opposite direction, the first bus leaves the Grand Canyon Visitor Center at 0825 hours, and the last at 2130 hours.
