View All Service Alerts
9

July 30 1:00 AM

Outbound State and Pierce Park stop closed, no temp placed due to construction.

July 14 4:00 AM

Route 28 is on small detour at Frank Church High School; The stop on Pro Tech and Salt Creek SEC is closed, we have a temp stop placed crossed the road on Pro Tech and Salt Creek SWC.

July 06 4:00 AM

The stop on Latah and Alpine towards MSS is closed for construction and temp stop placed on the far-side of the R&R tracks.

July 01 4:00 AM

Inbound stop on State and 11th is closed, temporary stop placed at State and 12th near side.

June 01 2:00 AM

Route 9 OB stop at State and Ellen's Ferry closed. No temp stop placed.

May 15 4:00 AM

Inbound State and Pierce Park stop closed, no temp placed due to construction.

March 02 1:00 AM

Route 16: Stops on 1st & Idaho and 1st & Bannock will be closed. Please use the bus stop on Main & 1st.

Home > Planning > Service Changes

Service Changes

VRT keeps a close eye on bus performance, including ridership trends, on-time performance, and community growth. We also work closely with riders, funding partners, and local stakeholders to update bus routes and schedules to help the transit network stay connected and responsive across the region.

Each year, we plan to roll out any major changes on what we like to call Change Day, our annual chance to refresh and improve service. Change Day is scheduled for the second Monday in June, with additional tweaks made in the spring or fall if necessary. These updates are designed to fine‑tune routes based on rider feedback and real‑world performance.

Next Change Day: Monday, October 12, 2026

Local funding for Valley Regional Transit (VRT) services is dependent on local jurisdictions budget decisions. VRT works with local jurisdiction staff and the public to prepare a multi-year budget forecasts in the five-year Transit Development and Operations Plan (TDOP). However, each year local jurisdictions must still review and pass budgets, which may differ from the those proposed in the TDOP. In such cases VRT works with those jurisdictions and the public to update proposals that match those budget decisions.

Based on low ridership and ready alternatives, VRT proposed to the City of Meridian, to suspend Route 30 Pine. VRT will work with the City of Meridian to determine how and when to restore FY2026 transit funding levels and what kind of service, potentially including VRT On-Demand service, would work best in the city.

In the FY2026 budget development process, VRT has worked closely with the cities of Meridian and Nampa, including a public hearing on June 22 for the latter, to understand their budget constraints and share with councilmembers and the public what the impacts would be on transit services.

On July 15th the City of Nampa voted to remove all funding for VRT. This prompted VRT to prepare the following service proposal.

Learn more about funding cuts in Nampa

The following changes are planned to take place October 12, 2026, if Nampa’s final budget is adopted as currently proposed.

Service proposal

In addition to suspending Route 30 in Meridian, losing funding from the City of Nampa will result in removing all publicly accessible transit services from Nampa.

30 Pine

30 Pine – which currently connects the Nampa/Caldwell Boulevard to Boise State and serves Park & Ride lots, the College of Idaho, CWI, the Mile Park & Ride, Wahooz & Roaring Springs, Boise City Hall, and more – will be discontinued.

Anticipated impacts
minor

Ridership impacts of this change are expected to be minimal. Route 30 has approximately 30 weekday boardings, and riders can reasonably move to Route 45 to complete their trips.

Service proposal

Though Route 30 will be discontinued, current riders will be able to continue using Route 45, which serves Route 30 stop except AM013 N Hickory Ave & E Pine Ave. There is an alternative stop – AM052 E Pine Ave & N Rosario St – approximately 500 feet away.

Learn more about Route 30

40 Caldwell/Boise Express

Route 40 – which currently connects the Nampa/Caldwell Boulevard to Boise State and serves Park & Ride lots, the College of Idaho, CWI, the Ten Mile Park & Ride, Wahooz & Roaring Springs, Boise City Hall, and more – will be eliminated from Nampa.

Anticipated impacts
significant

With approximately 3,250 annual boardings in Nampa, it is likely that existing riders will not continue to use transit without other reasonable options and given the distance to the Park & Ride locations at Happy Day Transit Center and Ten Mile.

Service proposal

Route 40 will start at VRT’s Happy Day Transit Center and travel to downtown Caldwell rather than stopping in Nampa. It will then use the Franklin Road on-ramp to access I-84 until the Ten Mile exit in Meridian, where it will serve the Ten Mile Park & Ride before getting on the interstate once again to head to the Boise State campus.

The closest Park & Ride locations for Nampa residents on Route 40 will be at Happy Day Transit Center and Ten Mile & Overland.

Drag the image below to see Route 40 before and after the proposed change

Current Route 40

Proposed Route 40

View map of the current Route 40 (PNG) View map of the proposed Route 40 (PNG) Learn more about Route 40

42 Happy Day - Towne Square Mall

Route 42 – which currently connects VRT’s Happy Day Transit Center to Towne Square Mall and serves Park & Ride lots, CWI, the Nampa Civic Center, Saint Alphonsus, Ford Idaho Center, Wahooz & Roaring Springs, Central District Health, and more – will be eliminated from Nampa.

Anticipated Impacts
SIGNIFICANT

With approximately 13,000 annual boardings in Nampa, it is likely that existing riders will not continue to use transit without other reasonable options and given the less convenient connections with VRT On-Demand and to the Park & Ride locations at Happy Day Transit Center and Ten Mile & Overland. Route 42 has been growing in ridership for several years and provides important transportation within Nampa and between Nampa and communities to the east and west.

