The Muir Woods Shuttle is a three-year pilot project public transit system designed to bring visitors to Muir Woods National Monument in Marin County, California. The shuttle was developed by the County of Marin and the National Park Service, and is funded through an FHWA earmark. Close to a million visitors a year come to Muir Woods, primarily in private autos, causing significant impacts to the park resources and visitor experience. Shuttle goals include reducing vehicular impact on the park, eliminating the need for on-site parking lot expansion, and reducing congestion on nearby roads. Nelson\Nygaard is conducting its third year of study to evaluate shuttle performance in order to make recommendations for service enhancements, marketing, and funding options for future service. Evaluation is based on extensive original data collection including ridechecks, on-board passenger surveys, and non-passenger visitor surveys over four summer weekends. Improvements such as increased frequency and an expanded service area added in 2007 were a direct result of the 2005/2006 studies. Results from evaluations of 2005-2006 service, described in this paper, indicate strong demand for public transit options to national parks. Almost 14,600 trips were made on the shuttle between Memorial Day and Labor Day, 2006, representing a 140% increase in ridership over 2005, despite a round-trip charge of $2 added for 2006. Unlike the first year, ridership was high from the beginning of the season. Evaluation continues through the Summer of 2007, with additional focus on identifying sources of funding to continue this overwhelmingly successful service.
Abstract