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Our nation’s public lands vary from small footprints in urban areas to expansive units in remote areas of the country. In many instances, shuttle and bus transit can improve access to these lands, but it can be expensive and must be planned for carefully. For over twenty years, Volpe’s public lands team has been working with Federal and state land management agencies to study the feasibility of transit services in different settings and to improve existing transit services through schedule and route changes, passenger/visitor information, vehicle and technology improvements, and sustainable pricing and funding options. This season’s newsletter highlights some of the recent work Volpe has undertaken in transit planning in our public lands.
A key action outlined in the Executive Order on Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability is for all Federal agencies to achieve 100 percent zero-emission vehicle acquisitions by 2035. To help the National Park Service (NPS) meet this target and to support its interest in preserving natural resources, Volpe has been supporting feasibility studies and planning efforts for multiple parks interested in transitioning their transit vehicle fleets to battery-electric buses (BEBs). These efforts are occurring alongside other initiatives to decarbonize administrative fleets and provide electric vehicle charging opportunities for visitors.
According to the 2023 NPS National Transit Inventory and Performance Report, the vast majority of NPS’s 251 owned and 559 contractor-owned vehicles are not currently alternative fuel vehicles. With 92 transit systems operating at 57 parks, and the BEB industry still maturing, each park presents unique operational considerations for the deployment of BEBs at this time.
For example, a shuttle service at Dinosaur National Monument brings visitors to the popular Quarry Exhibit Hall, which lies on the top of a hill with limited parking capacity. While many aspects of this service, such as service hours, range, speed, and passenger demand, could all be suitably served by a battery electric version of the existing vehicle, the grade of a hill along the route may not yet be within that vehicle’s capabilities.
A separate effort at Bryce Canyon National Park is looking at the infrastructure that can support transit fleet electrification. Here, Volpe is supporting analyses related to determining suitable charging and overnight storage locations for BEBs and is working with the local utility provider to understand charging capacity constraints in this more rural area.
Starting in 2021, Volpe has provided support to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park as the park moved towards deployment of BEBs for their transit system. Volpe used its in-house BEB Energy Demand Modeling Tool to estimate energy consumption of the smaller-than-standard 30' BEBs along the 1.9-mile primary service route at Harpers Ferry. The results indicated that new BEBs would be able to service their routes on a busy day well within their available range, even on challenging days with large loads for air conditioning or heating. These results gave NPS decision-makers the confidence to approve purchasing six new BEBs to replace the park's existing 21-year-old diesel bus fleet (Figure 1).
Volpe has continued supporting the park through an ongoing rehabilitation effort to provide updates, additional power, and charging equipment at their on-site bus storage facility to support charging the new bus fleet. Support has included working with contractors and local officials to reach consensus regarding the approach for installing charging systems and discussing potential electrical, building, or fire code issues as they pertain to the facility.
Last, after many years of planning, Zion National Park has recently deployed its electric bus fleet (Figure 2). Their experience can provide lessons learned for other parks on what a successful transition entails and how that can guide their own efforts.
Project Contact: Katie McLaughlin, Scott Lian and Eric Englin
 Figure 1: Current Harpers Ferry National Historical Park diesel bus
 Figure 2: Zion National Park battery-electric bus
The Volpe Center supports the NPS to improve transportation information for visitors. One way to improve traveler information is to ensure that visitors receive up-to-date transit information via third-party navigation applications (i.e. Google and Apple Maps) and on NPS digital products (NPS.gov and NPS app). Volpe supports NPS in meeting these goals through the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) project.
GTFS is the standardized and widely accepted method for transmitting transit information to third-party applications. GTFS feeds consist of a series of text files that communicate transit information, including agency data, routes, and schedules, so that visitors can more easily take transit during their visit.
Over the last year and half, the Volpe team worked with NPS to create, compile, and share 23 static and three real-time GTFS feeds, covering approximately 85 percent (23 million) of total ridership (27 million) at NPS park units in 2022. A summary of the first phase of this project (2023) can be found in the National Transportation Library. In 2024, Volpe expanded their support of this work to create static feeds for the 30 highest ridership systems and share GTFS real-time feeds (Figure 3).
This portfolio of work continues to grow as park visitors increasingly receive their trip planning information via digital sources. Upcoming GTFS work includes GTFS visualization on NPS.gov and the NPS app, increased GTFS real-time creation for park systems, ferry location feed automation, and real-time transit arrival boards.
