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Commission accepts $1M UDOT grant for Moab–Arches shuttle pilot and recommends Via Transportation as operator
Summary
Grand County accepted a $1 million UDOT Transportation Investment Fund grant for a pilot Moab–Arches shuttle and the shuttle working group recommended Via Transportation as operator. Commissioners debated timing, costs and community benefits before accepting the grant and advancing a vendor recommendation for contract drafting and CMA coordination with the National Park Service.
Grand County commissioners voted to accept a $1 million UDOT Transportation Investment Fund grant to pilot a Moab–Arches shuttle and then endorsed Via Transportation as the recommended operator for the pilot.
Chair Melody McCandless framed the pilot as part of a broader effort to plan for the county’s long‑term livability and resilience: "A pilot shuttle is not a finished system. It will have rough weeks and hard learning. Many of the questions that people are asking about cost, about timing, about who pays for what are exactly the questions that this pilot exists to answer," she said.
Commissioners debated whether the grant and pilot timeline were the best use of public dollars. The motion to accept the UDOT grant passed 4–3 after an extended colloquy on fiscal priorities and local support. The shuttle working group recommended Via Transportation as vendor on a competitive review; commissioners discussed the need to finalize a cooperative management agreement (CMA) with the National Park Service and to bring back a draft contract to the commission for ratification before execution.
County counsel said the RFP selection will be followed by contract drafting that incorporates the CMA obligations; staff said a final contract and CMA review would be returned to the commission for ratification on an expedited schedule to allow a September start if feasible.
Commissioners also discussed a separate RFP for shuttle attendants and related operations support; staff said that procurement is being coordinated so operator and attendant services may be provided by the same or cooperating vendors.
