Yellowstone National Park to Launch Autonomous Shuttle Program
Beep, a Florida-based autonomous Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) provider, announced it will deploy the first autonomous shuttles at Yellowstone National Park with the National Parks Service (NPS) in May 2021. The pilot program will test multi-passenger, electric automated vehicle platforms to provide visitors a transportation alternative while exploring Yellowstone.
Beep will work in concert with both NPS Park Planning, Facilities and Lands Directorate, the Department of Transportation and Yellowstone National Park to safely plan, deploy and operate two autonomous shuttles in the Canyon Village. Exact shuttle stops, route locations and distance will be determined jointly between Beep and the NPS. According to a press release by Yellowstone National Park, the initiative is part of the Yellowstone Visitor Use Management Program, which is focused on testing a range of pilot projects around the park to enhance the visitor experience.
“It’s an honor to be the first in the country to provide autonomous shuttles to the NPS and its visitors. Yellowstone’s Visitor Use Management Program aligns with Beep’s mission to provide alternative, sustainable, and innovative transportation solutions meant to transform and improve mobility for all. This demonstration will help assess how emerging technologies can enhance the visitor experience while making the roads safer and less congested for everyone,” said Joe Moye, Beep CEO.
During the deployment, Beep will provide a full suite of services for the pilot including the autonomous vehicles, engineering and mapping of the routes, complete operational, monitoring and management for regular oversight and to support ridership demand. By utilizing 100-percent electric autonomous shuttles that will have zero emissions, the deployment aligns with the park’s priority to improve visitor safety, access and experience. The pilot will be supported and monitored by an onboard shuttle specialist, on the ground staff and Beep’s Global Command Center to ensure safe and reliable operation.
Beep also operates a single site AV shuttle fleet located in Lake Nona, Florida, a 17 square-mile planned development in Orlando. Since launching in September 2019, Beep safely transported over 16,000 passengers in its first year of operation on its initial route eliminating the equivalent of nearly 9,400 vehicle trips with carbon emissions that would have required 170 trees to reverse.
Passengers can also expect processes and procedures onboard that align with best practices for ridesharing and transit such as frequent cleaning procedures, modified seating capacity, onboard hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes.
