Hearing Bird Song & Smelling Wildflowers- Zion’s Shuttle Bus
Cleaning the air and reducing noise, not to mention reducing the stress that comes from traffic jams and lack of parking were all major concerns in Zion's recent history. Then along came the brilliant, and often times controversial idea of replacing 5000 cars with 21 buses. And what a difference it has made- for air quality, wildlife, and you!

Another wonderful feature- the system is integrated with the gateway community of Springdale, where 9 Park buses run between the Park and downtown. Their seasonal schedule coincides with those that serve the Park.

A visitor from Las Vegas comments “Being able to park your vehicle at your motel and not worry about traffic is a godsend.” Another remarked “the success of the system was reflected in the visitors we saw. Everyone looked stress-free from not having to fight for parking.”

Details:

• Zion’s Transportation System began running in 2000 and serves as a model throughout the Park Service
• Shuttles have 15 stops—6 in Springdale, and 9 in the Park, and run every 7 minutes
• Transportation system uses 30 park-owned, propane-powered busses* (9 for the Springdale run and 21 with trailers to serve Zion Canyon)

Operates from March 21 through October (peak season). more...

The system’s many virtues include:
a) Improved air quality,

b) Reduced noise

c) Improved wildlife habitat,

d) Much safer

e) Enhances overall experience.

f) Removes 13,926 tons of greenhouse gases- nearly 28 MILLION lbs!

Schedule

• Free buses run from early morning to late evening every seven minutes. Buses are fully accessible.

• Times and intervals change with the seasons. Current schedules are posted at each shuttle stop and at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center

Helping at Home- We’re All Connected
(Save your $'s and everyone's resources!)

1. Buy smart
Before buying a new or used vehicle (or even before renting a vehicle), check out EPA's Green Vehicle Guide and the jointly-run EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide

2. Drive smart
To improve fuel economy, go easy on the brakes and gas pedal, avoid hard accelerations, reduce time spent idling and unload unnecessary items in your trunk to reduce weight. If you have a removable roof rack and you are not using it, take it off to improve your fuel economy by as much as 5 percent. Use overdrive and cruise control on your car if you have those features.

3. Tune your ride
A well-maintained car is more fuel-efficient, produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions and is more reliable and safer!

4. Check your tires
Check your tire pressure regularly. Under-inflation increases tire wear, reduces your fuel economy by up to 3 percent and leads to higher greenhouse gas emissions and releases of air pollutants.

5. Give your car a break
Use public transportation, carpool or walk or bike whenever possible to avoid using your car.

6. Combine trips
Think ahead and combine many trips into one.
                                                                                       
7. Telecommute
Check out the Best Workplaces for Commuters Web site to learn about commuting choices that can benefit the environment, reduce the stress of commuting, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money.

8. Use Alternative Fuels
There are approximately 5 million FFVs on the road today. To find out if you own one of them, visit http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/index.html.

Learn more about Green Travel



*Propane fuel advantages
Propane vehicles can produce 98 %fewer pollutants when the vehicles were running on propane compared to gasoline.

The cost of a gasoline-gallon equivalent of propane is generally less than that of gasoline, so driving a propane vehicle can save money. In addition, propane is the most accessible of all alternative fuels. In the United States approximately 3,000 publicly accessible facilities offer propane.

Approximately 85% of all propane used in this country comes from domestic sources, so driving a propane vehicle can help reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil and strengthen national energy security.