Photo by Kristina_Hernandez

Just in time for the blooming of the District’s famed cherry blossoms, a new shuttle will start operating in and around the National Mall on March 12, reports the AP via WTOP.

The new shuttle will replace the Tourmobile, which discontinued service last year after 42 years of being the only transportation option short of walking for much of the National Mall and other monuments of significance. The new shuttle, which will be run by Martz Gray Line through 2014, will travel the following route:

It will run in a loop from Union Station to the World War II Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington cemetery, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and the Smithsonian Metro station. The cost is $5 per boarding.

A new shuttle started operating today at Arlington National Cemetery, and $1 express shuttle service from the mall to Hains Point will be offered during the Cherry Blossom Festival, which kicks off March 20.

In January the National Park Service also announced that it planned to open at least one of the five planned Capital Bikeshare stations that will be located on the National Mall.