The American people will have the opportunity to weigh in on Sedona’s plan to begin trailhead shuttle service in the spring of 2022.
On Wednesday, Oct. 20, the Coconino National Forest announced a 30-day public comment period on proposed USFS actions intended to facilitate the city’s ambition to operate a shuttle service to five popular trailheads to alleviate road congestion and illegal and dangerous parking.
The most dramatic action proposed by Coconino National Forest is to close public parking at Cathedral Rock Trailhead and Soldier Pass Trailhead, which already has restrictions, between 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Cars that arrive at the trailhead before the start of restrictions would be allowed to remain parked in the lot.
In the proposal letter, CNF wrote that the restrictions are intended to “encourage the use of the shuttle system or other modes of transport [walking, biking and drop-offs] and allow for safe shuttle operations.”
The other proposed shuttle stops, without new parking restrictions, are Dry Creek Trailhead, Little Horse Trailhead and Mescal Trailhead.
The shuttles would run on approximately 15- to 45-minute intervals, depending on demand, trail usage and other factors, USFS wrote.
Coconino National Forest also proposes to modify the two parking lots at Cathedral Rock Trailhead to make them more amenable to shuttle service. The current pedestrian footpath between the city-owned and USFS-owned parking lots would be converted into a motorized exit onto Back O’ Beyond Road, and a new footpath connecting the lots would be created nearby.
The proposed trailhead stops in this initial roll out do not include any trailheads in the Village of Oak Creek or Oak Creek Canyon. Stops in these areas are envisioned for future phases of the transit system, and will depend on cooperation from Coconino and Yavapai Counties, Lauren Browne, Sedona Communications and Public Relations Manager wrote in an email.
“Our focus, at least in this phase, has been on trailheads adjacent to our residential neighborhoods where we’re seeing the largest negative impacts like oversubscription of parking on streets and safety concerns,” she wrote.
The Red Rock Ranger District has previously issued trailhead transportation permits. In 2016, three private permittees received permits to make five stops per day, dropping off up to 14 passengers per stop, at authorized trailheads. According to USFS, “these permits were not utilized.”
USFS is giving this project a lighter level of analysis than some projects, avoiding a time-intensive Environmental Impact Statement by giving the project a “categorical exclusion” under the National Environmental Policy Act. The agency’s reasoning is that the actions in the shuttle proposal fall under one of the exemptions allowed in Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations:
“36 CFR 220.6(d)(12) … new authorization or amendment of an existing authorization for recreation special uses that occur on existing roads or trails, in existing facilities, in existing recreation sites, or in areas where such activities are allowed.”
However, “as part of the project, resource reviews by Forest Service archaeologists, biologists, engineers, and hydrologists will occur, with any needed surveys for ground-disturbing activities,” USFS wrote in the scoping letter.
Last December, the city of Sedona hired its first-ever transit manager, Robert Weber, to help it implement a multimillion dollar transit plan to address increasing congestion on local roads and trailheads. Weber’s position was created with help from a $132,800 Federal Transportation Administration grant administered by the Arizona Department of Transportation.
In August, the city of Sedona agreed to a lease purchase of five hybrid buses for up to $712,000, to be delivered early next year. Due to high demand and anticipated delays, city staff recommended purchasing the vehicles as soon as possible, before shuttle plans were fully developed.
Visit the USFS project webpage at tinyurl.com/TrailheadTransit to read the full scoping letter and get instructions on submitting comments.
