TRANSPORTATION NEEDS OF NATIONAL PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS

Transportation plays a key role in the way that people access and enjoy federal lands. The transportation systems serving federal lands provide opportunities for recreational travel and tourism, protect and enhance resources, and provide sustained economic development in rural and urban areas. However, in many areas, access and user demands are exceeding the system's carrying capacity. The Transportation Research Board's Task Force on Transportation Needs for National Parks and Public Lands (A5T55) provides a forum for identification of research needs and requirements regarding recreational travel and tourism on public lands. Significant issues include the following: transportation planning; visitor information systems; customer needs, scenic preservation; transportation management tools; safety and maintenance of transportation infrastructure; development of better data on recreational travel; advanced mobility technologies including transit, paratransit, guideway, personal, and nonmotorized; environmental management; and increased funding.