Glacier National Park has found an operator for its shuttle system/NPS file

Glacier National Park, which found itself without a shuttle operator when Flathead County officials terminated their contract in December, has found a new company to run the 35-bus operation.

The National Park Service Contracting and Procurement Office awarded the contract for the 2020 Visitor Transportation Service in Glacier to LC Staffing of Kalispell, Montana. The contract, valid for up to two years, provides drivers, dispatchers, and supervisors for the park’s shuttle fleet runs along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. 

“I would like to thank park staff and the NPS Contracting and Procurement Office for their expeditious work to award this contract following the termination of the cooperative agreement with Flathead County. We are pleased to be working with LC Staffing and providing visitors with such an important service in Glacier National Park,” said Superintendent Jeff Mow.

Jim Foster, the park's chief of facilities management, said, “LC Staffing has recruited and employed park shuttle drivers since 2009 and are well-positioned to support the park in 2020.”  

If spring conditions and COVID-19 measures allow, the Visitor Transportation Service will operate a hiker-biker shuttle from Mother’s Day weekend until the Going-to-the-Sun Road opens to the public for the season. The hiker-biker shuttle operates on weekends and provides service from the Apgar Visitor Center to Avalanche Creek with stops at Lake McDonald Lodge. Once the Going-to-the-Sun Road opens for the season, park shuttles will provide service between the Apgar and St. Mary Visitor Centers from July 1 to Labor Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days per week.  

“Glacier National Park will continue to follow the CDC guidance and other federal, state, and local health authorities for monitoring the situation related to the novel coronavirus outbreak. Decisions on park operations, including shuttle service, will be re-evaluated regularly to ensure the safety of visitors and park employees,” said Superintendent Mow.  

The National Park Service initially planned a park public transportation system in 1999 to reduce vehicle congestion along the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor. Major construction on the Going-to-the-Sun Road in 2007 served as the catalyst for the current transportation system.

With the Going-to-the-Sun Road rehabilitation project now complete, and the popularity of the shuttle system growing every year, the park continues to explore opportunities to expand and improve its Visitor Transportation Service. This effort is an important step in reviewing transportation system operations and ensuring financial sustainability into the future.