- Utah Transportation Commission allocated $1 million for a shuttle pilot program.
- Grand County leaders to vote on a local match of $500,000 on Tuesday.
- Local leaders are seeking federal funding for long-term implementation of the shuttle.
MOAB — A new option has emerged in an effort to solve long-standing traffic woes at Arches National Park.
Members of the Utah Transportation Commission voted Friday to allocate $1 million toward a pilot program to test a shuttle service running between downtown Moab and the national park. The concept previously received $1.5 million from the National Park Service.
Grand County leaders are slated to meet Tuesday to approve $500,000 in local funds to complete funding for the $3 million pilot project, which would debut later this year.
"This is a big milestone for Grand County and for everyone who cares about the future of Moab and Arches National Park," said Grand County Commissioner Brian Martinez in a statement on Sunday. "As a gateway community, it makes sense to invest in sustainable, public transportation that will not only protect the park and improve the quality of life for locals, but also support our economy well into the future."
The concept has been one that Grand County commissioners have sought for several years, and was one brought up multiple times while its members pushed back against the timed-entry program that Arches first rolled out in 2022. The timed-entry pilot called for reservations during the park's busiest months so that visitation was spread out across the day and not all at once.
It helped solve the problem, but local leaders argued that it also capped visitation. After receiving a record 1.8 million visits in 2021, the park has failed to receive more than 1.51 million, which was the number last year.
The pilot program likely reduced Arches visitation by 14%, but possibly helped visitation at other state and national parks in the area, researchers at the University of Utah Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute concluded in a report released earlier this month. They added that Grand County's visitor economy still grew, with visitor spending increasing by 22% in the first three years of the program.
That program was dropped ahead of this year, but the new shuttle pilot program would join close to 100 others like it that operate at America's various national parks.
Funding allows for a test run between September and October of this year, as well as March through June in 2027. Grand County officials believe that the shuttle will help reduce vehicle traffic on Main Street and at the national park.
The first year of the program will help collect baseline ridership, route and other important data toward making the shuttle a permanent solution. Local leaders said they are still seeking federal funding to help continue the study for four years after the inaugural year expires. They also hope it becomes a permanent solution after the fifth year of testing.
Utah's share of the initial cost comes from the Utah Department of Transportation's recreation hot spot program, while Grand County's portion would come from its transient room tax mitigation funds — taxes collected from people staying at hotels.
"This is an exciting moment for our community," said Grand County Commission Chairwoman Melodie McCandless. "We've talked about an Arches shuttle for almost two decades, and I'm grateful to every partner who helped get us here. This is what we can accomplish when we all come together."
