Utah Transportation Commission approves $3 million pilot shuttle to Arches National Park

The Utah Transportation Commission voted to add a $3 million pilot shuttle project connecting Moab and Arches National Park, a measure commissioners said aims to relieve long vehicle queues and reduce backups onto Highway 191.

Brian Martinez, a Grand County commissioner who urged the action during public comment, said the shuttle would allow visitors to leave cars at hotels and ride into the park, easing congestion on downtown Main Street and at the park entrance. "This funding will help us with the shuttle system that will relieve the congestion on Main Street," Martinez said.

Staff told the commission the pilot will be funded with $1.5 million from Arches National Park, $500,000 from Grand County and $1 million from UDOT, drawn from the Rec Hotspot program allotted for recreational hotspot projects. The pilot is planned to run in high-use months (September–October) and resume in spring, providing ridership data to guide future management and potential ongoing funding.

Commissioners stressed the need for measurable follow-up. Commissioner Brad Dee and others asked staff to report ridership and whether the pilot actually shifted visitors from private vehicles into the shuttle; Carlos Braceras, representing UDOT, said Region 4 and the county will track ridership and return with results next year.

The commission approved adding the project to the program by voice vote. The approval follows local matching funds and expressed support from local officials and tourism stakeholders who said the pilot could help recover lost economic activity caused by prior timed-entry systems.

Next steps include launching the pilot on the proposed schedule and collecting ridership and congestion-relief data for the commission to review.