Federal Lands Alternative Transportation Systems Study

Congressional Report

Section 3039 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) required the Secretary of Transportation, in coordination with the Secretary of the Interior, to “ undertake a comprehensive study of alternative transportation needs in national parks and related Federal Lands. ” The results of the Federal Lands Alternative Transportation Systems (ATS) study identified significant transit needs at sites managed by the National Park Service (NPS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Many of these popular federally-managed sites are experiencing high visitation levels that are continuing to increase. Site managers often view transit system implementation as a way to address the challenges created by these high visitation levels.

Candidate Vehicle Technologies - FINAL REPORT VOLUME I

This volume presents existing and emerging transit technologies appropriate for application on Federal lands. It identifies and describes a set of over 30 mass transit vehicle technologies in five vehicle categories – Bus, Rail/Guided, High Gradient, Water, and Snow - with potential applicability in Federal lands. The descriptions include data on physical, operating, and economic characteristics, an assessment of the principal advantages and disadvantages of each vehicle type with respect to several important criteria, and information on typical applications of each technology.

The purpose of this volume is to assist those involved in planning for transit systems in federally-managed lands to identify a short list of potentially-applicable transportation technologies to advance into more in-depth analysis and evaluation. This volume builds upon an earlier document titled Alternative Transportation Modes Feasibility Study: Visitor Transportation System Alternatives that was completed for the National Park Service in 1994. That report identified and described over 20 candidate transportation technologies with potential applicability to National Parks and federally-managed public lands.

Financing Opportunities - FINAL REPORT VOLUME II

This report documents many sources of funding that may be available for Alternative Transportation System (transit) projects serving Federal Land Management Agency (FLMA) sites. Both public and private funding sources are addressed in the report, including a wide variety of Federal transportation funding programs. FLMAs are most likely to succeed in financing transit projects if they work with State, regional and local transportation agencies through the metropolitan and statewide transportation planning processes. This working relationship permits the FLMAs to leverage the expertise of Federal, State, regional and local transportation planners who can provide guidance and support through the entire process of planning and project development, as well as in application of financing options. FLMAs are also often able to leverage funding through these relationships. Another benefit of this cooperation will be closer coordination between Federal lands site planning activities and State, regional, and local transportation planning efforts.

Summary of National ATS Needs - FINAL REPORT VOLUME III

The study identified ATS needs at sites managed by the National Park Service (NPS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The goal of the study is to identify opportunities for application of Alternative Transportation Systems (ATS), or transit, to relieve traffic congestion and parking shortages; enhance visitor mobility and accessibility; preserve sensitive natural, cultural, and historic resources; provide improved interpretation, education and visitor information services; reduce pollution; and improve economic development opportunities for surrounding communities. A key objective was to quantify the extent and costs of transit needs as a basis for a potential future Federal lands ATS funding program.

Program Development - FINAL REPORT VOLUME IV

This study identified a number of barriers to successful implementation of transit systems at Federal land management agency (FLMA) sites. Barriers include the lack of a dedicated funding source for developing, implementing, and operating and maintaining transit systems, difficulty in selecting appropriate equipment, lack of support for transit systems by certain gateway communities, inadequate marketing and public information, and technical challenges. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) are able to provide some support in the areas of planning, design, construction, and procurement to assist in the successful implementation of transit systems, but these agencies currently provide very limited financial support for the implementation of transit systems.