Apgar Transit Center Parking Lot Expansion Proposal

Glacier National Park is hoping to accommodate visitors on the west side of the park by adding more parking. Last week park officials released an environmental study focused on expanding the parking lot at the Apgar Transit Center.

As a preliminary step toward implementing the decision in the Final General Management Plan to replace the interim visitor center in Apgar Village with a visitor center and museum north of the Going-to the-Sun Road and Camas T-intersection, the park plans to relocate visitor center operations from Apgar Village to the Apgar Transit Center in the near future. The transit center parking lot was designed to provide parking for visitors using the transit system, and is too small to accommodate additional parking once visitor center operations are moved.

The environmental assessment evaluates two alternatives: a no action alternative, and an action alternative. The no action alternative describes the current condition if the transit center parking lot was not expanded, and the action alternative (preferred alternative) addresses the proposed expansion of the existing parking lot.

Under the preferred alternative, the existing parking lot at the Apgar Transit Center would be expanded. The existing lot contains 132 passenger car spaces (including 5 accessible spaces) and 15 RV or oversized vehicle spaces. The parking lot would be extended approximately 90 feet to the north and 90 feet to the east. The northern expansion would accommodate approximately 60 passenger cars, including 4 accessible spaces, and the eastern expansion would provide parking for approximately 6 RV’s and oversized vehicles. With some possible minor changes to the number of existing spaces, the expanded parking lot would provide approximately 190-195 spaces for passenger vehicles, including 9 accessible spaces, and 21 RV or oversized vehicle spaces.

Construction is anticipated to occur during fall and the following spring. The project is estimated to take approximately 8 weeks to complete. Cost to complete the project is estimated at $500,000, which would be funded by the Federal Lands Highway Program.

You can leave a comment on the proposal by visiting the project's website. All comments are due by May 7th.


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com