Beginning in May 2021, visitors will be able to explore Yellowstone National Park while riding in an autonomous shuttle.
Beep will deploy the shuttles with the National Parks Service (NPS) for this pilot program, the first of its kind for Yellowstone, according to a Beep news release. The Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) provider will work with NPS Park Planning, Facilities and Lands Directorate, the Department of Transportation and Yellowstone National Park to plan, deploy and operate two shuttles in Canyon Village.
The pilot is one of two shuttle initiatives Yellowstone has launched to help improve visitor services and respond to congestion, according to a Yellowstone news release. The shuttles will serve the campground, visitor services and adjoining visitor lodging area. The park and Beep will collaborate to select shuttle stops, route locations and distance.
The pilot program will run through August, testing autonomous shuttle technology in a national park context. Canyon Village was chosen based on visitor safety and the potential for NPS to learn from the pilot.
“Yellowstone and the NPS are proactively engaging with emerging transportation technologies by looking for ways to test, pilot and learn from these capabilities,” Superintendent Cam Sholly said, according to the Yellowstone release. “We will continue exploring possible ways to reduce congestion and to improve visitor experience and access in heavily travelled areas of the park.”
In addition to the shuttles, Beep will provide engineering, route mapping, and monitoring and management to support ridership demand. The zero emissions electric shuttle will be monitored by onboard shuttle specialists, on the ground staff and Beep’s global command center.
For the second initiative, Yellowstone is partnering with the NPS Intermountain Regional Alternative Transportation Program, the NPS Denver Service Center, and the DOT Volpe Center for a Transit Feasibility Study. The study, which will conclude in 2022, will analyze the opportunities, risks and costs associated with local shuttles originating at Old Faithful and Canyon Village. The goal is to determine if it’s feasible to pilot a local transit service in the park.
Both initiatives are part of Yellowstone’s Visitor Use Management Program.
“It’s an honor to be the first in the country to provide autonomous shuttles to the NPS and its visitors,” Beep CEO Joe Moye said of the autonomous shuttle initiative, according to the Beep release. “Yellowstone’s Visitor Use Management Program aligns with Beep’s mission to provide alternative, sustainable, and innovative transportation solutions meant to transform and improve mobility for all. This demonstration will help assess how emerging technologies can enhance the visitor experience while making the roads safer and less congested for everyone.”
