Re: Tuolumne meadows hikers shuttle bus

Is the hikers shuttle bus running in Tuolumne Meadows and are they still charging a fee ?

If you mean the shuttle that ran a loop in the TM area, then no, it's not running this year.
Source:
http://highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=18477&p=137082#p137082

WOW! It still shows up on the NPS website! This could really hurt someone (like me). I just assumed the shuttles still ran.

However when I called ARAMARK, they acted like it never existed. One girl asked me when was I last there (last summer). Another lady told me the shuttle was still running! She tried to email the schedule, but was unsuccessful.

Cut and pasted just now:

Tuolumne Meadows Shuttle Bus
Use the Tuolumne Meadows shuttle bus for service in the greater Tuolumne Meadows area from June through mid September (dates vary from year to year).

The shuttle provides service between Tuolumne Meadows and Olmsted Point every half hour between 7 am and 7 pm, as follows:

Tuolumne Meadows Lodge (7 am to 6 pm)
Dog Lake Parking
Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center
Lembert Dome
Tuolumne Meadows Campground and Store
Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center
Cathedral Lakes Trailhead
Pothole Dome
East end of Tenaya Lake
Sunrise Lakes Trailhead (west end of Tenaya Lake)
May Lake Trailhead
Olmsted Point (7:30 am to 6 pm)

SO has anyone seen this elusive shuttle this year?

According to Sharon Avant at Aramark, she believes the TuolumneShuttle bus is still running, and stopping at 12 spots.

During my week visit to Tuolumne Meadows (June 22 - 29), I noticed a shuttle bus parked in its usual spot, in the dirt lot just west of the store. I don't believe it ever moved from its parked position. I spoke with an employee at the Valley garage who said this: "The Tuolumne Meadows Hikers Bus ( Olmsted Point to Tuolumne Lodge) is in the shop for major repairs and currently unavailable." and "The Valley to Tuolumne Meadows Shuttle Bus is running daily, departing the Valley @ 8;00am and departing T.M. @ 2:05 pm" I did see a (Yosemite) bus pull up in front of the T.M. store in the early afternoon and it was headed west.

So is it running or not? I am going to be there in 2 weeks and because of my vehicle (Dodge crew cab Dual rear wheel truck carries a truck camper which I can off load) it is not going to be easy trying to park at trailheads.

Interesting question. The current issue of "Yosemite Today", the newspaper-like publication you can get upon entering the park, says that the shuttle is running - see page 12 of the pdf file - but it says it runs 8-5. That same page says that the hikers' bus leaves from Curry Village in the morning and returns from the TM visitors' center in the afternoon. So apparently this section hasn't been updated in a while. And this page on the NPS site says it runs 07:00-18:00 every 30 minutes...but this page was last updated in 2016.

I'm also curious - will be there in late August and operation, or lack thereof, of the shuttle will affect my plans as well.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2018 10:43PM by Not quite The Geezer, but getting there.

The shuttle bus signs are down along the road and folks are parking in the bus turnouts (but they do that even when the buses are running...)

I still cannot get an accurate answer from either Aramark or YNP.

However, the Contract between the NPS and Aramark states the Concessionaire:

is authorized but not required to provide the following visitor services during the term of this Contract:

iii. Visitor Transportation Services (VTS) - Tuolumne Meadows Shuttle - Badger Pass Shuttle Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite Valley to Badger Pass.

SO, Aramark is not required to maintain the Tuolumne Meadows Shuttle.

Wow. This is terrible if true. Although I will not be up there this season, we have always relied on that bus to/from trailheads along the road. Saves literally hours of hiking time if camping or lodging at TM. What a shame. They just decided, "eh?"

Absolute idiocy on the part of the NPS, especially the lawyers who drew up the contract.

They KNOW there are parking issues throughout the park. And they know that people use
the TM shuttle. So instead of doing something to alleviate congestion, they let Aramark eliminate
the shuttle, thereby encouraging groups of hikers to bring TWO vehicles to the park (and in so
doing, burn up twice as much gas as they otherwise would), and forcing people, even day hikers,
to park by trailheads instead of shuttling there, thereby exacerbating the parking issues and in
some cases making driving in the area less safe.

There's nothing controversial or debatable about operating the TM shuttle: everyone benefits.

