Valley Regional Transit Board approves service changes
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The Valley Regional Transit Board recently approved a series of service changes that will take effect on October 1. The changes align with VRT's goals established in the ValleyConnect 2.0 long-range planning document to improve on-time performance, increase frequency on premium routes, and improve safety. The changes include eliminating or reducing service on under-performing routes and applying those service hours to others.
- The Route 11 Garden City will be eliminated, but VRT will add stops to Route 8X to help mitigate the service loss.
- The Route 17 Warm Springs will move from 30-minute frequency during morning and afternoon drive times to 60-minute frequency.
- The Caldwell Express Route 43 service will go from two morning and afternoon trips to one trip in the morning and another in the afternoon.
- The Fairview-Towne Square Mall Route 7B will add three trips in the morning and four trips in the afternoon. Other changes involve minor reroutes to improve on-time performance and safety.
Other changes involve minor reroutes to improve on-time performance and safety.
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VRT postpones and suspends some service
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Given that ridership has not yet rebounded from COVID and COVID-19 infections are resurging, the Valley Regional Transit Board approved the postponement of the launch of Route 30 Pine in Meridian and a temporary suspension of the Eagle extension of the Route 9 State Street.
The Route 30 Pine will connect the Ten Mile area to The Village, running primarily along Pine Avenue. Service was to have begun October 1, 2021. The Eagle extension of the Route 9 State Street runs from State and Glenwood through downtown Eagle. The service started in October of 2020 amid the pandemic and has struggled to attract riders. The poor performance of this extension was a factor in the decision to postpone the new service launch in Meridian.
The board approved a plan that would condition the launch of Route 30 Pine and re-start the Eagle extension of Route 9 State Street on decreasing levels of COVID-19 in the community and sustained evidence of riders returning to transit at a level of 90% of pre-COVID ridership or more. Currently, Ada County ridership is only about 70% of pre-COVID levels.
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State Street
preferred alternative
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Route 9 State Street is the busiest of all Valley Regional Transit bus routes, so it merits special attention. VRT recently analyzed four alternatives for getting the 9 State Street buses into and out of downtown Boise more efficiently. The process concluded with the recommendation that the buses keep traveling along State Street to 9th Street as they do now. However, the analysis also found that bus stops along State Street need to be improved, that service frequency should increase, and that 9th Street should have a "transit-only" bus lane during peak travel times. VRT will work with its partners to make these improvements over time. In the future, VRT will also consider adding a new connection from the State Street corridor to the Main/Fairview couplet.
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Valley Regional Transit looking to hire drivers
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Valley Regional Transit is still recruiting drivers. The agency has increased the starting salary and added other incentives to try and attract candidates. Drivers start at $17.25 an hour and may be eligible for hiring bonuses up to $2,500 depending on qualifications.
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City Go’s "Where's My Bike, Boise" contest returns!
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City Go is excited to bring back a contest that was super popular last year. The "Where’s My Bike” contest will run from Monday, August 23 through Friday, August 27. Once you find the bike, scan the QR code attached to the flyer and complete various daily actions for multiple chances to win. City Go will announce the winner at the Boise Goathead Fest on August 28th at the Pedal-Powered Stage. Kudos to Boise Bicycle Project for donating such a sweet ride!
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Valley Regional Transit adding new intelligent transit system
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On August 16, Valley Regional Transit (VRT) will transition to a new transit tracking system that improves bus tracking, operations, and user experience for passengers.
During the transition, tracking VRT buses will require both the RouteShout and SPOT apps. The SPOT app can be found on the Google Play and Apple app stores. As new equipment is installed on buses, they will show up on the SPOT app and drop off RouteShout. The web-based bus tracker may not be showing current information during the transition.
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Cast your vote for the ROSE Awards
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Every year the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau recognizes those working in the hospitality, lodging, retail, and transportation industries through the ROSE (Recognition of Service Excellence) awards. Valley Regional Transit’s very own Kelly Frazier, who works in Customer Service, was nominated this year. The public can vote for their favorites through August 15. We encourage you to vote for Kelly.
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Both Idaho Senators vote for $1 trillion infrastructure bill
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NABSA (North American Bikeshare Association) releases 2020 Shared Micromobility State of the Industry Report
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Electric VW Bus to reportedly come in three styles, one just for
ride-hailing
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What safety measures are happening across shared transportation?
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Valley Regional Transit:
- Drivers and riders are required to wear masks until September 13th.
- Every in-service bus is cleaned and disinfected every night.
- Cleaning crews are paying special attention to frequently touched areas, like handrails and seat backs, and utilizing foggers to treat the insides of the buses.
- Riders are asked to sit as far apart from other riders as possible.
- Riders are asked not to use public transit if sick or have recently been sick.
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Club Red:
- Drivers and riders are required to wear masks until September 13th.
- Vans are sanitized and are equipped with medical-grade disinfectant.
- Vans may run with as few as 5 passengers for the time being to allow distance between riders.
- Riders are asked to sit as far apart from other riders as possible.
- Riders are asked to practice good hygiene, wash hands, and/or use sanitizer before entering the van.
- Riders are required to wear a face-covering while riding in vans.
- If you need a face-covering, please contact Commuteride at 208-345-7665.
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Boise State Bronco Shuttle:
The Boise State Bronco Shuttles are now on summer hours through August 13.
- Only the Blue and Orange routes are running.
- The Blue On-campus route runs Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- The Orange Downtown route runs Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- There is no weekend or Friday service.
Bronco Shuttle Rules:
- Drivers and riders are required to wear masks until September 13th.
- Riders are responsible for their personal safety.
- Riders must wear a cloth face-covering at all times.
- No food or drinks allowed on the shuttle.
- No more than 10 passengers are allowed in a shuttle at any time.
- Riders are asked to space themselves out and to not sit on seats with an ‘X’.
- Riders will occasionally be asked to exit and transfer to another shuttle for COVID-19 cleaning protocols.
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How are communities doing around the Valley?
As of August 11, there are 206,523 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state of Idaho. The following is the latest report from Central Health District and Southwest District Health for Ada and Canyon counties. (Data current as of 8/11/2021.)
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Confirmed |
Probable |
Combined |
Deaths |
| Ada County |
47,474 |
9,719 |
57,193 |
466 |
| Canyon County |
24,531 |
4,733 |
29,264 |
324 |
| Total |
72,005 |
14,452 |
86,457 |
790 |
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| Number of fully-vaccinated Idaho residents: |
702,524 |
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| Total vaccine doses administered in Idaho: |
1,418,042 |
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Masks are required on all forms of public transportation through September 13th
While Idaho counties and cities are loosening COVID-19 restrictions, by order of the Federal Transit Authority and the Transportation Security Administration, masks are required on all forms of public transportation and in transit facilities, like Main Street Station, through September 13th.
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Rider safety tip of the week:
The test of time isn’t enough
If you're showing symptoms, get tested before going out.
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