Valley Regional Transit seeks feedback for a Better Bus system

Valley Regional Transit (VRT), the regional public transportation authority for Ada and Canyon counties, is striving to create a Better Bus network in the Treasure Valley and is looking for public feedback to help imagine an improved public transportation system with the initiative.

“We’re asking a rather simple question with a lot of different answers – how do we make the bus better?” said Elaine Clegg, VRT’s Chief Executive Officer. “We’re looking at how, within a fixed and limited budget, we can envision for tomorrow while we make improvements today. This includes better bus routes, bus rides, and bus stops, while considering a possible rail line, and we want public input to help guide our work.”

Better Bus is the next step of the 2018 ValleyConnect 2.0 vision, which incorporated significant public input and pointed toward a more frequent bus network with regional connections, better technology, and regional rail.

“The work we did in 2018 really set the stage for where we are now,” said Stephen Hunt, VRT’s Chief Development Officer. “We currently run as much service as we can within our budget.  We learned that we need four times more service to meet community needs, and we also learned that the public is willing to support more.”

VRT will use public feedback to help guide decisions as it works to focus service on a higher-frequency bus network, including potentially providing innovative services to lower ridership routes. More details will be available in May, following initial budget discussions and hearings with city councils and county commissions around the region.

“Currently, our funding doesn’t allow us to expand, so we have to make strategic decisions with the amount of service we offer,” Clegg explained. “How can we better allocate hours to provide the best service within our existing capabilities while illuminating the possibilities of expanded services? This points toward a higher frequency system, which is a major part of what we are doing with Better Bus.”

Participants can share feedback at upcoming open houses, the first of which is this week:

• Thursday, April 6, Main Street Station, rear conference room (777 W. Main St., Boise, ID 83702), 4-8 pm
• Friday, April 14, Boise Main Library, William F. Hayes Memorial Auditorium (715 S. Capitol Blvd., Boise, ID 83702), 2-6 pm
• Monday, April 24, Caldwell Library, Dean E. Miller Community Room (1010 Dearborn St., Caldwell, ID 83605), 4-8 pm

Additional engagement opportunities, including an online survey, can also be found online at rideVRT.org/better.