Service proposal

Route 42 will no longer start at Happy Day Transit Center but instead at the College of Western Idaho. It will then travel along Franklin and Overland, serving Meridian and Boise until it reaches Towne Square Mall.

The closest Park & Ride locations for Nampa residents will be at the College of Western Idaho and Ten Mile & Overland.

Caldwell riders will be able to take the new VRT On-Demand to the College of Western Idaho to connect with Route 42.

Drag the image below to see Route 42 before and after the proposed change

Current Route 42

Proposed Route 40

View map of the current Route 42 (PNG) View map of the proposed Route 42 (PNG) Learn more about Route 42

VRT On-Demand

VRT On-Demand – which currently allows riders to schedule on-demand trips to be picked up near their location and dropped off near their destination within the Nampa and Caldwell service area – will no longer be available within the City of Nampa.

Anticipated impacts
significant

The majority of the 18,000 annual trips to, from, and within Nampa would be lost, reducing ridership on VRT On-Demand by more than half.

Service proposal

VRT is proposing a new VRT On-Demand model to make the system more efficient. The new VRT On-Demand would use a combination of microtransit (smaller vehicles) and a ride hail service (like Uber and Lyft) in Caldwell only, with select destinations available in Nampa.

  • Microtransit: Under the proposed changes, VRT On-Demand would use smaller vans and new operating staff, which is expected to reduce operating costs by more than 40%. Bus fares would remain the same as they are today, and there may be an opportunity to pay for fares within the VRT Booking app in addition to the farebox. Trip requests that wouldn’t be able to be shared with other riders would be shifted to a ride hail provider.
  • Ride hail: This service would be used for trips that are harder to share (usually longer trips or trips under one mile) and would have a small upcharge (+ $0.50) from regular fare. Riders would be able to book and pay for this trip within the VRT Booking app.

Whether a VRT On-Demand trip uses microtransit or a ride hail service will be determined during the booking process and based on which is most efficient for that trip

Learn more about the proposed update to VRT On-Demand (PDF)

Caldwell riders will be able to ride VRT On-Demand in Caldwell and to VRT partner destinations in Nampa, such as St. Luke’s, Saint Alphonsus, and College of Western Idaho (CWI) campuses – including the Main Campus Park & Ride to connect with Route 42.

Drag the image below to see VRT On-Demand before and after the proposed change

Current VRT On-Demand

Proposed VRT On-Demand

View map of the current VRT On-Demand (PNG) View map of the proposed VRT On-Demand (PNG) Learn more about VRT On-Demand

VRT Late Night

VRT Late Night – which provides $3 Lyft rides to and from work for qualified low-income riders – will no longer be available in Nampa.

Anticipated impacts
MINIMAL

There were 20 trips for 5 riders in the last fiscal year.

Service proposal

Nampa will be removed from the VRT Late Night boundary.

Learn more about VRT Late Night

VRT Access

VRT Access, which is a qualification-based service that complements the fixed-route bus system and provides guaranteed service for people who are unable to use VRT’s buses or VRT On-Demand because of a disability, will no longer be available in Nampa.

Anticipated impacts
significant

VRT provided 1,100 trips that started in Nampa during FY2025. There are currently 336 passengers in Nampa that are eligible to use Access services. These riders could request rides on Beyond Access or Rides2Wellness, but these trips are not guaranteed.

In FY2025, Beyond Access and Rides2Wellness, provided 10,988 Nampa-related rides. Both services are experiencing capacity constraints while providing the maximum service with existing funding — riders can experience long wait times and unavailable trips as it is. With services cut in Nampa, demand is expected to surge as riders lose access to other VRT services. Riders will face significantly longer waits, more unavailable trips, and, in some cases, no transportation options at all.

No additional funding is available to expand these programs.

CURRENT ACCESS boundary

Learn more about VRT Access

Upcoming dates & feedback opportunities

August 3, 2026: Updated FY2027 Nampa proposed budget is available

View the updated budget: cityofnampa.us/budget

August 3, 2026: VRT public hearing for the removal of Route 30 in Meridian at VRT’s Administrative

View public hearing details: ridevrt.org/events

August 4, 2026 (5 p.m.): VRT public hearing for service cuts in Nampa at Happy Day Transit Center

View public hearing details: ridevrt.org/nampa-hearing

August 11, 2026: City of Caldwell budget public hearing, council vote and budget adoption

View public hearing details: https://www.cityofcaldwell.org/Government/City-Council/Council-Meetings

August 12, 2026 (noon): Deadline to submit public comments to the Nampa City Clerk

How to comment:

August 17 (6 p.m.): City of Nampa budget public hearing, council vote, and budget adoption

How to participate: https://www.cityofnampa.us/1612/Public-Meetings

October 12: Change Day

Riders can also share feedback with VRT via:

All comments received by VRT will be shared with the Nampa Clerk and city council prior to the public comment deadline on August 12th.

Media inquiries

Jason Rose, Public Information Officer
jrose@ridevrt.org
(208) 803‑5183

For media resources, logos, and photos, please visit ridevrt.org/press.

Looking for a previous service change?

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