Multi-Modal Travel in Yosemite Valley

Crowley, Duncan; Fitch, Dillon; Handy, Susan · 2022 · ROSA P / National Center for Sustainable Transportation (NCST) (UTC)

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Summary

This study analyzes multi-modal travel patterns within Yosemite Valley to understand visitor movement by car, bicycle, and foot. The research was motivated by the need to inform transportation planning, particularly regarding the expansion of the Yosemite Conservancy’s bikeshare program and efforts to reduce vehicular congestion in the park’s narrow canyon. The analysis focuses on the summer of 2019, a period after the launch of a pilot bikeshare system but prior to pandemic-related disruptions. The researchers utilized aggregated cell phone location data from the StreetLight Data platform to estimate traffic volumes. Due to data limitations, vehicle volumes were reported as absolute counts, while bicycle and pedestrian volumes were reported as unitless indexes indicating relative magnitude rather than absolute numbers. The study examined two spatial frameworks: major destination zones (such as Yosemite Village, Curry Village, and Yosemite Lodge) and specific route segments along the valley’s loop roads and paths. The analysis compared travel volumes across weekdays and weekends and tracked fluctuations throughout the day. Key findings indicate that Yosemite Village is the highest-volume destination for all three modes of travel. Drivers generally made longer trips than cyclists or pedestrians, yet many driving trips were short enough to potentially be replaced by walking or biking. Vehicle counts were significantly higher within the valley’s core loop than on entry and exit roads, suggesting that drivers frequently circulate while searching for parking or moving between nearby destinations. In contrast, bicyclists and pedestrians predominantly traveled between neighboring zones. Temporal patterns showed consistent peaks across all modes, with activity beginning around 6 AM, plateauing between 1 PM and 3 PM, and declining after 6 PM. Weekend traffic volumes were slightly higher than weekday volumes, with peaks occurring earlier in the day on weekends. Bicycle and pedestrian activity was concentrated near Yosemite Village, Yosemite Lodge, and Curry Village, correlating with the presence of bike rentals and parking infrastructure. The study concludes that short-distance driving trips within the valley are prime candidates for mode shift to active transportation. These findings provide a data-driven basis for optimizing bikeshare station locations, improving bicycle infrastructure, and enhancing pedestrian access. The authors note that future work should include intercept surveys to understand visitor decision-making and an analysis of shuttle bus usage to further refine transportation strategies in the park.

Key finding

Vehicle traffic is concentrated in the valley core rather than on entry roads, indicating high circulation by car, while many short driving trips could potentially be replaced by walking or bicycling.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (6 acquisition events logged).

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• exposure measurement