Project Contact: Eric Englin and Sophie Abo
 Figure 3: Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area transit information on Google Maps
- Volpe’s public lands team is playing a critical role in expanding access to El Yunque National Forest (EYNF) and connecting communities in the region through transit. EYNF, located in northeastern Puerto Rico, is the only tropical rainforest in the National Forest System. It is one of the smallest forests in size, but one of the most biologically diverse. EYNF serves as an important node of economic development for Puerto Rico, with more than one million visitors annually. The popularity of the forest has led to significant congestion, safety, and accessibility concerns. Volpe has been working with the U.S. Forest Service and Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works to plan a financially sustainable, resilient, and reliable transit system to serve EYNF and the surrounding municipalities. Volpe’s work includes assessing feasibility, route planning and design, electrification planning, stakeholder engagement, business model development, and implementation guidance. (Contact: Kaite Justice)
- The National Park Service (NPS) is undertaking a Sites Management Plan for Ford Island in Honolulu, HI. Ford Island is an active military base that is two miles away from Pearl Harbor National Memorial’s visitor center via a secured-access bridge. Several World War II era museums and memorials are located on Ford Island, including three NPS sites: the USS Utah Memorial, the USS Oklahoma Memorial, and a handful of chief petty officer bungalows, which are slated to be restored. Volpe has been asked to evaluate existing transit services to the island (one run by the NPS and one run by a private museum on Ford Island) to determine if and how access can be improved and sustained in the future. (Contact: Ben Rasmussen and Meghan Boydston)
- Working with area partners, the White River National Forest provides access to the Maroon Bells from a nearby parking garage via a shuttle run by Roaring Fork Transportation Authority. During and since the COVID-19 pandemic, Volpe worked with the Forest and its partners to institute a reservation system for the shuttle and to make its operations financially sustainable. Currently, Volpe is working with the partners to right-size the shuttle’s operations with visitor demand and other access options, which include reservable parking spaces and bicycle access. (Contact: Ben Rasmussen)
What public lands projects are you working on now? What has been your favorite?
I manage our work with the National Park Service (NPS) Southeast Region; we support different technical assistance needs that range from unit-level park projects such as road safety audits (RSAs) and traffic and safety studies, as well as broader regional program support for the Ferry Boat Program and Federal Lands Transportation Program. We recently wrapped up RSAs at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace, and Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. What I enjoyed most about these projects was the opportunity to collaborate with different groups that brought different perspectives (e.g., park historians, natural/cultural resources staff, state agencies, law enforcement) but had a shared goal of improving overall safety at the parks.
What types of projects outside of public lands do you work on?
I support the U.S. DOT Office of International Trade and Transportation with the U.S.-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Smart Mobility Program, which aims to address the transportation priorities of participating ASEAN cities through peer-to-peer partnerships with U.S. cities. Under this initiative, I manage the partnership between Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the City of Boston which focuses on sidewalk and pedestrian safety. I also work with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Tribal Transportation (OTT) on different program development and capacity building-related projects—most recently we helped the FHWA OTT update resources for the Tribal Transportation Improvement Program, including a database tool, user guide, and series of instructional videos. We’re currently working with OTT to update a series of learning modules on different Tribal transportation planning topics. I also provide grant administration support to the FHWA Office of Planning, Environment, and Reality on the Prioritization Process Pilot Discretionary Program.
What are your fondest memories of public lands?
One memory that stands out to me was getting caught in a “bear jam” at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during the morning of our stakeholder workshop for a transportation planning project. Our team was on-site that week to present preliminary data findings and work with NPS staff to brainstorm strategies. One of the topics we discussed was the issue of “bear jams” where traffic gets backed up on the main road due to bear crossings and visitors stopping to take photos. In our case it was a bear and two cubs, which I got some great photos of!
What new public land have you discovered since working at Volpe?
Before joining Volpe, I had never heard of the Maroon Bells Scenic Area at the White River National Forest in Colorado. We recently worked with the U.S. Forest Service, Pitkin County, the City of Aspen, Roaring Fork Transportation Authority, Aspen Skiing Company, and the Aspen Chamber Resort Association to develop a Comprehensive Recreational Management Plan for the Maroon Bells. I grew up in Maine and before this project I had never visited the western U.S. I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience the Maroon Bells during the winter and summer seasons through that project (Figure 4), and I hope to return some day with family and friends.
What’s the most unique, interesting, or strangest job you had before working at Volpe?
I used to work as a land use and community development planner at the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission, which serves 40 communities in southern Worcester County. At the time, our staff provided technical assistance support to municipalities that had limited planning capacity, and I had the opportunity to work with a rural town as an interim town planner, supporting both the planning board and zoning board of appeals. In this role I reviewed permitting applications and site plans and documented the decisions of the boards. This was very different from the type of planning projects I was used to, but it taught me a lot. I learned so much about the community through my day-to-day conversations with residents and it was also my first time experiencing an annual town meeting—that was a special treat.
If you were to have a job that wasn’t transportation or public lands related, what would it be?
I grew up watching Anthony Bourdain (#RIP) so I would love to travel the world as a food journalist or vlogger, sharing the stories of different cultures and connecting with new people through food. I also wouldn’t mind being a Bravo TV network executive producer working on one of the Real Housewives shows or producing my own.
Contact: Hoamy Tran
 Figure 4: Hoamy at Maroon Bells Scenic Area at White River National Forest
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