August 16 4:00 AM
Outbound route 21 stop at Gleenwood and Chinden is closed due to the Fair. There is a temporary stop far side just after the 1st entrance into the parking lot.
Outbound route 21 stop at Gleenwood and Chinden is closed due to the Fair. There is a temporary stop far side just after the 1st entrance into the parking lot.
Outbound route 3 stop at Vista and Nez Perce is closed. Temporary stop place near side.
Route 8 Inbound stop at Chinden and Maple Grove has been closed. No temporary stop was placed.
New detour on the Outbound Route 9. From 5th, Left on Idaho, Right on 15th, Left on State. Stops on State at 9th, 11th, 15th, and 18th will be closed. We will be servicing stops on Idaho Outbound. We will be returning to regular route on the Inbound side. A temporary stop has been placed at State and 21st. Inbound stop at State and 9th has been closed due to construction.
The stop on Vista and Spaulding is closed. There is a temporary stop placed farside.
The outbound stop at Orchard and Franklin is closed due to construction. There is a temporary stop placed nearside before the cones.
Route 10 is on detour. Outbound stops closed: 8th and Franklin, Fort and 9th, and Fort and 13th. Temp stop placed at 15th and Resseguie.
Due to road construction, route is on detour. Stops on 1st/Idaho and 1st/Bannock will be closed, use stop on Main and 1st.
At their August 19 meeting, the Nampa City Council voted to fund VRT’s full request to continue all existing transit services in the city.
This includes bus routes 40 and 42, the 150 Nampa/Caldwell On-Demand, VRT Access, VRT Beyond Access, Rides2Wellness, and VRT Late Night.
The funding was a shift from the previous funding strategy (link to previous story) and includes:
“We appreciate the time and engagement from the Nampa City Council and its flexibility in considering new opportunities,” said VRT’s CEO, Elaine Clegg. “Their recognition of the importance of transportation options will prove to be a critical decision for residents and visitors, and we look forward to continuing service and helping build supporting infrastructure. We also appreciate the input from community members and bus riders, which helped us all appreciate why we provide this service.”
At its August 13 meeting, the Eagle City Council voted to adopt a budget that does not include sufficient funding for the 160 Eagle On-Demand. It is proposed that the service be discontinued on October 1. The city’s existing Beyond Access service would be maintained.
VRT will host a public hearing to receive final public comments on Wednesday, September 4th, at 6 p.m. at Eagle City Hall. The VRT Board will take action on the proposed reduction at a special board meeting at noon on September 9th.
VRT just wrapped up our budget outreach season. We spent the spring and early summer months on outreach, connecting and presenting—often numerous times—with our 25 funding partners. Lacking our own taxing authority, VRT plans transit services based on funding contributions from cities, counties, universities, and other regional entities. This process demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of our current funding scenario.
A strength is that done consistently, relationships with all of our communities, even the ones who have decided not to contribute to VRT, are solid, informed, and respectful. We have found support from partners we didn’t count on and built relationships with new partners interested in extending our services. Those voluntary contributions are highly valued.
An inherent weakness is that these disparate annual budget decisions impact our ability to plan for and provide service every year. VRT works to integrate budgets built by dozens of organizations into a connected service network that aligns with our federal responsibilities and provides reliable service to riders. Sometimes, choices to reduce funding catch us by surprise and don’t consider input from constituents affected. As a result, it becomes challenging to make informed, long-term plans to grow a public transportation system that people can count on.
This process is broken. It doesn’t work well for VRT or our partners and it doesn’t serve constituents well. Most importantly, since so much staff time is used on inefficient budget process and our funding for operations is so unpredictable, it inhibits our ability to do our most important work – providing our best services to the public.
I look forward to working with our partners and state representatives to find the solution we need in this fast-growing region.
Elaine Clegg, CEO