Starting on Monday the August 31st, Route 40 towards Blaine & 24th will detour around construction. The following stops will be closed: AB436 Main & 27th. Riders can use Lyft code "MAINCONSTX" to get to or from the bus stop at Idaho & 13th.
Starting on Monday the August 31st, Route 8 towards Discovery & Chinden will detour around construction. The following stops will be closed: AB427 Idaho & 15th, AB433 Main & 17th, AB435 Main & 23rd, AB436 Main & 27th. Temporary stops will be placed at 13th & Idaho. Riders can use Lyft code "MAINCONSTX" to get to or from the bus stop at Idaho & 13th.
Starting on Monday the August 31st, Route 7 towards TSM will detour around construction. The following stops will be closed: AB427 Idaho & 15th, AB433 Main & 17th, AB435 Main & 23rd, AB436 Main & 27th. Riders can use Lyft code "MAINCONSTX" to get to or from the bus stop at Idaho & 13th.
Stop at Latah & Alpine SWC closed. Temp stop placed just south of Vaughn near Latah Village Apartment complex
Outbound route 9 State and Pierce Park stop closed, no temp placed due to construction.
Stop closed on Americana and Shoreline. Temp stop placed long.
Inbound State and Pierce Park stop closed, no temp placed due to construction.
Route 9 OB stop at State and Ellen's Ferry closed. No temp stop placed.
Stops on 1st & Idaho and 1st & Bannock will be closed. Please use the bus stop on Main & 1st.
The stop on Latah and Alpine towards MSS for route 4 is closed for construction and temp stop placed near side.
Inbound route 9 stop on State and 11th is closed, temporary stop placed at State and 12th near side.
Route 28 is on small detour at Frank Church High School; the bus will be taking right onto Salt Creek from Pro Tech, servicing the temp stop on Salt Creek, and then taking a right on Trabuco back to regular route.
Earlier this year, VRT began sharing vehicles between Access, Beyond Access, and On-Demand services to support more riders, reduce waiting times, and be more efficient. Service areas, eligibility, fares, and booking processes remain unchanged.
Previously, trips on these three services – often called “demand-response” because they operate by request rather than along a fixed bus route – were scheduled independently.
Now, with the help of VRT’s scheduling platform Via, which books trips, maps rides, and powers the VRT Booking app, VRT can distribute vehicles as they are available to support other services.
“By sharing rides across services, we can serve more riders and make better use of every trip,” said Jeannette Ezell, VRT’s Operations Director. “Being flexible with vehicles means our service is much more efficient, and we anticipate seeing our ridership grow as a result.”
In Ada County, VRT began using Access vehicles to support Beyond Access trips on January 2, offering rides that were not otherwise an option.
In the first week, VRT saw 130 same-day or after-hours bookings that wouldn’t have been available before the sharing option, with 258 total rides booked online or with the VRT Booking app.
“This has been a great early indicator that this flexibility is working,” Ezell said. “We will continue to monitor ridership trends and the system will continue to learn and become more efficient, while still making sure all ADA commitments are met.”
Fareboxes are available for Access trips only. Beyond Access remains free for passengers.
Vehicles may look different, but the service, eligibility, and fare remain the same.
On February 2, vehicle flexibility will reach Canyon County, where Access vehicles will help support VRT On-Demand trips.
“Our On-Demand service in Canyon County is often completely booked, and struggles due to driver and vehicle availability, which is determined by the funding we get locally,” Ezell said. “Broadening our vehicle pool will add capacity to the service and help us demonstrate the actual demand for Canyon County services.”
Staff will also be removing service decals to reflect the shift to a broader VRT fleet, rather than having service-specific vehicles. Vehicles may look different, but the service, eligibility, and fare remain the same.
Fareboxes are available for Access trips only. On-Demand riders should pay using Umo or cash.
During the first weeks of the change, drivers will do a visual inspection of valid paper passes and allow riders to board while VRT evaluates a long-term solution.
VRT encourages riders to switch to the Umo payment system, which turns frequent riding into pass pricing: simply tap and go, pay per ride, and once your total reaches All Day or 31-Day Pass amounts, you get unlimited rides for the rest of that period.
“We want to thank passengers for their patience as we move toward a more consistent and available service,” Ezell said. “We also want to remind everyone that service is reflected during booking, not by how the vehicle looks, and drivers will have your trip information and get you to your destination.”
“We’re excited to see how this strengthens our system,” Ezell added.
If you have questions about how this change affects your trip, or if you’d like to share feedback, please contact Customer Service or visit ridevrt.org/feedback.
Printable Flyer, English (PDF)
Questions about this effort? We answered the most frequent ones below. If you have any additional questions, please contact Customer Service.
Valley Regional Transit is now using some of the same vehicles for Access, Beyond Access, and On-Demand services when extra space and drivers are available.
That means:
Your service type (Access, Beyond Access, or On-Demand) stays the same. The main change is that the vehicle that arrives might look different than what you’re used to, and there will likely be more rides available.
This approach — sometimes called “co-mingling” — is a growing best practice in public transit. By allowing vehicles to serve more than one demand-response service:
Our goal is to provide more reliable, efficient service while still meeting all ADA requirements for Access riders.
No. Service areas, fares, and eligibility are not changing.
You will still book Access, Beyond Access, and On-Demand the same way you do today.
No. The way you qualify for Access and Beyond Access does not change. If you were eligible before, you remain eligible now.
Yes. Beyond Access trips are still free for eligible riders, even if an Access-branded vehicle picks you up. Your fare is based on the service you booked, not the logo or decals on the side of the vehicle.
No. If you booked a Beyond Access ride:
If you booked a VRT On-Demand trip in Canyon County and an Access vehicle arrives:
VRT encourages riders to switch to Umo for an easier, account-based way to pay and to take advantage of fare capping, which gives you unlimited-ride pricing once you reach a payment threshold.
You may notice:
VRT is also:
Even if the vehicle looks different, your service type, fares, and eligibility are the same.
Accessibility remains a priority.
Sharing vehicles does not remove accessibility options; it simply allows VRT to assign the best available vehicle that meets your needs.
No. ADA paratransit riders will continue to be served by Access vehicles as usual, maintaining all ADA requirements and priorities. Access vehicles will only complete Beyond Access or On-Demand trips when there is available capacity and after ADA commitments are met.
This change is intended to strengthen the system, not reduce ADA service.
In the short term, there may be some adjustment as we get used to new options and the system learns to provide rides based on efficient access. Over time, sharing vehicles is expected to:
Yes, bike access remains an important part of On-Demand.
During the transition, equipment may vary by vehicle. If you have specific questions about bringing a bike on your trip, please contact Customer Service.