The famous Yellowstone National Park is planning on testing new self-driving shuttle services in order to decrease traffic and reduce the environmental impact of visitors in the park.

With the increase in visitors over the years, the park has been suffering from traffic jams, erosion, damage to vegetation, and trash problems. It is thus in search of new solutions to solve these issues.

The autonomous vehicle company Beep will be launching new shuttles in 2021, providing a sustainable and innovative way of transportation that will be able to improve mobility and enhance the visitor experience. Two autonomous shuttles will be available in the Canyon Village, serving the campground, visitor services, and visitor lodging area.

The company has been developing shuttles and routes in Florida communities for the past few years, reducing dramatically the carbon emissions.

However, the rise of the COVID-19 slowed the progress and suspended testing in the AV industry. There is still a need for cities to adapt public transportation so it will benefit residents and reduce the exposure of people operating buses and shuttles. Hence, autonomous vehicles could be the solution by delivering groceries and testing supplies in these times of social distancing.

In a way, the pandemic might even be able to speed up the adoption of AVs in Europe. In the US, it might take a bit more time due to consumer preference for private transportation.