Grand County’s free Moab-Arches shuttle began carrying public passengers Tuesday, Sept. 1, during a week of testing ahead of an official launch Sept. 8 and the start of promotion Sept. 9.

Both connected routes and every planned stop are active during the soft launch, Grand County spokesperson Melisa Jeffers said, but shuttle queue signs have not yet been installed.

“Riders this week may see arrival times shift a little while drivers get a feel for the route and we make adjustments to improve the service,” Jeffers wrote in an email.

Jeffers said the county plans to install the queue signs before the official launch Sept. 8. The county will mark the launch with an inaugural shuttle leaving the Moab Information Center at 3 p.m. for The Windows.

A free community open house featuring the shuttle, the Moab Office of Tourism’s new brand, barbecue, music and games will follow from 5 to 8 p.m. at the information center.

A Times-Independent reporter rode the town and in-park routes Tuesday morning, traveling from the Moab Information Center to the Arches Visitor Center, Delicate Arch and The Windows before returning downtown. Ridership was light during the trip. The shuttles generally operated close to their published schedules, and no major disruptions occurred.

How to ride

The optional shuttle system consists of two connected routes. Visitors may still drive into Arches National Park.

The town route runs between Moab and the Arches Visitor Center every 30 minutes. The in-park route leaves every 15 minutes, stopping at the Delicate Arch trailhead and The Windows before returning. It does not serve Devils Garden or other destinations in the park. Passengers traveling between Moab and the park must transfer at the visitor center.

Riders may get off at Delicate Arch or The Windows and board a later shuttle. Town shuttles enter Arches through a staff access road, allowing passengers to bypass the regular park entrance line.

The town route serves four stop areas:

– South Maverik, 923 S. Main St.: There is no designated shuttle parking. Riders can also reach the stop using Moab Area Transit.

– Moab Information Center and The Spoke: Arches-bound riders board at the information center, 25 E. Center St., a walk-and-ride stop without designated shuttle parking. Park passes are sold there. Returning shuttles stop across Main Street near The Spoke.

– Moab Rock Shop and Emma Boulevard: Arches-bound riders board near the Rock Shop at 565 N. Main St. Parking is available across Main Street in the lot off Emma Boulevard, and riders can use the pedestrian-activated crossing signal to reach the stop. Returning shuttles stop on the Emma Boulevard side.

– Grand County Transit Hub: The stop and its parking lot are across Highway 128 from Lions Park, near the intersection with Highway 191.

The shuttle is free and does not require a reservation, but riders must have a valid national park pass. According to Grand County’s resident guide, one vehicle pass covers everyone in a group that otherwise would have entered the park together. Drivers check passes as passengers board. Passes may also be purchased through the National Park Service.

Shuttles begin running at 8 a.m. Jeffers confirmed that the town route is scheduled every 30 minutes and the in-park route every 15 minutes. The published timetable lists the final departure from Delicate Arch at 4:05 p.m. and the final shuttle from the visitor center to Moab at 5:10 p.m.

Some schedule details on the Via and Discover Moab websites conflicted with that information Tuesday, but Jeffers said the Discover Moab information would be updated.

Riders can find stops and the live vehicle map on Via’s shuttle page. Grand County’s shuttle page includes a resident guide, service rules and background on the pilot, while Discover Moab offers stop information and the timetable.

The wheelchair-accessible vehicles observed Tuesday each had 14 passenger seats and seat belts. Service animals are permitted, but bicycles are not.

First-morning ride

The first scheduled shuttle from the Moab Information Center arrived at about 8:20 a.m., five minutes late. Moab resident Zach Cooley was the only other passenger the reporter encountered during the town and in-park portions of the trip.

The town shuttle made up the delay and reached the Arches Visitor Center at about 8:36 a.m., one minute before its published arrival time. It pulled in beside an in-park shuttle, making the transfer clear even though the vehicles did not display route labels.

The in-park shuttles generally ran on schedule or ahead of their listed arrival times.

Cooley, a photographer who leads photo tours in Arches, said he rode to gather firsthand information for a guide on his website. He had no complaints about the ride but questioned the pilot’s cost, saying he viewed the park’s former timed-entry system as a less costly way to reduce entrance lines and congestion. He said he wanted to see how many riders the shuttle attracts after a month.

A six-month pilot after months of debate

Grand County and the National Park Service are using the pilot to test whether a free shuttle connecting Moab with popular Arches trailheads can reduce vehicle congestion, improve access and provide reliable information about demand, travel times and operating costs.

Grand County’s contract with Via is capped at $2.86 million to operate the six-month pilot. The project has about $3 million available: $1.5 million from the National Park Service’s Federal Lands Transportation Program, $1 million from the Utah Department of Transportation and $500,000 from Grand County. The county’s share consists of $350,000 from Fund 47, which includes proceeds from an optional sales tax approved for transportation, and $150,000 in transient room tax mitigation revenue.

Grand County says funding beyond the contract cap is reserved for infrastructure, contingencies and other emerging needs.

County commissioners approved the county’s $500,000 commitment in a 4-3 vote in May. They selected Via Transportation in another 4-3 vote in July, the approved a one-year cooperative agreement with the Park Service by the same margin in August.

The project has generated months of debate. Critics have raised concerns about its cost, accelerated planning timeline and plans for downtown stops and parking. They have also questioned whether it will attract enough riders to reduce traffic. Supporters have said operating the pilot will allow the county to test those questions under real-world conditions.

The initial service period runs through Oct. 31. The shuttle is scheduled to return from March 1 through June 30.

This story was first published by The Times-Independent.