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January 30 1:00 AM
Route 2 Inbound stop at Broadway and Targee is closed and temp stop has been placed on the near side.
Canyon County Transit Day: listening, learning, and looking ahead
Transit in Canyon County is at a crossroads, and VRT held Canyon County Transit Day on May 6th to work with the community on a roadmap.
The City of Nampa’s budget position has been especially critical, as changes to Nampa’s transit funding would impact service within Nampa and across Canyon County, and City Council members have deliberated over expanding or eliminating service in the past. This year, they asked VRT to evaluate the impacts of four service choices: keeping what we have, reducing service, expanding service, and eliminating public transit in Nampa entirely.
Each option came with real-world impacts, economic, social, and human. Reducing service could cost the regional economy up to $3.2 million annually, while expansion could generate up to $44 million in economic activity, along with better job access, medical care, and quality of life.
In addition to sharing cost implications and ridership data — which show a 27% increase in Canyon County ridership, with a 45% growth on Route 42 and a 103% increase on Route 45 — VRT sought to gather feedback on these scenarios from the community members, service organizations, and other local partners that we interact with every day.
At Canyon County Transit Day, held at the Nampa Public Library and Happy Day Transit Center, we invited riders, neighbors, leaders, and community members to help shape the future of transit in Nampa.
Learn more about the service choices presented to the City of Nampa
What We Heard
Out of 220 total participants from in-person and online surveys:
- 87% support expanding the system
- 90%+ support public funding for transit
- 43% said to maintain services if expansion isn’t possible
- Only 5% thought cutting service was a good idea
Their reasons? It saves money, builds independence, connects people to work and care, and offers a sustainable alternative to driving.
“Without On-Demand, I’d be broke.”
“Transit gives me my independence back.”
“If VRT is eliminated, I may not be able to exist.”
STAKEHOLDER FOCUS GROUP
Community groups also joined an organizational roundtable and shared their point of view on the importance of transit in Canyon County. Key organizations include the Idaho Department of Labor, the Idaho Hispanic Foundation, the Nampa Library, Nampa Bicycle Project, Saint Alphonsus Health System, Southwest District Health, Terry Reilly Health Services, Treasure Valley Transit, and more.
The group generally agreed that expansion would be beneficial for all involved, and that reduction or elimination of services would be devastating, noting:
- Transit is critical for accessing healthcare.
- Students and job seekers depend on reliable, affordable options.
- Reduced service could lead to missed appointments, fewer job opportunities, and increased emergency service costs.
“Eliminating service…would be a doomsday scenario for us.”
“Maybe they don’t have a car. Maybe they share a vehicle… Transit is part of a broader mobility access solution.”
“People are realizing they can save money on transportation, even if rent increases, by taking the bus.”
Letters of Support
VRT received multiple letters of support from critical community partners, which highlight the important role transit plays in the region.
View letters of support
What’s Next?
VRT outlined the four service options and community feedback at a Special Meeting of the Nampa City Council on May 15, 2025.
In fiscal year 2024 (October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024), VRT provided 83,602 trips on routes 40, 42, 43, and 45, as well as the 150 VRT On-Demand that serve Nampa — 7% more trips than the previous fiscal year.
Staff highlighted the potential loss of $1.4 to $3.2 million in economic activity by reducing or eliminating service in Nampa, also resulting in less service to seniors and persons with disabilities; more denied trips on specialized services; reduced eligibility for federal resources; and poorer access to Canyon County facilities, medical services, retailers, housing developments, and neighboring cities.
View VRT’s meeting memo View VRT’s meeting presentation
Upcoming dates*
- June 25: City of Nampa budget open house
- July 17-18: budget workshop & presentation on proposed budget
- August 4: updated budget proposal available for public review at cityofnampa.us/finance (two weeks ahead of public hearing)
- August 13: noon deadline for public comments to Clerk’s Office for council consideration
- August 18: Public Hearing, 6:00 p.m., Nampa City Hall (411 3rd St. South)
*source: cityofnampa.us/finance
Watch the May 15th Nampa City Council Special Meeting
A word about funding
As city budgets in Idaho continue to face shortages due to legislative actions, transit funding remains a challenge.
Spring and summer is budget outreach season for VRT. During these seasons we connect and present—often numerous times—with our 25 funding partners. Lacking our own taxing authority, VRT depends on voluntary contributions. We strive to build respect and support by consistently providing solid, specific and current information to our partners. Their voluntary contributions are highly valued, and we respect the gravity of the decision to support us with scarce funding.
An inherent weakness of these disparate annual budget decisions is the impact on our ability to plan for and provide service every year. VRT works to integrate budgets built by dozens of organizations into a connected service network that aligns with our federal responsibilities and provides reliable service to riders. Sometimes, choices to reduce funding catch us by surprise and don’t consider input from constituents affected. As a result, it becomes challenging to make informed, long-term plans to grow a public transportation system that people can count on.
This process is broken. It doesn’t work well for VRT or our partners and it doesn’t serve constituents in ways they need. Most importantly, since so much staff time is used on inefficient budget process and our funding for operations is so unpredictable, it inhibits our ability to do our most important work — providing our best services to the public.
The current model leaves us with inconsistent funding, which makes it nearly impossible to plan and provide reliable transportation services and burdens the strained budgets of our city and county partners. I look forward to working with our state leaders to find common sense solutions that allow all stakeholders a voice in a more consistent and reliable method to fund these vital services.
– Elaine Clegg, CEO
