Route 73 shuttle transports hikers safely, sustainably

KEENE | The Adirondack Route 73 hiker shuttle started running for the second year, July 9. The free shuttle picks up hikers from Marcy Field, stopping at Rooster Comb trailhead, Giant Mountain Ridge Trail and Roaring Brook Falls. The Town of Keene has been running a shuttle from Marcy Field to the Garden, stopping at trailheads along the way for about 15 years. Joe Pete Wilson, Town of Keene supervisor, said 2020 was the busiest for the shuttle, but last summer was an anomaly with its incredibly low numbers. "I think there are a bunch of reasons for that," Wilson said. "The border was still closed, movie theaters and malls and everything opened up again. So this summer, as the border opens, I'm really interested to see what kind of numbers we get." Both shuttles aim to minimize traffic and hiker's carbon footprints. The Route 73 shuttle was organized to help alleviate safety concerns caused by hikers parking on the side of the highway to get to trailheads. "A visitor who complained to me a few years ago really summed it up [when they said], 'Why is there a 55-mile-an-hour road running through the middle of your parking lot?'" Wilson said. "That's not really a system, and it was dangerous." The shuttle is organized by the Town of Keene and Essex County, promoted by the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) and funded by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). There is currently one Route 73 20-person shuttle in operation, but Wilson said they have more shuttles if there is demand for them. Laurie Rankin, ADK46er president, said ADK46er hikers are excited to see the shuttle service out again. "I think that hikers are very willing to use shuttles," Rankin said. "It's much easier to depend on a shuttle than a parking space when you get there." Rankin said she thinks it might be beneficial to run the shuttles during the week, not just the weekends. "I think our hikers might also like to see it start a little earlier," Rankin said. "A 6 a.m. start might make for much greater ridership just because it gives people that opportunity to be on the trail earlier in the morning." The shuttle's exterior is bright purple with animal tracks all up the door and mountain scenes wrapped around the sides. The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) designed the van like this to make it clear it is for hikers and to promote two of their principles: "leave no trace" and "love ADK." Mary Jane Lawrence, ROOST chief operating officer, said one of the benefits of shuttling hikers is the opportunity to educate them and ensure people are prepared for their hike. "If you're dropping off a family with two small kids with flip-flops on at the base of a 46 mountain, then clearly that's not the appropriate hike for them," Lawrence said. "So it offers the opportunity to better educate our hikers so that they're in the right place for their capacity." Lawrence said everyone involved is excited to see the shuttle system grow and become more commonplace. "We have to reduce our carbon footprint and we have to become more conscientious and find different ways to move around that have less of an environmental impact," Lawrence said. The Route 73 shuttle will run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays, and holiday Mondays until Oct. 10.

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Route 73 shuttle transports hikers safely, sustainably

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