Shuttle Service
Posted at 4:29 pm November 3, 2008 by Drew Searing
As employees with the Transportation Department at the San Diego Zoo, there are many facets to our job. Of course, we give tours of our amazing facility on the double-decked buses (pictured below). Those in our department also drive the Express Buses, including the Polar Bear Express, which is a convenient transportation system for anyone with a bus ticket. A few of us are also trained to drive shuttles which assist guests with mobility issues and accommodate wheelchairs, ECV’s (Electric Convenience Vehicles), and other mobility devices. With a ramp that opens and elevates, we can accommodate people of varying abilities who want to enjoy our Zoo.
The Zoo offers a 35-minute guided tour aboard a double-decked bus.
Some of us who drive “The Shuttle” are also proficient in American Sign Language to better serve our hard-of-hearing and deaf guests. Being fluent in other languages also helps tremendously. It can be daunting for a non-English-speaking visitor to get around our Zoo, and to be a person with a disability adds another perspective as well. Our shuttle drivers, and their concern for the safety and comfort of the guests, help put them at ease.
Some guests, especially locals, know that they can summon The Shuttle upon entering the Zoo at our Security Office. It usually takes anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes for the familiar tan van to show up after an initial call.
A shuttle driver must also be a master of multitasking. We monitor several radio channels simultaneously and can still hold an interesting conversation with the guests aboard the shuttle at the same time!
Anyone who has ever spent a day with us can tell you all about the canyons, mesas, and hills that comprise our world-famous Zoo. Sometimes guests are simply “pooped-out,” and just can’t manage to put one foot in front of the other. Again, this is where The Shuttle comes in handy. Simply have a gift shop employee phone for us, or flag down an employee with a radio, and soon you will be lifted away in a comfortable, air-conditioned mini-van—your own temporary limo service—to take you to wherever you want to go within our great Zoo.
On a typical day, The Shuttle makes about 30 to 40 pick-ups, assisting about 150 of our guests. That translates to almost 7,800 guests each year that might not otherwise enjoy an unforgettable day at the Zoo, thanks to the help of our shuttle and its trusty drivers.
And don’t forget: the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park also has an ADA-approved shuttle service!
Drew Searing is a tour guide at the San Diego Zoo. Read Drew’s previous blog, Visiting the Birds.
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November 4th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Drew, Thanks for all the great information about the services provided by SDZ. I’m sure alots of this info is great news to people with disabilities and it will expand where they can go. This opens a whole new world to them. This is why the SDZ and WAP are considered world class attractions. Thanks to you and your fellow drivers for providing such a wonderful service.
August 20th, 2009 at 8:51 am
I am coming to San Diego for a consultation with one of your famous Doctors to fix my hip replacement “gone bad”! My sister – who has been caring for me for the last thirteen months – deserves a treat and I want to bring her to the zoo/animal park. I do not require a wheel chair – can use crutches for a limited time period – but would appreciate knowing that we will be able to visit the park for an incredible experience without me tiring out to the point we just have to leave. Do you have tours available that we could join? Can’t wait to come visit!
Jim Hooker
Moderator’s note: We have ADA Shuttles that assist guests in getting around the Zoo or the Wild Animal Park. If you are visiting the Zoo, stop by the Guest Services office and explain your situation and they will be happy to either assist you in getting onto the buses or contacting the shuttle for you. At the Wild Animal Park, ask the person at the turnstile for the ADA guide and assistance. They will radio the shuttle for you.
The Zoo provides special assistance to its exhibits and attractions for those with limited mobility. Our bus tour is a great way to view the Zoo.
Guests with limited mobility may also enjoy spectacular views of the Zoo and surrounding Balboa Park from our Skyfari attraction.
Should you need a ride to avoid steep grade areas, a shuttle service is available by asking a Zoo employee to call for one.
At the Journey into Africa at the Wild Animal Park, there is a area between the general boarding area and the “Preferred Boarding” that we have created a lane to accommodate guests with mobility challenges. Please identify yourself to the ticket checking staff, and they will assist you in boarding your group onto the tram without having to wait in line. Enjoy your visit!