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    National Park Service receives $27.5 million FHWA grant for bus replacement

    July 13, 2023
    The grant will support the replacement of 30 buses at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.
    NPS Photo/M. Quinn
    Left to right: Tusayan Mayor Clarinda Vail, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Matt Strickler, Federal Highways Administrator Shailen Bhatt, and Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Ed Keable during the July 6 announcement.
    Left to right: Tusayan Mayor Clarinda Vail, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Matt Strickler, Federal Highways Administrator Shailen Bhatt, and Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Ed Keable during the July 6 announcement.

    In early July, the Federal Highway Administration awarded $27.5 million to the National Park Service (NPS) through the Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Transportation Projects Program.

    The grant will be used by NPS for the Grand Canyon National Park Shuttle Bus Fleet Replacement project in Arizona. NPS reports an estimated 6 million people use the free shuttle buses annually to access destinations throughout the Grand Canyon.

    “Grand Canyon National Park is one of our most beloved national parks,” said U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This grant, made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help ensure safe and reliable bus service for park visitors for decades to come.”

    The project includes replacing aging vehicles with 30 new buses consisting of a mix of 20 compressed natural gas vehicles and 10 battery electric vehicles. The grant will also support the installation of charging infrastructure for the new electric buses.

    “The necessary replacement of the outdated shuttle bus fleet is an opportunity to upgrade to cleaner, quieter electric buses,” said Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Ed Keable. “This project will address transportation challenges related to maintaining an aging fleet and the NPS goal to achieve sustainable transportation alternatives.”

    The project was one of seven projects to receive a combined $130.5 million through the FHWA’s Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Transportation Projects Program. The program provides funding for the construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of nationally significant projects within, adjacent to or accessing federal and Tribal lands.

    About the Author

    Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

    Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

    Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content. 

    She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.  

    She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.

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