And to top it off, as I already noted on this thread, the literature that's being passed out to
park visitors and that appears on the Yose web site says there's a shuttle. So not only have
they cut the shuttle, they're misleading the public as well.

They just published a new fare schedule for the formerly-free TM shuttle -- why would they do that if they were going to cancel the whole thing?

---

- Billy Joel

Good question. Where'd you see the new fare schedule?

Here is the link to the newly posted schedule on the NPS site:


https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tmbus.htm

Interesting that it says it was revised 7/5/16, but it was not there July 7, 2018. It's still not ARAMARK confirming that the shuttle is running, so I'd be suspicious until someone reliable confirms the shuttle is running.

Coolburn, I saw that page and linked to it upthread. But that's a 2-year-old fare schedule and JR said he saw a new one posted, I wonder where he saw it. If there's a new schedule out, then as JR said that would suggest that Aramark is planning on (or is already) running the bus. But if they're removing the signposts with the schedule on them from the stops along the route, as Hikerchick says, that would suggest they're not running it this year.

Aramark is a huge company, and considering the TM facilities didn't even open last year, you'd think it could get its act together on this. It was bad enough that it starting charging for the shuttle and worse if it's not running it at all, but at least it could inform the public if it's not going to run it.

Well, I've gotten so much conflicting information. I've called the tour reservation number at Aramark, and got two different answers; I've read everything on the Yosemite website, including the concessionaire contract with Aramark; I've read everything on Aramark's website, which indicates the shuttle is running; I've called the Yosemite Ranger office but did not get a call back, I've emailed Aramark, with no response; and I've called the Regional NPS director with no response.

Does anyone else have any ideas or contacts?

I'm starting at the Sunrise Lakes trailhead in Aug, and returning to Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, so I don't really want to have to hike back to Tenaya Lake!

hitchhike? if approached by a ranger, just explain that you're trying to flag down the shuttle.

Quote
mkbgdns
hitchhike? if approached by a ranger, just explain that you're trying to flag down the shuttle.

Why would you be approached by a ranger?

Federal Districts
Note:All land regulated by the National Park service prohibits hitchhiking under the Code of Federal Regulations Title 36 section 4.31: Hitchhiking or soliciting transportation is prohibited except in designated areas and under conditions established by the superintendent.

Yosemite National Park:
Hitchhiking is permitted in the following areas under the terms and conditions noted:
All areas of the park when the person is off the roadway surface and when public safety and traffic flow are not adversely affected
When vehicles may safely pull off of the main traffic lane
When not under the influence of alcohol or intoxicating drugs
When hitchhiking behavior is safe and not a nuisance
Except in residential areas where signs exist establishing the area as residential areas only and discouraging public traffic

Quote
Not quite The Geezer, but getting there
that's a 2-year-old fare schedule and JR said he saw a new one posted, I wonder where he saw it.

My bad -- I saw it in a recent discussion on a different forum, but the fare schedule that was being discussed is in fact the one dated back to 2016.

---

- Billy Joel



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/2018 05:07PM by JRinGeorgia.

The shuttle is NOT running this year. According to Tony, a Concession Management Specialist from Yosemite National Park, Aramark intended to run the shuttle this summer, but after posting the information, decided not to run the Tuolumne Shuttle in order to keep the drivers available for the valley routes. Tony was sympathetic to our frustrations, but had no solutions, other than for us to write the Superintendent and Yosemite Hospitality.

So it looks like thumbs out. If you see me on 8/16 between Tuolumne Meadows Lodge and Tenaya Lake, please pull over!

Thanks Coolburn
Sounds like they couldn't find enough drivers.

More like they didn't hire enough drivers. Aramark is unbelievably institutionally incompetent. The employees are nice, but uninformed to say the least. We really need to send lots of notes, so someone gets the message that publishing, and giving false information is not OK! And we want the shuttle back, it doesn't have to be free.

Below is my most recent email exchange with Aramark:

My question:

"Can someone give me an accurate answer on whether the Tuolumne Shuttle Bus is running this summer? I'm asking about the bus that runs between Tuolumne Meadows and Olmstead Point. I've called a couple of times, and got conflicting information. One person said yes, another said no."

