YARTS Celebrates 10 Years Of Service

A ceremony was held in Yosemite Valley last week to mark 10 years of Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) service to Yosemite National Park.

The regional transportation system provides bus service to the park along the Highway 140 route from Merced and along the Highway 120 east route to Mammoth Lakes. YARTS serves park employees (NPS and concessioner) and park visitors seven days a week, year round.

Since its inception, over 550,000 riders have utilized YARTS. This significantly reduces private vehicle travel in the Valley, which reduces traffic congestion and improves air quality. YARTS currently leases its buses, but has received funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to purchase clean diesel buses for use in and around the park. Approximately 60 people, including YARTS staff and local elected officials, attended the ceremony.

I rode from Mammoth to Tioga coming back from a hike recently - loved being able to look out the window the whole way and be a tourist for once, usually I'm driving over. Very comfortable and affordable. Here's to you, sullen YARTS driver!