News Release
NPS / Colton Johnston
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Contact: Zion Newsdesk, (435) 772-0162
SPRINGDALE, Utah – Five new battery-electric buses entered service this week at Zion National Park. These are the first of an entirely new fleet of electric buses Zion will acquire using a $33 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“The Zion Canyon Shuttle System has a bright future," Jeff Bradybaugh, Superintendent of Zion National Park said. "We are building on past successes that were enabled by the perspective and resources provided by partners like Zion Forever, the National Park Foundation, US Department of Transportation, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), Utah Clean Cities, the Town of Springdale, and our neighbors in Washington, Kane, and Iron Counties.”
These battery-electric buses will replace the park's propane-powered vehicles – some of which have been in service for more than 20 years.
Background
In the year 2000, the National Park Service began providing free shuttle service in Zion Canyon and the Town of Springdale. The National Park Service developed this system in consultation with our neighbors in the Town of Springdale, engineers at the Federal Highway Administration and Utah Department of Transportation, and with state, county, and municipal partners’ input. Shuttle buses provide service for millions of riders a year and have successfully reduced traffic congestion and crowding so that visitors can enjoy Zion Canyon. Zion recorded the system's 90 millionth boarding in the summer of 2023.
Since the shuttle system began operation, the number of visits recorded at Zion has risen from about 2.4 million in 2000 to a record 5 million in 2021. With the number of visits still consistently exceeding those recorded before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zion is making other improvements that will sustain the system’s success into the future.
Media Content
Click here for public domain photos and b-roll of electric and propane buses along with a video interview by National Park Service staff.
Last updated: September 21, 2023