Aramarks response:

"Thank you for your email
YES, the Tuolumne Hikers bus is running. You can go from Yosemite Valley Lodge to Olmstead Point leaving at 10am. It also leaves Yosemite Majestic Hotel at 2.05pm.
If you have any additional questions or require immediate assistance, please email or give us a call directly at the number listed below. Our agents are available from 8am-7pm AZ time, 7 days a week, to help you with your reservation needs."


Brenda | Aramark | Email Support


My reply (sorry for being so salty)

"Wow. I am not attacking you (thanks for the reply), but I was pretty clear that the Tuolumne Hikers bus was NOT the bus I was asking about! It’s unbelievable that Aramark is clueless about the Tuolumne Shuttle it runs (or used to run) between Tuolumne Lodge to Olmstead point and back. I finally got a straight and reliable answer from Tony, The concessionaire manager at Yosemite. Aramark stopped running the shuttle this year and neglected to tell anyone, including their employees, that it is NOT running. The website shows it running, YNP website shows it running, and one lady from Aramark even emailed a schedule.


If I relied upon that erroneous, published information, I would find myself looking for a shuttle that would never show up, and then finally figure out that I have to hike back to the starting trailhead, with a full backpack, after spending 6 days in the wilderness (another 10-20 miles, or 30 minutes by shuttle!) That is not even close to acceptable. You really should forward this email to someone in a position to understand just how screwed all the backpackers are that rely upon the false information published by Aramark.

Most everyone I have talked or emailed with from Aramark has been nice, but so far everyone of you is severely misinformed. There is no excuse for that, and your bosses should fix it, and care a little about the people they abandoned."

I don't what Aramark's site said yesterday or the day before or a month ago, but at least of this moment it makes no mention of the TM area shuttle, only of the valley shuttles and the once-a-day bus from the valley to TM, and includes a link to the YARTS site.

I think the lack of a TM area shuttle is something that both Aramark and the Yosemite offices need to hear about.

Well Not Geezer, Aramark does seem to have scrubbed every reference to the Tuolumne shuttle from its website. I never did get a reply to my last email,but it looks like somebody got the message that you just can't stop a service that people rely upon, while still publishing that the bus is running We need to reach someone now that can get the message that we still need the shuttle!.

Doesn't the hiker's bus leave from the Lodge at 8AM? It's now 10? Yeesh. FWIW: I haven't seen a single Tuolumne Shuttle Bus yet. Don't think those are running at all. Evidence gathered from multiple trips/visits this summer.

My source - Working a cash register/ living behind the store all summer - up at the TM store...pretty much the center of the TM action.

All the buses are shot...were used up long before Aramark took over.
Always eager to squeeze any available dollar out of any possible venue, last year they tried a few band-aid bus fixes and then tried charging $1 per stop...IE, six stops Sunrise TH from TM store = $6 bucks for each person for the short ride. The problem arose as the buses had no way to take credit cards (most hikers carry limited cash), bus drivers did not have the ability to make change, and many of the long-time bus drivers showed compassion and often were not charging riders. Aramark accused them of taking the money...a few old-timers said f--k it... quit. Now, this year, as the buses are done/ still all-too-often break down, and nobody wanted the driver's jobs (and won't take the Aramark chit)
. Bottom line...no local TM shuttles.

Thanks for the real info. I feel for Aramark employees.

Ditto. A totally plausible explanation.

So, does this all mean we can once again park wherever we damned please at any trailhead? It was my understanding the park stopped that practice, making it mandatory to use the shuttle bus. I'm envisioning 40 vehicles parked at Cathedral trail head and more drivers milling around looking for a nearby spot.

Just found this statement on this NPS YOSE page about public transportation in the park, which was last updated August 28: "Tuolumne Meadows Shuttle
Not in service in 2018. The Tuolumne Meadows shuttle bus provides convenient access throughout the Tuolumne Meadows area between the Tioga Pass and Olmsted Point (including Tenaya Lake) during the summer (typically mid-June through early September). See the complete schedule."

I hope this means someone who can do something about it is aware of the problem and working on a fix for next summer.

"The problem arose as the buses had no way to take credit cards"

What decade are we in?

Quote
iivvgg
"The problem arose as the buses had no way to take credit cards"

What decade are we in?

What would they use for their data connection to authorize the charges?