(The Center Square) – In the near future, visitors to Grand Canyon National Park could be transported around in a new electric bus.
The national park has been provided a $27 million grant to replace the current buses at the parks with ones that are “battery electric” and “compressed natural gas,” according to a press release from Arizona Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly. The funding came from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects Program. The act from 2021, also dubbed the bipartisan infrastructure law, has a total price tag of $1.2 trillion.
“Our bipartisan infrastructure law is making historic investments in Arizona’s clean energy economy — creating jobs and improving air quality,” Kelly said in the press release. “Upgrading Grand Canyon National Park’s bus fleet will reduce pollution and enhance visitors’ experience of Arizona’s busiest park.”
Sinema said this is a small step that will help the park and benefit its visitors.
“The Grand Canyon is one of Arizona’s stunning natural wonders – and we have an obligation to protect and preserve its beauty for generations to come. This historic funding made possible by our bipartisan infrastructure law represents an important step towards a cleaner, healthier, safer Grand Canyon National Park for the millions of Arizonans and tourists who visit every year,” she said in the press release.
In 2022, the park had roughly 5 million visitors, according to KJZZ, and it’s considered to be one of the most popular national parks.
The Department of Interior’s website states that free shuttle bus service has shown tourists the Grand Canyon’s South Rim for “more than 40 years.”
A formal announcement will be made by federal and local officials at the park Thursday, The Arizona Republic reported.
