Glacier National Park Receives Funding For Shuttle Buses

Glacier National Park has received a quarter-million-dollars in federal highway funds to purchase two new shuttle buses.

The grant was announced Monday when U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited the national park to hand out the $250,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration’s Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks program. Secretary LaHood made the announcement, along with FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff, at the park’s Apgar Transit Center.

“In his State of the Union address last week, President Obama called on us to upgrade our nation’s transportation infrastructure to help grow our economy and improve energy efficiency,” said Secretary LaHood. “Improving access to modern transit services in Glacier National Park and other scenic parklands around the country will help us preserve these national treasures for future generations.”

The park’s grant will help to replace aging passenger buses with two new American-made vehicles that operate with greater safety, comfort, and efficiency. The new vehicles will provide free shuttle service along the park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road, and will help to alleviate parking shortages at Apgar Village and other sites within the park. The park receives nearly 35,000 daily visitors during the peak summer season.

“Visitors to Glacier National Park should be able to explore this stunning area without getting stuck in traffic or breathing harmful emissions,” said Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff. “By modernizing transit in our parks, we’re making it easier for people to get around, while ensuring that these areas are sustainable for years to come."