Service Changes

Valley Regional Transit staff has been working towards further improving service as outlined in ValleyConnect 2.0.

The VRT Board of Directors approved service changes that were implemented on October 4, 2021. These changes impact Boise fixed-route and inter-county service.

In response to continued low ridership and the uncertainty of a resurgent COVID variant they also postponed the launch of the 30 Pine route and suspended the Eagle extension on the 9 State Street (see COVID-19 Service Impacts below).

The October 2021 changes move VRT closer to the goals outlined in VC2.0, including improving on-time performance, increasing frequency on premium routes, as well as improving safety for operators and passengers.

These changes include a change at where buses pick up and drop off passengers at Main Street Station. Routes 7A, 7B, 8X, 9, 40 and 43 will stage on Main Street between 9th and 8th streets. Route 1-6, 10, 16 and 17 will stage inside Main Street Station.

The October 2021 service changes impact the following routes:

• 7A Fairview Ustick
• 7B Fairview – Towne Square Mall
• 11 Garden City
• 17 Warm Springs
• 29 Overland
• 43 Caldwell Express

7B Increase Peak Frequency

The Route 7B Fairview Towne Square Mall added three morning peak direction trips from the Towne Square Mall to Main Street Station and four afternoon peak direction trips from Main Street Station to the Towne Square Mall.
Access the schedule additions to Route 7B.

7A/7B reroute at Curtis

In order to improve the on-time performance and safety of the 7A and 7B, there is a minor reroute of the eastbound 7A and 7B between Curtis Road and Orchard Street. The reroute would utilize the City Center on-ramp on Fairview, just East of Curtis Road. This reroute would avoid the signal at the Curtis Road and Orchard Street intersection, and the unprotected left turn from Orchard Street onto to I-184. This change resulted in the closure of two eastbound stops – Fairview and Laurel and Fairview and Orchard.
Access a map showing the route changes

Route 11 Garden City Elimination

The Route 11 Garden City ceased operations. To help accommodate riders who are adversely effected by this change, we added select stops from the 11 Garden City to the 8x Five Mile Chinden route to provide additional options to the riders of the 11 Garden City. Also, the majority of the 11 Garden City route was within the Lyft Transit Connections service area. Lyft Transit Connections provides another option for those losing service on the 11. Finally, because the 8X and Route 9 will continue, this change will not impact the ACCESS paratransit service area.
To learn more about other transportation options, you can visit the Share the Ride Idaho website

Access a map showing the new Route 8X stops along Chinden Boulevard

Route 17 Warm Springs

There is a reduction of peak period service on the Route 17 Warm Springs from service every 30 minutes, to service every 60 minutes.
Access a schedule showing the eliminated trips

Route 29 Overland

VRT implemented a minor reroute of the Route 29 Overland near Boise State University to improve travel times as well as safety for riders. Instead of traveling from University Drive to Boise Avenue via Chrisway Drive, the 29 bus now turns left onto Juanita, then travels down Potter Drive and Joyce Street before returning to University Drive to Beacon Street.
Access a map showing the new pathway for Route 29

Route 43 Caldwell Express

VRT reduced from two to one both the number of morning trips and afternoon/evening trips. After conducting a targeted survey, VRT staff selected the trips that sixty percent of survey respondents indicated was their preferred choice for trips.
Access a map showing the new schedule for Route 43

COVID-19 Service Impacts

In addition, to the above changes, the Board of Directors agreed to the temporary suspension of the additional service on the 9 State Street where it travels to Eagle in the morning and afternoon, as well as the delay of the start of new Route 30 Pine in Meridian. This change was proposed due to the fact ridership has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, as well as the number of confirmed cases of the Delta variant continuing to rise. With the uncertainty about the duration of the pandemic, the start of the new Route 30 Pine and service on the 9 to Eagle will resume when the following conditions are met:

• Ridership is up and at 90% of pre-COVID levels
• COVID rates are stable/declining
• Business are open

Meridian Service

The October 4 startup date for the 30 Pine is delayed. The delay is due in large part to the uncertainty about the Delta variant of COVID-19 and its potential impact on ridership. This service will connect Ten Mile and Franklin to the Village at Fairview Avenue and Eagle Road. The 30 Pine will run on a 30-minute frequency from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and connect to the routes 40 Nampa/Meridian Express and the 42 Happy Day to Towne Square Mall, providing commuters options to connect to Boise, Nampa and Caldwell.
Access a map showing the pathway for the Route 30

Route 9 State Street – Service to Eagle suspension

The Route 9 State Street has temporarily suspended service to Eagle. Before the changes, the 9 traveled to Eagle four times during the morning and three times in the evening. The suspension of service to Eagle is due in large part to the uncertainty about the Delta variant of COVID-19 and its potential impact on ridership.

Access a map for the Route 9 State Street

VRT is working with its funding partners to identify what service changes may take place during fiscal year 2022 (which runs from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022).

More information about the potential changes will be made available to the public for comment as soon as possible.

If you are looking for information on a previous service change, you find that information on our Service Change Archives page.