Overview 

The City of Sedona Transportation Master Plan (TMP) includes a series of recommended strategies to address traffic congestion and mobility needs of residents, visitors and commuters. 

In June 2018, LSC Transportation Consultants, Inc. was hired by the City to further develop these strategies and facilitate the creation of a transit implementation plan to serve the greater Sedona area including destinations throughout Oak Creek Canyon. Over the course of more than a year, the plan was developed. You may read the full report in the side bar to the right.

The plan's focus is:

1. Enhanced circulation service within Sedona city limits and the Village of Oak Creek.
2. Development of a visitor-oriented shuttle that would be extended to serve Oak Creek Canyon and forest trailheads within and surrounding the city.

City Council directed City staff to move forward with implementation steps for Phase One of the plan, knowing that any financial decision points will need to be brought back to City Council. However, with the rise in tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for trailhead shuttles and micro transit was prioritized.

Sedona Shuttle Trailhead Routes and Park & Ride lots

The City deployed trailhead shuttles to the most popular trailheads with service beginning on March 24, 2022. As of March 2025, the Sedona Shuttle Trailhead Routes have transported more than one million riders, averaging more than 35 boardings per hour! Ridership for fiscal year 2025 reached a record 358,813 rides, a 2.7% increase over fiscal year 2024.

The Trailhead Routes continue to demonstrate their value as a cornerstone of Sedona’s traffic management strategy. This success highlights the community’s ongoing commitment to effective transportation alternatives that reduce congestion in neighborhoods and at trailheads.

The following Park & Ride lots and destinations are where locals and visitors alike can board the Trailhead Routes:

• Trailhead shuttles serving Cathedral Rock and Little Horse trailheads pick up from the North State Route (SR) 179 park and ride lot located at 1294 SR 179.
• Service to Soldier Pass and Dry Creek Vista trailheads operates from the Posse Grounds park and ride lot at 20 Carruth Drive in west Sedona.
• Service to Dry Creek Vista and Mescal trailheads from the West SR 89A Park and Ride (905 Upper Red Rock Loop Rd. 

All Trailhead Routes normally run Thursday through Sunday, from 7 AM to 5 PM. However, during peak visitation periods, the shuttles will run seven days a week. Shuttles will run frequently throughout the day (every 15 to 45 minutes).

During periods when the Trailhead Routes are running, the parking lots at the Cathedral Rock and Soldier Pass trailheads will be closed, however Dry Creek and Little Horse trailheads will remain open for parking. All visitors are asked to use the Trailhead Routes to access these trailheads.

For more details on routes, frequency and more, visit at www.sedonashuttle.com.

What’s next:

• In partnership with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the City will pilot 30-minute frequency on Route 14 (Soldier’s Pass) this fall.
• City staff and partners are analyzing long-term alternatives for Route 12 to optimize system efficiency.

Note: the Ranger Station is no longer being considered as a possible park and ride location.

Sedona Shuttle Connect

Since launching in August 2024, Sedona Shuttle Connect, the City's on-demand service, has provided 14,396 rides through fiscal year 2025, helping residents and visitors access jobs, services, and destinations without relying on single-occupancy vehicles.

• Ridership peaked in March and April 2025, aligning with Sedona’s spring visitor season.
• Summer 2025 outreach campaigns (free ride coupons via hotels and businesses) drove engagement, with 230 coupons redeemed in just two months.
• Fiscal year 2026 ridership is off to a strong start, with July–August demand consistent with prior months.

What’s next:

• A Chapel-area pilot is in development, targeted for October/November 2025.
• Pending evaluation, the next expansion area is North of Sanborn Drive in spring 2026.

Uptown circulator study 

The City of Sedona has contracted with AECOM to conduct an Uptown Circulator Study, funded through an FTA Section 5311 planning grant administered by ADOT. The total budget is $45,650, with $36,520 in federal funding (80%) and a $9,130 local match (20%).

