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GAO-03-166R 1 (2002-11-15)

handle is hein.gao/gaocrptapck0001 and id is 1 raw text is: I ~GAO Accountability * Integrity * Reliability United States General Accounting Office Washington, DC 20548 November 15, 2002 The Honorable Joe Skeen Chairman The Honorable Norman D. Dicks Ranking Minority Member Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies Committee on Appropriations House of Representatives Subject: National Park Service: Opportunities to Improve the Administration of the Alternative Transportation Program Almost 280 million people visited U. S. national parks in 2001, many touring the parks in private automobiles. Frequently, particularly during the summer months and on holiday weekends, some of the more popular parks experience traffic congestion. When this occurs, it detracts from visitors' enjoyment of the parks and damages natural resources as vehicles idle on congested roads or are parked on unpaved areas when parking lots are full. Each year, as peak vacation periods approach, prospective park visitors are made aware of these conditions as newspapers and television present stories and images of frustrated visitors in bumper-to-bumper traffic at some of the large, highly visited parks like Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Acadia. To alleviate these conditions, some parks offer visitors alternatives to driving their own vehicles, such as shuttle buses or trams. Congress encouraged the use of such alternatives through enactment of the Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century in 1998. Among its many purposes, this legislation authorized funding for enhancing or developing park transportation systems to improve visitors' experiences and reduce damage to natural resources throughout the national park system. To administer these funds, the National Park Service established the Alternative Transportation Program in 1998. Program objectives include relieving traffic and parking congestion; reducing air, noise, and visual pollution; enhancing visitor experience; preserving natural and cultural resources; and improving safety conditions. Funding for the program has averaged about $9.5 million per year from fiscal year 1999-the first year funds were obligated under the program-through fiscal year 2002. So far, the Park Service has approved funding for 185 transportation projects in 75 parks. Project scope and costs vary considerably. They range from small planning projects, such as a $4,000 project to GAO-03-166R National Park Service Alternative Transportation Program Page 1

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