Alternative Transporatation Feasibility Study Newsletter January 2012

This project is an Alternative Transportation (AT) Feasibility Study to determine if and what type of AT is feasible at Little Bighorn. Specifically, the study will look at whether AT is a feasible option considering the park location, characteristics, visitation pattern, AT costs, and possible funding sources. Outdated roads and insufficient parking have plagued the park for decades, jeopardizing visitor safety, threatening resources, and diminishing the visitor experience. The park's General Management Plan (1986, updated 1991) recommends a host of wide-scale changes including road-building, relocating facilities, banning oversize vehicles from significant portions of the park and establishing an AT system to provide visitor access and reduce traffic. While many recommendations of the GMP have not been implemented, the parking and road problems have gotten worse as the percentage of oversize vehicles has increased since the GMP was completed. The park faces safety issues on its roads & in its parking lots. Near the visitor center the tour road splits into two one-way lanes, one of which is the standard-vehicle parking drive aisle, and the other is adjacent to the oversize vehicle parallel parking. This situation causes safety concerns because of potential pedestrian/vehicle conflicts where views are obstructed by oversize vehicles, and because of dense congestion causing vehicle/vehicle conflicts - especially oversize vehicles entering or exiting traffic or making difficult turning movements. The park's main tour road width does not meet NPS and FHWA design standards. When two oversize vehicles pass on the tour road, one is forced off of the road causing safety concerns and resource damage. In order to address road and parking safety concerns, a project was formulated and a FONSI was signed to widen the road and expand the parking. It is imperative to study AT options prior to expanding the development footprint on the park's sensitive cultural landscape.

Topic Questions:

1. What concerns do you have about transportation at the park?

2. How do you think the park’s transportation and parking issues can best be addressed?

Document Content:

January 2012 Newsletter   (361.4 KB, PDF file) Comment Mailback form January 2012   (40.8 KB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of from Adobe Systems.