More South Rim parking worth pursuing

By Dennis Foster
Guest Columnist

     Years ago, if some National Park Service (NPS) officials had their way, there would already be a light rail system in place at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.  It would be mostly unnecessary, and almost always inconvenient.  It’s diesel engines would be noisy and dirty.  It would be frustrating for visitors to use, especially during the off-peak times of the year.  It would be crowded during the summer, and congestion, from the visitor’s standpoint, would have worsened.  And, the crowning glory of that system would have been the enormous deficits generated each and every year since opening in 2000.

     Lucky for us, the NPS was forced back from the brink.  Now, they have proffered a new plan to deal with problems at the canyon.  It is not a perfect plan, but there is a lot to recommend in it.

     The plan calls for a parking lot near the new visitor’s center, which actually was part of the General Management Plan for Grand Canyon, adopted in 1995 .  It was a good idea then, and it is a good idea now.  This would relieve the pressure on the parking at Mather Point, which used to be a short, layover, stop on the typical visitor’s itinerary - park and see the canyon for fifteen minutes, then drive on down the road to the visitor’s center and the South Rim Village.  But, now, visitors are parking at Mather and leaving their cars, walking over to the visitor’s center, and taking a shuttle bus into the village.  That is a poor use of this fantastic viewpoint.

     Indeed, I have proposed that the Mather parking lot, which is user friendly, and well-screened from the viewpoint, be extended all the way to the Yavapai Observation Station.  This could add between 450 and 900 spaces, which would accommodate visitation for many years.

     One huge advantage of the NPS proposal is that it leaves parking in the village intact.  This will preserve the freedom to move about in a convenient manner, and reduces the strain of allocating resources to the transit infrastructure.  You may leave your car at the visitor’s center and travel about the area by shuttle bus, but it won’t be mandatory.

     The NPS also proposes to expand the South Entrance Station.  That is exactly the right thing to do in the near term.  The entrance station has been a bottleneck for years.  Alleviating this congestion, and this source of visitor frustration, is easy and can be done quickly.  In the longer term, I would urge the park service to move the entrance station to the visitor’s center.  That would allow visitors to pay at a destination point, where they can spend time reviewing their options, rather than along the road, seven miles from the rim.

     The current level of parking at Grand Canyon can be easily increased to better accommodate visitors, and it can be better situated, so that visitors can actually find it.  It may surprise many to hear that the South Rim Village area has barely 2,400 parking spaces.  With practically four million visitors a year, you would be hard pressed to find a more environmentally friendly arrangement.  The park service estimates that they only need about 3,000 spaces to handle the current peak demand.  By way of contrast, there are 4,500 spaces at the Flagstaff Mall, and over 9,000 on the campus of Northern Arizona University.

     What about buses?  Since 1990, the bus share of traffic through the South Entrance Station has averaged 23 percent.  At least half this number is really a count of air visitors, since they actually enter the park on a bus.  Still, buses account for only 2 percent of long-distance travel in the U.S.  By any measure, mass transit to the Grand Canyon has been wildly successful.

     Would more auto travelers take a bus to the canyon if they knew about this option?  It is unlikely.  In a 1994 survey, Grand Canyon visitors were asked why they didn’t use mass transit.  Nearly 80 percent responded that they preferred using their own vehicles or that they found mass transit to be inconvenient.

     The additional time you make people spend in buses, in trains, parking miles from the rim, is time you steal from their visit.  Time they could have spent in contemplating the Grand Canyon, or walking along its rim.  The NPS proposal does much to allow visitors to spend their time at the Grand Canyon rather than forcing them to adapt their itineraries to the wishes of some transportation planner.

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Dennis Foster has a Ph.D. in Economics and has authored, “Grand Canyon Transportation Planning: The Railroading of Visitors,” a monograph published by the Goldwater Institute (Arizona Issue Analysis 158).

South Rim Visitor Transportation Plan – Public Comments
Proposal DF-01

     Extend the Mather Point parking area to the Yavapai Observation Station, either all at once, or as a series of building projects over time.  I estimate that angled parking on both sides of the lot, like the current configuration of the Mather lot, would allow for an additional 450 spaces.  If a second row of parking were added, this number could be doubled, providing ample space for visitors to park in this location.  Indeed, the Mather lot is probably wider than it needs to be, if a separate lot for RV’s and vehicles towing trailers can be designated.

     To facilitate the passage of visitors from Mather Point to the Canyon View Information Plaza (CVIP), I would encourage some visionary thinking.  For example, a wide foot bridge could span the roadway, alleviating safety concerns, and could provide a signature experience for park visitors as they walk up the gently sloping structure, seeing the canyon out in front of them, and descending to parking area.  A structure that embodied the ideals of famed canyon architect Mary Jane Colter, with use of natural materials, would make this an astounding focal point for visitors.

