New Park Chief Signs Accord Aimed at Easing Valley Traffic By Christine Hanley, Associated Press Writer The Fresno Bee - November 11, 1999 FRESNO, Calif. (AP) -- Starting next summer, Yosemite National Park tourists will have the option of leaving their cars behind and catching buses into the scenic valley. On Wednesday, the park became an official partner in a $750,000 pilot project to provide shuttles from commuter lots along the three highways leading into Yosemite. The park will contribute $300,000 under the cooperative agreement it reached with the Yosemite Area Transportation Service, the consortium of regional planners that conceived the project in 1992. "Hopefully, it will be a major part of us trying to solve some of the transportation challenges, and congestion and crowding challenges, in Yosemite," said David Mihalic, the newly installed park superintendent. Six weeks after taking over, Mihalic also indicated he plans to have a similar transit system for park employees up and running in concert with the public system, which would be a lot sooner than expected. "I want to put it on a faster track," said Mihalic, who was hired primarily because of his reputation for resolving resource disputes. "This will also help reduce congestion and crowding in Yosemite Valley." The moves were hailed by Mihalic and other observers as signs that an overall plan to reduce the human footprint in Yosemite Valley, long-stalled by political and environmental squabbles, can be fulfilled. On any given day, as many as 7,000 cars stream into Yosemite, the crown jewel of the national park system. In 1998, 3.8 million visitors -- and their cars -- came to marvel at the soaring granite cliffs and majestic waterfalls. "All and all a terrific day for Yosemite," said Jay Watson, a regional director for the Wilderness Society. "They make the park service's commitment crystal clear." The shuttle system announced Wednesday is a slimmed down version of the original, as two of the five gateway counties dropped out of the planning process, citing environmental and economic concerns. Watson said the beauty of the pilot project is that other regions can be added on later. As it stands now, roundtrip fares from the three counties that are participating are projected to range from about $10 to $15, according to YARTS chairwoman Joann Ronci. Five trips will be available from Mariposa County, three from Merced County and one from Lee Vining.