ST. GEORGE — Car-free travel to and within the Zion National Park’s border town, Springdale, is being reconsidered by its leadership.
“We are looking at ways to encourage more people to visit Springdale and Zion National Park without relying on a private vehicle. And so we call that ‘car free’ travel to and in Springdale,” Springdale Director of Community Development, Tom Dansie told St. George News. “We’ll be looking at what that means for public transit.”
Dansie recently attended the “Balancing Nature and Commerce in Gateway Communities” conference hosted by the Conservation Fund. The workshops brought together different gateway community leaders from across the country.
They discussed the best ways to balance the community’s needs and protect the community’s character, the environment and the natural resources. He said they also discussed accommodating visitation and tourism related to natural resources or amenities.
Springdale Mayor Barbara Bruno said she commends the group for choosing a project to help alleviate Springdale traffic. She looks forward to hearing the ideas generated by a study and a committee on the issue.
“We are uniquely challenged by private automobiles waiting to enter Zion National Park because some of our residents can’t get to their streets and driveways on busy days,” Bruno said. “And our town shuttles can’t take visitors into Zion National Park when there are lines of cars waiting to get in.”
Dansie said going “car-free” encourages walking and biking, which could affect the town’s parking policy. He said they plan to explore how that potentially impacts Springdale, Zion National Park and nearby communities.
The study will also explore details such as integrating different transportation modes. For example, Dansie asked how walking and biking — particularly e-biking — integrate with shuttle and public transit use and other transportation options.
The study could lead to actionable steps and reveal the best ways to make car-free travel to and in Springdale feasible, convenient and reliable. Dansie said the timing is fitting since the St. George to Springdale public transit project, administered by St. George City, is expected to run sometime in 2024.
“So we’re actually not that far away from the implementation of that system,” Dansie said. “What our project in Springdale is trying to do is to leverage that, to encourage more people to use that system by providing options to get around in Springdale without a car.”
Some benefits of not driving a vehicle to the area are avoiding the hassle of finding or fighting for a parking space and waiting in line for a shuttle. Dansie said once in Springdale, people can walk, bike, e-bike or take the park shuttle.
Most park visitors arrive through the popular south entrance in private vehicles and travel through Springdale to get there.
“The impacts of private vehicle travel for visitors on Springdale is pretty significant,” Danise said. “It causes more traffic and congestion on our streets. It results in more parking and parking congestion that we have to deal with. And we’re trying to find solutions to help enhance the quality of life in the town.”
Adjacent to Springdale, Zion National Park’s visitation has steadily climbed since 2000. Park officials said the number of visits recorded at Zion National Park increased from about 2.4 million in 2000 to 5 million in 2021. The number of visitors continues to exceed those recorded before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dansie said the steering committee for transportation alternatives includes representatives from Springdale, Washington County, Zion Forever, the Zion Canyon Visitors Bureau, Zion National Park and the Utah Department of Transportation.
“We need to recognize that we’re not saying that you won’t — you’ll never be able to drive a car to or within Springdale anymore,” Dansie said. “That’s not the point. The point is to promote and encourage more people to get to Springdale not in a private automobile.”
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