Rationale:

--The CVIP is where it is and there is no getting around it.  The problem with lots of visitors crossing a busy road, and one where there is significant parking on the shoulders, has led park officials to suggest closing this road and this parking lot, in favor of a lot at the CVIP.  That would be a mistake, in my opinion, as it further distances the visitor from this fantastic place.  I believe that this proposal would solve the parking problem and the safety concerns, while actually enhancing the visitor’s experience.  Also, this is compatible with the planned expansion of the South Entrance Station.

--Insofar as the park service is interested in promoting an internal shuttle bus system, this proposal would nicely fit into those plans.  The main road, alongside Mather Point, can be redesigned with shuttle bus pull-outs to pick up visitors that wish to journey to the Village by bus.  The bus could run on a loop – Mather area to Yavapai Observation Station to Business District to CVIP to Mather.

South Rim Visitor Transportation Plan – Public Comments
Proposal DF-02

     Create a new parking area west of the Bright Angel Trailhead and re-route the West Rim Drive to accommodate this parking.  The area just west of the current beginning of the West Rim Drive is ideal for an expanded parking area.  It provides walking access to the rim lodges without having to cross the roadway, and it would be rather unobtrusive insofar as the character of the South Rim Village is concerned.  I estimate that this area could easily accommodate at least 750 vehicles, with the possibility of future expansion.  This could be done in 250 space increments, as demand warrants.  As a general rule, I would encourage the park service to consider this as additional parking and not use this to replace existing parking in the village area.  That is, parking at the El Tovar, Kachina, Thunderbird, and Bright Angel should be maintained, as well as the parking along the railroad tracks.  I would proposed that this lot have a separated entrance and exit along the existing one way road through this area.

     To facilitate this new lot, the West Rim Drive will have to be redesigned.  I would suggest a new "entrance" to the West Rim at/near the Maswik Lodge.  This will necessitate another road crossing of the railroad tracks, and whatever equipment is required.  Still, the traffic already does cross the tracks as it passes the current West Rim Drive roadway.

Rationale:

--Any additional parking that is created in the three critical areas of the South Rim Village area - the rim lodges, the business center and Mather Point - reduce the necessity for a complex and expensive transit system.  Additionally, it allows the park service to dramatically scale back, or eliminate, this service during the off-peak months of the year, since visitors can easily drive from one locale to another.  Of all the possible parking-based solutions for congestion at the Grand Canyon, this is the least obtrusive.

--The park service is currently considering a redesign of the Bright Angel trailhead area.  The placement of this parking would be well-suited to these efforts to create a definitive "bookend" to the development along the rim.  This would be especially true if a major restroom facility is to be built in this area.

--Insofar as the park service is interested in promoting an internal shuttle bus system, this proposal would nicely fit into those plans.  Buses can run the existing village loop and add this parking lot into their routes.

--The current West Rim Drive may be getting an upgrade in the near future.  The existing road is old and in poor shape.  The initial mile, or so, is well away from the rim, so the re-routing proposed here does not diminish the visitor's experience.

--In the future, it would be possible to add additional visitor services at the back end of this lot, as the situation warrants.

South Rim Visitor Transportation Plan – Public Comments
Proposal DF-03

     Expand the parking area south from the existing lot at the business center.  The area just south of the business center parking lot is an ideal location for expanded parking in this area.  It provides access to the business center without any interference with the existing roadways.  I am under the impression that the parking in this area is not especially congested, and that should be made less so with the addition of parking at Mather Point and in the village.  Still, it would be easy to add at least 250 spaces here, perhaps even as a prelude to some expanded visitor services in this area (e.g., restaurants, retail shops).

Rationale:

--Any additional parking that is created in the three critical areas of the South Rim Village area - the rim lodges, the business center and Mather Point - reduce the necessity for a complex and expensive transit system.  Additionally, it allows the park service to dramatically scale back, or eliminate, this service during the off-peak months of the year, since visitors can easily drive from one locale to another.  Of all the possible parking-based solutions for congestion at the Grand Canyon, this is likely to be the easiest to accomplish.

--Insofar as the park service is interested in promoting an internal shuttle bus system, this proposal would nicely fit into those plans.  Buses already stop in this area and can make this additional parking space another stop on a loop run in the Mather Point area, as suggested in Proposal DF-01.

--As noted above, this parking would be especially accommodative of additional development in this area to serve the needs of the visitor, be it eating facilities, shops or educational attractions.  I can easily imagine that this block of land, bounded by the entrance road, the campground road, the trailer village road and the Market Plaza road, could be developed over many years to meet visitor needs.  It has the advantage of not disrupting existing traffic flow and it is located well away from the rim of the canyon, although it is accessible via the walkway near the Shrine of the Ages and due to its proximity to the Canyon View Information Plaza.

