Improved access to national parks -- more transportation options, EV charging stations, and clean energy shuttle bus fleets -- is a key goal of a memorandum of understanding signed by the secretaries of Interior and Transportation.

Under the agreement between Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Transportation Secretarty Pete Buttigieg, initiatives will be taken to increase access, support jobs, and enhance the transportation experience on public lands across the country. 

The MOU outlines priority initiatives – including innovative technology pilots, shared mobility integration, the electrification of major transit fleets, and additional electric vehicle charging stations – that will guide the departments’ efforts to build world-class transportation systems that provide enhanced access for car-free trips, interpretation, education, and enjoyment opportunities to visitors who want to experience public lands, a release from Interior said.

“As our national parks and public lands experience a surge of visitation, we must be innovative in our approaches to welcome people from every zip code, while also ensuring that we pass on these natural and cultural resources to future generations. Through this partnership with Transportation, our teams can advance the intersection of transportation innovations and access to public spaces,” Haaland said Wednesday during an event in Washington. “When we talk about and plan around access, we must do so with an eye toward equity. I look forward to working closely with Secretary Buttigieg and his team to ensure that sustainability and equitable access to parks and public lands remain hallmarks of our work.”

Butigieg said the projects outlined by the agreement "will help improve transportation in our national parks and communities across America. I look forward to continuing to work with Secretary Haaland and the National Park Service, to keep our most prized natural wonders accessible and safe for all Americans.”

During the event, Secretaries Haaland and Buttigieg also highlighted how the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will make historic investments in modernizing the nation’s infrastructure, including on public lands and at national parks. At the Interior Department, the infrastructure deal provides for a five-year reauthorization of the Federal Transportation Program, which will help invest in repairing and upgrading National Park Service roads, bridges, trails and transit systems. The law also invests in projects that will help fund bridge replacements and resiliency, repair ferry boats and terminal facilities, and maintain wildlife crossings that keep people and surrounding wildlife safe.

Secretaries Haaland and Buttigieg toured an active trail construction project today along the Potomac River, which will improve safety and access for pedestrians and bicyclists by widening a trail, adding a protected tunnel, and enlarging and enhancing green space on the multi-use trail next to the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway. These trail improvements are funded in part by the Great American Outdoors Act, the landmark conservation law that creates jobs and provides needed maintenance for critical facilities and infrastructure across our public lands.