Tourmobile was a sightseeing company that operated in Washington DC from 1969 until 2011.[2][3] The company was founded as a subsidiary of Universal Studios with three buses and grew to become an independent company carrying more than 700,000 passengers per year at $32 per ticket on its fleet of 45 vehicles.[4] Passengers were able to board and alight as often as they liked on the day in which a ticket was purchased.[5][6] Tourmobile operated a legal monopoly for guided tours of the National Mall and Arlington National Cemetery, which prevented the DC Circulator, Capital Bikeshare, WMATA,[7] and other organizations from providing services in highly-traveled parts of the city.[8][9] This monopoly was highly controversial from the start.[10] The National Park Service received an estimated $330,000 per year from the arrangement.[11] After the termination of the Tourmobile contract, companies including Gray Line Worldwide and Open Top Sightseeing began providing National Mall tours.[12] The company's fleet consisted of a distinctive style of bus, the newest of which was manufactured in 1976.[13]
 Robert G. Stanton, National Capital Region, James M. Ridenour, Director, NPS, Mr. Tom Mack and Ms. Phyllis Tate in 1989. At the 20th Anniversary of the Tourmobile service in front of the Lincoln Memorial. | |
| Industry | Tourism and transportation |
|---|---|
| Fate | Contract terminated by National Park Service |
| Headquarters | Washington DC |
Number of employees | 130 (1996[1]) |
References
edit- ^ Vohra, Lakhinder (June 14, 1996). "Will succession spoil Tourmobile?". Washington Business Journal. Archived from the original on February 17, 2007. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ^ Fiegel, Eric (October 31, 2011). "After 42 years, Washington's Tourmobile company makes its final run". Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ^ "No More Tourmobile Rides at Arlington Nat'l Cemetery". ARLnow. November 2, 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ^ Morrison, Erica (October 28, 2011). "Tourmobile service in D.C. to end Monday after 42 years". Washington Post. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ^ Jean K. Rosales; Michael R. Jobe (1 February 2003). DC Goes to the Movies: A Unique Guide to the Reel Washington. iUniverse. pp. 297–. ISBN 978-0-595-26797-2.
- ^ Tom Price (13 August 2007). Washington, D.C. For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-470-16891-2.
- ^ Bicentennial Transportation Program Construction: Environmental Impact Statement. 1976. pp. 13–.
- ^ Depellis, Lydia (July 28, 2011). "The Never Ending Tourmobile". Washington Citypaper. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ^ Kelly, John (July 4, 2011). "Pedicabs on the Mall: Fun for tourists or unsafe ride?". Washington Post. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ^ United States. Congress. House. Committee on Public Works and Transportation. Subcommittee on Public Buildings and Grounds (1978). Union Station/National Visitor Center: hearings before the Subcommittee on Public Buildings and Grounds of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation, House of Representatives, Ninety-fifth Congress, second session ... U.S. Govt. Print. Off. p. 332.
- ^ Lisa Benton-Short (12 August 2016). The National Mall: No Ordinary Public Space. University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division. pp. 120–. ISBN 978-1-4426-3056-7.
- ^ "Bus tours restored on National Mall". WJLA. April 5, 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ^ Metro. Bobit Publishing Company. 1986. p. xii.