South Rim Visitor Transportation Plan – Public Comments
Proposal DF-04

     Construct a parking area east of the South Kaibab Trailhead.  Due to the proximity of this trailhead to Mather Point, addressing the congestion that occurs here should be part of any integrated strategy to deal with congestion in the South Rim Village area.  As of now, the road to this trailhead, and Yaki Point, is closed during much of the year, and visitors are encouraged to take a bus to this trailhead.  An area to the east of the Yaki Point road is close enough to the trailhead to serve as an overflow parking area and could easily serve 100 vehicles.

Rationale:

--The South Kaibab trail is not only one of the great trails of the Grand Canyon, it is truly one of the greatest trails in the world.  The existing parking, at the trailhead, is insufficient for the peak demand during many months of the year, leading the park service to close the road, and parking lot, to public use, and providing a transit system in order to access this trail.  Creating this dependence on transit leads to two problems for potential users.
     First, hikers must factor in the time spent using the transit system as part of their hiking time.  A few years ago, I opted to hike from the Bright Angel to the South Kaibab, and return to the village on the bus.  The transit leg, from the South Kaibab trailhead to the Bright Angel Lodge took nearly an hour, while driving this distance takes hardly ten minutes.  Time spent in the transit system is time that could have been spent hiking, and most hikers are extremely unwilling to make that substitution.
     Second, while one can easily plan to use the transit system at the front end of their hike, it is much more problematic to rely on it at the back end of their hike.  It is easy for a hiker to spend a lot of time, not planned for, in the canyon - perhaps for reasons of poor conditioning, or just because watching the sunset from atop the Redwall is a beautiful experience.  Regardless, they face the distinct prospect that, when they reach the trailhead, there will be no more buses serving that route.  Consequently, they might have to walk many miles, along a dangerous road, in the dark, to reach their car, parked in the village.
     The consequence of these problems leads many hikers to park in the picnic area near the Yaki Point turnoff, along the East Rim road itself, or at the paved viewpoints along the rim.  These three choices represent an inefficient use of existing parking space and an increase in the probability of a serious accident.  The appropriate solution is to enhance access to this trailhead.  An area just east of the Yaki Point road is suitable for an overflow parking area, which could be expanded over time, as conditions warrant.

The image shows AZ 64 as it passes the Yaki Point road.  About halfway to Yaki Point, is the South Kaibab trailhead.  The auto icon marks the spot of the nearby picnic area.  [Original image from Google Earth.]

South Rim Visitor Transportation Plan – Public Comments
Proposal DF-05

     Add a local bus express lane at the entrance station, to be used by a shuttle bus that operates between Tusayan and the major areas within the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park.  Use Tusayan as the staging area, under the control and supervision of the business interests there, and allow for any number of licensed firms to participate in this venture.

Rationale:

--If additional parking is made available in the park, either as suggested by “Option A” or by the proposals I have put forth (DF-01, DF-02, DF-03), the need for external parking would be mitigated.  Still, it would be efficient if the growing numbers of visitors staying in Tusayan had the option of leaving their vehicles at their hotels, where they can board a shuttle bus into the park.  This would further mitigate the pressure on traffic in the park.

--The present plan, “Option A,” calls for a parking area at Long Jim Canyon.  Drop this in favor of parking throughout the Tusayan area, where any visitor (whether they are overnighters in Tusayan or not) can board a shuttle into the canyon.  The park would not have to fund these facilities (indeed, much of the existing space can be used exactly this way), nor would they have to maintain them.  Leave this entirely up to the private sector.  An obvious advantage here is that park resources need not be used to facilitate this option, except for the express entrance lane.

--These trips can be priced however bus operators would like to price them.  I would think that the park could accept some per person fee in lieu of the park pass or entrance fee for vehicles.  Each person could get a hand stamp, allowing them back into the park (via shuttle) for the rest of the day.  This could be done by the bus operator, or could be done at the gate (which would be more time consuming).  At the gate, the driver can make the payment and give a count to the clerk, and continue on to the CVIP.  [Years ago, I took a bus up to the canyon, and the driver collected the fee from each passenger and noted down who had a park pass – all in all, it went smoothly at the gate.  Something like this is what I have in mind for this proposal.]

--To enhance the desirability of this service, I would suggest that these buses be allowed a limited number of stops in the park, so that visitors don’t have to do too much planning to get a shuttle back to Tusayan – CVIP, the business center, and Maswik Lodge would seem reasonable choices.  Keep these stops/pullouts separate from the regular park shuttles.

--Although these buses will be specially marked, to distinguish them from other buses, there may also be a size limit imposed on them to keep their presence in the park less intrusive.