National Park Transportation: A Green Ride Powered by STEM!

Imagine exploring a national park without worrying about traffic jams, getting lost, or harming the environment. That's the kind of experience the National Park Service (NPS) is working towards, using cutting-edge technology to make park transportation smarter, greener, and more enjoyable for everyone!

The NPS works closely with the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) to pilot innovative technology projects, develop advanced traveler information systems, integrate shared mobility into parks, electrify transit fleets, and strategically locate electric vehicle charging stations.

ADASTEC/Vicinity Motors Autonomous Vehicle charging at the Dune Climb at Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes.

Emily Maciejak, Volpe

Electric Adventures:

Say goodbye to gas-guzzling buses! Since 2021, the NPS replaced more than 80 fossil-fuel buses with battery electric buses at parks like Grand Canyon National Park and Zion National Park. Funding to buy 40 additional buses for four other parks is secured. These battery-powered buses help keep the air clean and protect the amazing views.

And guess what? We are even experimenting with self-driving buses! Imagine hopping on a bus that knows exactly where to take you, all while protecting the environment. This past summer, NPS conducted an autonomous transit bus pilot project at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The results and lessons learned from that pilot project will inform deployment of three additional pilots in the coming years.

Smartphones to the Rescue:

Planning your park adventure just got easier! The NPS is using technology to give you current updates across multiple platforms (e.g., Google and Apple Maps) to improve visitor trip planning. Projects underway include:

• Bus and ferry schedules and routes at high visitation parks.

• Road closures and incidents such as weather, construction, and special events.

• Road restrictions related to what vehicle types can safely experience NPS’s unique transportation infrastructure.

• Forecasts of travel conditions based on location, time of year, and time of day.

• Enhanced trip planning information that highlights the park’s recommended mode of transportation and empowers visitors to make travel decisions that align with their needs.

Sharing the Road:

Have you ever used a ride-sharing app like Uber or Lyft? The NPS is using these apps in new ways to help you get around parks safely and efficiently. The Park Service is even using "geofencing" – kind of like an invisible fence – to make sure you get picked up and dropped off in the right spots enhancing visitor safety, better manage traffic congestion, and visitors’ wayfinding and overall experience will be improved.

STEM is in the Driver's Seat:

All this cool technology is possible because of STEM! Engineers, scientists, and computer programmers are working behind the scenes to design electric buses, create smart phone apps, and plan the best routes for getting around parks. It's like a real-life puzzle, and STEM is the key to solving it.

Your Future in Park Transportation:

If you love technology and want to make a difference, a career in park transportation might be for you! Join the NPS team and collaborate with researchers at the U.S. DOT’s Volpe Center and the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory to study public electric vehicle charging needs, transit buses, and NPS-owned vehicles, and help develop strategic plans for where charging infrastructure should be located along routes.

Whether you dream of designing self-driving cars, creating awesome apps, or planning sustainable transportation systems, your STEM skills can help shape the future of how we explore our national parks.