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del.icio.us2009 Transportation Scholars and Interpreters Selected For National Parks
A Transportation Interpreter leads a biycyle tour in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore For the ninth consecutive year, the National Park
Foundation and the National Park Service will place transportation
experts as well as undergraduate students working in the transportation
field in national parks. These Transportation Scholars and
Transportation Interpreters work with the National Park Service to
consider ways to resolve some of the most significant transportation
challenges in our national parks and to encourage park visitors to use
alternative transportation.
“Since they were established more than 100 years ago, national parks have been challenged to encourage people to experience these magnificent places—in their cars, campers and boats—while minimizing the environmental impact of these visits,” said Vin Cipolla, Vice Chair of the National Park Foundation. “Connecting the innovation of scholars and students who represent some of the best minds in transportation with the management expertise of the National Park Service, we are creating a winning partnership that will help ensure our national parks continue to be enjoyed and cherished by future generations.”
The following parks have been selected to receive 2009 Transportation Scholars and Interpreters to advance specific goals:
Transportation Scholars:
- Alaska Regional Office – To develop a long term plan for facilitating a diverse transit system through Alaska parks, a vast network accessed by trains, aircrafts, hikers, skiers, horses, snow machines and dog sleds
- Colorado National Monument – To study traffic volumes and vehicle weights on Rim Rock Drive and work with the local community to provide recommendations for better roadway usability and safety
- Mississippi National River and Recreation Area – To work with the local community to provide recommendations for developing and promoting an interconnected, non-motorized alternative transportation system in the Mississippi river corridor
- Virgin Islands National Park – To initiate a transportation study to improve traffic operations and safety in the park and reduce the impact of vehicular traffic on the natural environment
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park – Promote use of the park’s railroad system as an alternative mode of transportation
- Dinosaur National Monument – Promote bicycle use as an alternative mode of transportation
- Fort Smith National Historic Site – Encourage park visitors, particularly youth to use trains, trolleys and bicycles as part of a healthy lifestyle
- Glacier National Park – Promote new shuttle system along the “Going to the Sun Road” and the park’s other alternative transportation systems
- Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore – Promote ridership on the park’s railway to resolve traffic congestion and reduce air and noise pollution
- Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park – Promote the park’s new alternative fueled bus and share the park’s history of conservation stewardship through interpretive talks
- Mount Rainier National Park – Promote park shuttles and provide visitor information on park history and geology
- Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore – Promote park cruise tour boats and provide interpretive talks about the connection between transportation and climate change
- Rocky Mountain National Park – Promote park shuttle busses, informing visitors about the merits of alternative transportation
- Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore – Promote the park’s bicycle program to provide children and families with shorter routes and quieter roads
The Transportation Scholars Program and Transportation Interpreters Program are initiatives of the National Park Foundation in partnership with the National Park Service. To date, Scholars and Interpreters have helped to enhance the visitor experience and minimize the impact of visitation for 80 national parks.
