Valley Regional Transit exceeds expectations with Game Day Shuttle rides, plans to increase service for future games

VRT’s new Game Day Shuttle service kicked off Saturday for Boise State’s home opener against UCF. The shuttle offered free-to-ride service to seven downtown Boise locations and Albertsons Stadium two hours before and one hour after the game.

“This weekend definitely exceeded our expectations,” said VRT’s CEO Elaine Clegg. “We had lots ofd emand, which is really exciting. Any time we start a new service, we need to run it in real conditions and use what we learn to perfect it. We’re ecstatic about the interest we’ve seen so far.”

Early estimates indicate the shuttle served thousands of riders. VRT will confirm final ridership numbers this week.

“I rode the shuttle myself and spoke with many grateful passengers,” Clegg said. “We got very positive feedback, but also heard from some riders about long waits and delays in pickup times. We take this as a good sign – there is a demand for better transit, and we’re here to provide it.”

VRT plans to make route adjustments, expand hours of operation, and add buses and drivers for the upcoming home game against North Dakota on Saturday, September 16th.

“We know we need to add service and get the routes right to make the experience even better,” Clegg added. “Thanks to our riders for sticking with us while we get this right.”

VRT’s Game Day Shuttle was introduced to provide travel options for a stressed transportation network and raise awareness about VRT services. VRT started pre-game service with four buses, which were quickly filled. Three additional buses were added to the post-game operation.

“We’re looking forward to continuing this free-to-ride service for the community and showcasing how easy it is to use our buses,” Clegg said. “We pride ourselves in their cleanliness, our real-time bus tracking system, and our phenomenal drivers.”

VRT will release an updated service plan later this week.

The Game Day shuttle will run for all upcoming home games, which include:

• Saturday, September 16th, 10 a.m. (vs. North Dakota)
• Saturday, October 7th, 6 pm (vs. San Jose State)
• Saturday, October 28th, time TBD (vs. Wyoming)
• Saturday, November 11th, time TBD (vs. New Mexico)
• Friday, November 24th, 2 p.m. (vs. Air Force)

Riders can track buses with VRT’s ETA Spot mobile app or at rideVRT.org/gameday.