Getting around Yellowstone National Park may look a little different this summer thanks to a new automated shuttle service that’s about to hit the road.
In May, both Yellowstone National Park and Wright Brothers National Memorial in North Carolina will start a pilot project with electric-powered, low-speed automated shuttle buses.
The shuttles will operate throughout the summer and keep on a small loop between campgrounds, lodges and visitor centers.
![AV Shuttle YNP](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e764e3d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2048x1365+0+0/resize/1280x853!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F66%2F8e%2F410e0b8d4037a4e0be83607d908c%2F175837195-4575317595816892-3181299737264455241-n.jpg)
While the vehicles will be unmanned, there will be an operator on board during operation and several park employees are currently training to help facilitate loading zones and maintain COVID-19 protocols.
In 2019, Yellowstone was the sixth most visited National Park in the United States with over 4 million guests. It was selected for this pilot project by the National Parks Service because of its popularity and remoteness.
The data from this pilot program will help guide long-term decisions regarding transportation in all National Parks.
For more information on this project, log onto: https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/management/automated-shuttle-pilot.htm?fbclid=IwAR1bauT2gjHtQDO94iAsiYdEAB8f9n09_IcpWHY_m2vnEA-mVYcTFxUPdeY
![AV Shuttle YNP](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f5353d5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2048x1365+0+0/resize/1280x853!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F99%2Fa2%2Facbac6f541cea25521bc94750300%2F175900049-4575317569150228-6858166116520295175-n.jpg)