Enhance Shuttling to Enhance Walkability

Springdale has made clear its goal of becoming a more walkable town, which is fantastic. But right now, one practical limitation stands in the way: the shuttle doesn’t run late enough.

The town shuttle—besides oddly starting later and stopping earlier, tracks with the park shuttle system and shuts down in the evening, leaving no way to get around town without a vehicle.

After shuttles stop, activity in town is still ongoing—employees getting off shifts, residents going out to eat or seeing friends, visitors moving between hotels and restaurants. Without a shuttle running later, those trips typically require a car. If the goal is to reduce vehicle use and support a walkable environment, the shuttle service needs to run later into the evening so people can move around town without relying on a car.

That would:

• Let people go out in the evening without driving
• Give employees a way to get home after shifts
• Reduce pressure for businesses to build and rely on parking

There’s also an opportunity to improve connectivity.

The Anasazi Community remains largely disconnected from the rest of town. Residents there have to drive for everything, regardless of whether the shuttle is running.

Adding a stop at the base of Anasazi could help close that gap. There appears to be room for a turnaround and potentially some level of parking, although that would need proper evaluation. It could also tie into access for the Chinle Trail.

Even very limited stops would be a meaningful step toward connecting that part of the community.

Golf cart sales would boom!

The real question is cost and priorities. Extending hours—and potentially route additions—means additional operating expenses. Those will need to be covered outside the current framework, likely through grants, tourism-related funding, or other targeted sources.

If this is a priority, identifying that funding needs to be part of the conversation.

Springdale doesn’t need to reinvent its transportation system to become more walkable. Although, if extending the current system doesn't work, we could consider a separate solution. It does need to ensure people can move around town in the evening without getting in a car—and that the system reaches the parts of town that are not currently served.