Buses hit road for Yosemite today By Patty Guerra Modesto Bee - May 19, 2000 A 40-foot bus, painted a crisp blue and white, pulled out of the Merced Transportation Center Thursday morning, taking the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System from concept to reality. The Merced bus, and another from Mariposa, took about 50 people each on ceremonial rides to Yosemite National Park. The two-year demonstration project, designed to reduce traffic into the park by offering visitors an alternative to driving, officially begins public service today. To help draw attention to the service, YARTS is offering free rides on the majority of its buses through June 16, said Mariposa County Supervisor Bob Stewart, chairman of the YARTS board. "It is our hope that by offering these rides that an even greater number of people will try the new service and all it has to offer," Stewart said. YARTS, originally the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation Strategy, was formed in 1992 by Merced, Mariposa, Mono, Tuolumne and Madera counties to find ways to reduce vehicle traffic into the park and ensure that Yosemite remains accessible to visitors staying in surrounding communities. The board has seen its share of struggles, including the withdrawal of Madera and Tuolumne counties and opposition from several local residents, who consider gasoline-powered buses no better for the environment than personal vehicles. Others have cited concerns about how people will lug things like ice chests and strollers, making bus rides more cumbersome than taking cars. But there were no naysayers in evidence during Thursday's ceremonies in Merced and Mariposa and at the Yosemite visitors center. Many of the bus riders were public officials or members of the YARTS staff. Greeting them at Yosemite were National Park Service rangers and officials from the California Department of Transportation. Both agencies also participated in bringing YARTS to fruition. "After eight years of planning, I'm pleased to be the superintendent to welcome the first YARTS bus," Yosemite Superintendent David Mihalic said. "I know it has been a long road to get to this point." Mihalic said Yosemite and communities such as Mariposa and Merced share visitors, and transportation is their "crosswalk." "Our day visitors are their overnight guests," he said. "Together we share a commitment to making Yosemite an even better place to visit." One environmental activist on hand for the inaugural run said he is in favor of what YARTS is trying to accomplish. "The demonstration project, while modest in scope, is a critical step forward for YARTS," said Jay Watson, California-Nevada regional director for The Wilderness Society. "It will demonstrate levels of public support for regional transit, provide answers to operational questions and provide hotel guests in gateway communities with an alternative means of entering Yosemite." Traffic problems in Yosemite Valley have led rangers to limit admission to the park occasionally in the past, typically on busy summer holidays. "Yosemite Valley is only one mile wide and seven miles long," said Merced County Supervisor Deidre Kelsey, who also serves on the YARTS board. "Several million people visit there over a five-month period. I absolutely get chills up my spine when I see Yosemite, and I want to keep it accessible." In addition to helping ease traffic and pollution, YARTS advocates have been selling the system as a way to better enjoy the park. They have a customer in Mark Leja, Caltrans District 10 director, who rode one of the ceremonial buses from Merced. "Since I wasn't driving, I had an opportunity to do nothing but look at the beautiful scenery and converse with my seatmate," Leja said. Buses run daily on the Highway 140 route and weekends on Highway 120, with round-trip fares ranging up to $20, including admission to the park. The complete trip from Merced takes just over two hours. If enough people ride the buses, the project will be expanded. Mihalic said there is little doubt that will happen. "Won't it be great when we celebrate the success of the demonstration project and roll into doing this on a permanent basis?" he asked. "We are committed to preserving the resources that visitors come to see and making each person's trip to Yosemite a lifetime treasure."