Getting There: New shuttle system takes off in Riverfront Park
May 3-Visitors to Spokane's Riverfront Park now have a chance to feel the breeze in their hair as they zoom from landmark to landmark in the newly functional park shuttle system.
Operated by the company behind Liberty Lake's Mica Moon Zip Tours, the shuttle system currently features eight low-speed vehicles that resemble open-air golf carts that will allow for a hop-on, hop-off travel experience across seven of Riverfront's main destinations.
The new transit system, called Park Connect, has a fleet of four eight-seater vehicles, one 14-seater and one wheelchair -accessible vehicle available upon request. All of the vehicles have a top speed of 25 mph and are street legal, along with being able to travel across Riverfront's paved walkways. Propelled by electricity, riders can expect a smooth and quiet ride.
Compared with the rugged, off-road transportation that typically happens at Mica Moon's main operation, CEO Drew Stewart said driving in Riverfront is a "literal walk in the park."
"A lot of people were asking to bring back the old Riverfront Park train, which kind of had a fixed route," Mica Moon founder Rik Stewart said. "And this is kind of our take on it, that's a little more modern and flexible where we can add or subtract stops here and there that make the park more accessible and enjoyable for everybody."
The train Rik Stewart mentioned was one of 13 amusement park rides that used to be based in the Gesa Pavilion before the park's $74 million renovation beginning in 2016. The city's park board voted to sell the attractions in 2018, citing the high price that building and maintaining a designated facility for them would demand from the city.
Park Connect is entirely funded by Mica Moon, which also pays an annual permit fee to Spokane Parks and Recreation to operate. The aerial exploration company jumped on the transit-opportunity as a complement to their Spokane Skylines zip line, which is under construction and will offer visitors a 1,400-foot soar along the Spokane River from City Hall, under the Monroe Street Bridge's southern arch and into Peaceful Valley's Redband Park. There will be two cables on the line so people can travel in pairs.
"There was a great deal of overlap with the need for us to provide transportation from the bottom of the zip line to bring guests back to the top," Drew Stewart said of the shuttle. "And so by solving our problem with these low -speed vehicles, we were also able to solve additional problems with accessibility and more mobility for people who might not be able to navigate the park as easy without assistance."
Stops are currently marked by signs at the Numerica Skate Ribbon, the Looff Carrousel, the convention center, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Gesa Pavilion, snxwméneʔ Island (sin-HOO-men-huh, formerly Canada Island), and the Ice Age Floods Playground and parking lot. A full loop takes 20 minutes.
Riverfront Park's director, Jon Moog, said 2025 had "record -breaking" numbers of people visit the park.
"A lot of major parks around the country have a way to transport people around the park and we've recognized there's a lot of people with mobility issues, or because of age, that aren't able to make it more central into the park," Moog said. "So the Park Connect allows us to then offer that increased mobility in the park and allow people to transfer north from south and get around the areas we see."
The flexibility of a small fleet can mean that visitors to Spokane, such as conference-goers or trade show vendors, can easier explore the area in a quick trip. Routes could even be altered to accommodate large area events.
"At a much higher level, I think it makes us a competitive city for soliciting those type of shows," Moog said.
The shuttle will be making its rounds from Friday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (occasionally extending until sunset, Drew Stewart said). Single rides can be purchased online for $3, or a day pass for $8.
Park Connect will also offer roughly hourlong historic tours for $15, which includes a day pass in the price. Drew Stewart said drivers have worked with local historians and Riverfront Park staff to develop the program, which includes Expo '74 and Spokane tribal history.
Come June, when school is out for the summer, Drew Stewart said the company plans to extend its operations into the weekdays. Eventually, historical tours could be tailored to individual groups' interests, depending on demand.
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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 10:57 AM.