PARKS – A new early season shuttle bus service for bicycle riders on the Going-to-the-Sun Road through Glacier National Park debuted on Saturday.

The free service operates seven days a week through June 26 or when the GTSR opens to vehicles, whichever comes first. 

• Monitor road plowing progress here.

The service was launched by the National Park Service and the Glacier National Park Conservancy.

Operating hours for the shuttle are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with buses running every 20-25 minutes on weekends, and every 30-35 minutes during the week.

The service includes two bike trailers, bike counters for monitoring use on the road, equipment for a new volunteer bicycle patrol group, several bike racks and a new interpretive wayside exhibit and signs. The bike trailers can carry up to 16 bikes and have storage space for small wagons and bike trailers. Riders are expected to load their own bikes and equipment. The shuttle drivers will inspect the load and make sure that it is secure.

The new service is a pilot project for the NPS Centennial in 2016, the 100^th anniversary of the National Park Service. As a pilot project, the details of the operation may be adjusted as more is learned about visitor use patterns, route timing and loading.