A one-mile road from near Mirror Lake in the extreme eastern end of the valley to the lower Ahwahnee Hotel grounds was barred to buses as well as to cars, encouraging bicycle, horseback and hiking use. During the 1970 summer season, the shuttles covered 1,800 miles a day, carrying 488,000 people. In 1971 the Mariposa Grove trams began offering free service and the new 100-passenger double decker buses were introduced in the valley, carrying up to 2,250 passengers an hour. In 1972, the National Park Service banned all cars from the Yosemite Village parking plaza, making it into a visitors' mall. But with the increase in visitors at Yosemite in the early 1970s, came an increase in pollution and other people-related problems.
Tent cities choke the peaceful scene with cars, dust, and smoke.
Bears are seen only in nightly raids on garbage cans. Drunken or rowdy groups of teen-agers regularly terrorize their camping neighbors, keep hundreds awake all night, push cars into rivers and stop traffic on Stoneman Bridge. Bicycles, motorcycles, cars, stores, gas stations, people, more cars and more people have taken over Yosemite. Keeping the Curry Co. name, MCA took over the four motels, four camping areas, food services, garages, a ski area and a backpack trip service. The company quickly drew up plans to more aggressively market and upgrade the park facilities.