‘We want the view to be breathtaking, not the emissions’: New buses coming at Grand Canyon
Federal and local officials gathered Thursday at the Grand Canyon’s South Rim to announce $27.5 million in federal funding to reduce the emissions released by transportation in the park.
“We want the view to be breathtaking, not the emissions from the vehicles,” said Shailen Bhatt, U.S. Department of Transportation federal highway administrator.
“We’re hopeful with these investments that generations of Americans are going to continue to be able to come and view this national treasure in the same way that generations already have,” he said.
With funds in place, park officials will soon begin the procurement process to add more than two dozen new electric and compressed natural gas buses to the fleet. Most of the park’s current fleet of shuttle buses is aging, said Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Ed Keable, with some vehicles in use for more than 20 years and having been driven hundreds of thousands of miles.
“This grant will allow the park fleet to get a much-needed upgrade and provide for a more sustainable future for our shuttle bus system,” Keable said.
Grand Canyon National Park includes 272 miles of roadways, both paved and unpaved, connecting visitors to trailheads and other features of the park. The park’s internal shuttle bus system has been operating since 1974 and recorded more than 4 million boarded passengers last year, generating over $5 million for the park. Numerous bus routes run throughout the park connecting visitors to various biking and hiking trailheads.
“Our shuttle bus system allows visitors and residents to connect to recreational settings, park information and support service and economic opportunities throughout the Grand Canyon community,” Keable said.
The funding comes from President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides $550 billion for new federal investments in infrastructure such as roads, bridges, mass transit, water infrastructure, resilience and broadband. The funding will be allocated during fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
This funding is also intended for projects that will ultimately help the country meet Biden’s ambitious climate goals.
In addition to modernizing the Grand Canyon’s shuttle bus fleet, “this is an effort for us to green the park,” Keable said.