Yorktown, Va. – A cooperative effort spearheaded by the National Park Service and supported by members of the Williamsburg area tourism industry is offering visitors to Virginia’s Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown shuttle bus service to and around these destinations during the summer vacation season.
Running daily now through September 6, two routes of the Historic Triangle Shuttle provide transportation along the Colonial Parkway from the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center, one bound for Jamestown and the other destined for Yorktown.
Once arriving at Jamestown and Yorktown, additional shuttle services provide transportation to the various attractions. The Jamestown Area
Shuttle, also a new service this summer, provides loop service around the Jamestown area, with continuous service between Historic Jamestowne, the Jamestown Settlement and the Jamestown Glasshouse (part of Historic Jamestowne). For visitors riding to Yorktown, the Yorktown Trolley provides service between the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center and the Yorktown Victory Center, as well as several stops between in the historic village.
The new services are part of a Cooperative Agreement between the National Park Service, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and Williamsburg Area Transport, with additional assistance provided by APVA Preservation Virginia, the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and York County.
The program operates through transportation enhancement funding of the United States Department of Transportation. Because the shuttles have received funding for this summer, there is no cost to visitors to use the service, though a ticket to one of the four destinations (Historic Jamestowne, Jamestown Settlement, Yorktown Victory Center, Yorktown Battlefield) is required to board the Historic Triangle Shuttle and the Jamestown Area Shuttle.
In announcing the start of service, Colonial National Historical Park
Superintendent Alec Gould said, “The Historic Triangle Shuttle service is yet another important step as the Williamsburg area prepares for the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown in 2007 and beyond. The shuttles will benefit not only visitors to our area, but local residents and the tourism industry as a whole. We are pleased that due of the hard work and cooperation of so many people, visitors to the Historic Triangle can now relax and ride to the sites at Jamestown and Yorktown.”
This summer’s shuttle service is a demonstration program, in which the
system will be operated on a small scale as a means of evaluating the
demand for and feasibility of such transportation services.
National Park Service Transportation Coordinator Dorothy Geyer, who is supervising this summer’s program, said, “In providing transportation shuttle services around the Historic Triangle, we’re attempting something that has never been done before. We’ll start small this summer and frow from there. Feedback that we get from both riders and operators alike will be used to evaluate and improve the operation, so that when the large influx of visitors occurs in 2007, the operation will run smoothly.”
Historic Triangle Shuttle
The keystone of the new transportation services is the Historic Triangle Shuttle, which provides daily service along two routes from the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center, the first running along the Colonial Parkway to Jamestown, the second following the Parkway to Yorktown. The buses are being provided for this summer’s demonstration by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation as part of a Cooperative Agreement with the National Park Service.
There is no charge for the service, though a ticket for one of the destinations is required to board. As a means of tracking ridership,
boarding passes are required and are available at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center.
Service to Jamestown departs from the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center daily at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and upon arriving at Jamestown, makes stops at both Historic Jamestowne and Jamestown Settlement. Return service to Colonial Williamsburg departs from Historic Jamestowne at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. with pickups also being made on the way at the Jamestown Settlement at 9:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 1:45 p.m., and 5:15 p.m.
Service to Yorktown departs from the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center daily at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. and makes drop-offs at both the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center and the Yorktown Victory Center.
Visitors can board for return service to Colonial Williamsburg from either the Yorktown Battlefield or the Yorktown Victory Center, with pickups from the battlefield at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m., and the Victory Center at 10:40 a.m., 12:40 p.m., 2:40 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Jamestown Area Shuttle
Once arriving at Jamestown on the Historic Triangle Shuttle, visitors have the opportunity to visit all that Jamestown has to offer by making use of the Jamestown Area Shuttle. Completing a loop approximately every 20 minutes, the Jamestown Area Shuttle makes stops at the Historic Jamestowne Visitor Information Station, the Jamestown Settlement and the Jamestown Glasshouse (also a part of Historic Jamestowne).
Buses for the service are being provided by Williamsburg Area Transport under a Cooperative Agreement with the National Park Service. Additional input and assistance in the development of the Jamestown Area Shuttle was provided by APVA Preservation Virginia and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.
The Jamestown Area Shuttle operates daily until September 6, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Yorktown Trolley
For the past several summers, visitors to Yorktown have been able to ride from to a variety of historic sites throughout the village by means of the Yorktown Trolley. This summer, passengers of the Historic Triangle Shuttle will find the same service available to transport them from the Yorktown Battlefield to the Yorktown Victory Center, as well as several stops in between. A service of York County, the Yorktown Trolley operates this summer daily until September 6, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Due to construction along Water Street of the Riverwalk Landing, the trolley will complete a loop approximately ever 35-40 minutes.
For additional information about the Historic Triangle Shuttle services,
contact the National Park Service at 898-2410.