The study will evaluate the feasibility of a fixed-route circulator shuttle that connects the new Uptown Parking Garage with major destinations including Uptown, Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village, and Hillside Sedona Shopping Center. In addition, the study will review existing transit services to identify opportunities for improved connectivity and system integration. The overarching goal is to promote a seamless “park once” experience, enabling visitors and residents to access key activity centers without having to drive between them. This supports broader City objectives of reducing traffic congestion, supporting local businesses, and enhancing mobility and the overall visitor experience in central Sedona.

In parallel, the City is evaluating parking management strategies in Uptown. These include the development of a residential parking program for adjacent neighborhoods to the new garage and business district, coordination with businesses to look at employee parking needs, and integration of parking supply, enforcement, and pricing strategies. Together, these initiatives will create a comprehensive approach to managing mobility in Uptown.

As part of the circulator study effort, the 2006 RoadRunner circulator has been studied to understand why it failed and how a new system can succeed. The RoadRunner failed because parking was still plentiful, demand was weak, and the City lacked experienced transit staff to guide and improve the service. Today, Uptown parking is constrained, new permit and pricing tools encourage transit use, and the City has staff with the expertise to operate successful transit programs. By building on the proven trailhead shuttle system and integrating real-time technology and wayfinding, a new circulator is well positioned to succeed where the earlier effort could not. The circulator will be evaluated through phased pilots and clear performance metrics to ensure demand justifies investment before full build-out.

To further strengthen this effort, public/private partnership opportunities will be explored. These may provide a way to share costs, support operations, and ensure long-term sustainability while aligning the service with local business and community interests.

Public outreach and data collection:

The study ran from August 21 to September 21, 2025. Outreach tools included online and paper questionnaires, distribution to over 200 stakeholders (businesses, hotels, HOAs, concierges), QR-coded flyers in shops and restaurants, paper copies at the Visitor Center, and direct in-person engagement. As of August 29, more than 268 responses had been collected.

• Residents (179): 46% unlikely to use, 35% likely to use.
• Employees/Business Owners (51): 48% likely, 28% neutral.
• Visitors (38): 87% likely to use.

Feedback highlights that traffic congestion and limited parking remain top challenges, while the most desired circulator features include high service frequency (15–30 minutes) and convenient stops near key destinations and parking facilities.

What's next:

• Three service alternatives will be developed in October 2025 with different routing scenarios, service hours, vehicle needs, ridership estimates, fare options, and cost ranges. A preferred alternative will be identified in late 2025/early 2026, including operating and capital cost estimates, vehicle recommendations, fare policy, and performance metrics.
• The Final Report is scheduled for completion in January 2026, timed to align with the completion of the Uptown Parking Garage and integration into Sedona’s broader transit and parking strategy.

Transit maintenance and operations facility

The City is currently in the design phase for the proposed transit maintenance and operations facility, which will be constructed based on available grant funding. The facility is an important component of the City’s long-term transit strategy and essential to supporting a safe, efficient, and sustainable low- to zero-emission transit fleet. 

A design contract in the amount of $1.8 million was awarded to Kimley-Horn in January 2025, with the project officially kicking off in March. The project is expected to take approximately 16 months to complete. 

Funding & Site:

• $720,000 FTA Section 5339 Bus & Bus Facilities Grant (via ADOT)
• $180,000 local match
• Facility will be constructed on City-owned land adjacent to the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
• Construction will be contingent on securing federal or state funding; no commitment of local construction funding is proposed at this stage.

What's next:

• Fall 2025: Continue design development; incorporate utility and site refinements.
• Oct/Nov 2025: Present facility business analysis to City Council, including cost and partnership considerations.
• May 2026: Final design, grant pursuit for construction, and preparation for facility build-out.

Further discussion of transit governance and the maintenance and operations facility business analysis will be held with City Council, tentatively planned for November 2025.  

Ride Exchange mobility hub

A conceptual design of a mobility hub, where people will be able to change bus routes or exchange one mode of transportation for another (transit vehicle-to-bike, for example), was completed in fiscal year 2023 for the property at 215 State Route 89A. The mobility hub will not function as a Park & Ride lot, but as a route exchange. However, final design and engineering are on hold pending future decisions regarding transit operations. 

Other information

After seeing public support in the annual budget survey, Council also approved the extension of the half-cent transportation sales tax past its current expiration as a funding source for transit in the future.