Several services in Yosemite to be suspended soon

It looks like they are terminating part of the shuttle service, among many other things.

myyosemite.com/content/serv…

Looks like this has to do with the changing of the concessionaire service.

mcclatchydc.com/news/nation…

Cant say I am sorry to see DNC gone. I dont think I have ever met someone who likes DNC. Hopefully the new company will do better. Regardless it seems like the Valley is going to experience some very substantial changes in the next few years.

I'm not sure that DNC is any worse a concessionaire than their predecessors, the Curry Company.

Most of these changes seem intended to make Yosemite less of an "amusement park" experience, and more of a wilderness/backcountry experience, which is fine with me. Cutting back on the more frivolous services will also reduce the need for employee housing in or near the park, reducing human impact on the park.

There are gas stations reasonably close to all four park entrances, did we ever need 3 of them in the park? Removing the gas station by Camp 4 was an improvement, and removing the Meadows gas station should be too. Maybe this will cut down on motor vehicle traffic in the park.

Cutting out the hiker shuttle between the Meadows and the Valley is a drag, and it will be a shame not to have some kind of shuttle service in the Meadows. Hopefully NPS or the concessionaire can find a way to restore this service.

Cutting out the horse rides is a great idea, no more horse shit on the trails. Let those lard asses walk!

These changes don't look like something the concessionaire thought of, they look like an attempt by NPS to make Yosemite less of an amusement park and more of a backcountry/wilderness experience.

mark felber wrote:Cutting out the hiker shuttle between the Meadows and the Valley is a drag, and it will be a shame not to have some kind of shuttle service in the Meadows. Hopefully NPS or the concessionaire can find a way to restore this service.

amarius wrote: I'll bet some virtual money that shuttle rides will become pay-per-use.

WAIT! They're tearing out the Awahnee tennis courts???😕

At one time the concessionaire sold certain luxury goods (alcohol, tobacco, etc.) at a higher markup than the rest of their merchandise. Part of the extra profit went to pay for the shuttle services. It would be nice if they could do this again.

The problem with charging a fee for the shuttles is that nobody would use them, they would just use their cars unless parking at trail heads was pretty strictly regulated or banned.