YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. — It's not quite the cars from Jurassic Park, but Yellowstone National Park is rolling out automated vehicles that will transport visitors this summer. The vehicles will collect data that will help chart the future of mass transportation in all national parks.
According to the national park, two of The Electric Driverless Demonstration in Yellowstone vehicles, or T.E.D.D.Y., arrived on Monday and teams will spend the next month training and preparing for the service's launch on May 24.
The shuttles will run two routes this summer between the Canyon Village campground, visitor services and the lodging area.
From May 24 through July 12, the two automated vehicles will run between visitor services, the Moran Lodge and the Washburn Lodge. Between July 14 and August 31, it will transport people from visitor services to the amphitheater and campground services, the middle campground and the upper campground.
People will need to wear a face mask while onboard. Shuttle capacity will be limited to six if everyone is traveling together or a group of two people and a separate group of three people may ride together.
The T.E.D.D.Y.s were built by Beep, Inc. after the company was selected by the National Park Service and the Department of Transportation in 2020.
Yellowstone National Park states that if the pilot program is successful, it may consider the technology as a different method of transportation to improve visitors' time there.
Also, no word from officials if "OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR" will be written on the automated vehicle's mirrors so visitors can see the park's bison, who have proved life will find a way, up close and personal.
Find exact shuttle route stops and times here.
