Last year, the National Park Service (NPS) recorded 331 million visits. This August alone, the parks attracted 40 million people nationwide with 609,676 visitors at Yosemite. With millions of visitors coming to Yosemite each year from around the world, Yosemite has relied heavily on their shuttle program to encourage park visitors to park once and use a bus to circulate among lodges, waterfalls and trailheads.

With more than five million visitors each year, Yosemite has seen its free shuttle service travel annually 436,000 miles with 3.8 million boardings. In 2001, the park began replacing its diesel bus fleet with diesel-electric hybrid vehicles. Yosemite is now taking the next steps toward a state-of-the-art clean transportation system with the adoption of Proterra battery-electric buses.

The new Catalyst buses are expected annually to reduce 887,000 lbs of greenhouse gas emissions and save approximately $150,500 on maintenance and operating costs. They will begin service in late 2018 and will operate year-round, transporting up to 1,480 visitors per day through the park’s Yosemite Valley.