MDOT, National Parks Service Working To Improve Access To Parks

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The Michigan Department of Transportation and several other state departments have entered a memorandum of understanding with the National Parks Service to work together to develop programs for more sustainable and equitable travel to national parks in Michigan. MDOT chief mobility officer Trevor Pawl said on this week’s “Talking Michigan Transportation” podcast they’re looking for accessibility for electric vehicles and rural transit to the parks.

“Michigan and National Parks, we understand that emissions, congestion, accessibility are increasingly difficult challenges,” Pawl said.

Pawl said many national parks are in more remote areas, which can be a problem for some who want to visit them.

“Helping more folks get to the parks and have those life changing experiences that many of us had as kids or as adults.”

Some of the possibilities for the partnership include installing more charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, something the National Parks Service has already begun. The state and the NPS will also engage in community outreach in areas near national parks to determine how they could improve access to them.