New bus route to link Middleton, Star, Eagle to Boise

Article published Sep 5, 2006
by Sandra Forester @ Idaho Statesman

New bus route to link Middleton, Star, Eagle to Boise
Valley Regional Transit to start Idaho 44 service April 1

Residents of Middleton, Star and Eagle who drive to work in Boise could be riding a commuter bus by April 1 — the first bus service to the three communities in at least two years.

Valley Regional Transit officials hope the planned route — the only one to serve the Idaho 44 corridor — will become as popular as the Caldwell and Nampa runs, which carry more than 5,600 people a month and saw a dramatic jump in trips in the past year.

From October 2005 to July 2006, the intercounty routes recorded 56,077 one-way trips — a 40.8 percent increase from the same period the previous year, with 39,823 trips. One round-trip commute counts as two trips.
"I saw the advantages," said Jan Sales of Nampa, who rides the 5:30 a.m. bus from behind Nampa's Karcher Mall to her government job near Maple Grove and Overland roads in Boise each day.

Sales said she started riding two weeks ago because of the convenience when a new route opened and passed by her workplace. Others in her office are considering the bus as she talks it up, she said.
"I love it," she said, adding that she looks forward to the addition of another route to Canyon County. Others catching the Nampa bus last week said they became bus riders when gas prices topped $2 a gallon. Now that prices hover near $3, they are happy with their decision.
About 100 people turned out to recent meetings Valley Regional Transit held in Middleton, Star and Eagle, and 84 responded to an online survey, leading transit officials to believe the new route will be a hit, VRT spokesman Mark Carnopis said.

Carnopis said he gets at least one call a week from Eagle residents requesting bus service or asking where they can catch a bus.
Middleton residents who attended the recent public meetings about the proposed Middleton-Boise route said traffic congestion and gas prices were driving their support for the commuter bus.

"We are definitely looking forward to it," said John Millington, an accountant who commutes from Middleton to Downtown Boise.
"Traffic's getting worse and worse," Millington said. "I don't necessarily think I'm going to save money, but I'll be able to read the paper and save wear and tear on the car."

Unlike the Ada County van-pooling services that charge a flat fee for the month regardless of whether you ride or not, the bus would allow riders to pay as they go, said Mike Dittenber, a Middleton resident who commutes to work in Boise and often travels on business.

"I'm just tired after 15-16 years of driving to Downtown Boise," Dittenber said, adding that he likes the bus services offered in many larger cities. "It's a healthy part of community."
The new VRT route will have stops in Middleton and Star, two stops in Eagle and several in Boise. Buses will make two runs in the morning and two in the evening. Times have not been set.

Valley Regional Transit has received funding commitments for the new service from Ada and Canyon counties, Middleton and Eagle, Carnopis said. Star has tentatively budgeted the money for the service, and the City Council will decide today whether to spend it.
The city had only one rider on the previous commuter coach service that had high fares of $4 and $5 per trip and wound through Caldwell, Nampa and Middleton. The City Council found it wasn't worth the funding, Star Mayor Nate Mitchell said.

However, Mitchell said, "We're cautiously optimistic that we can find enough riders to support the service."

Valley Regional Transit plans to add two daily runs between Middleton and Boise, at a cost of $159,595 per year, Carnopis said. Of that, $102,857 would come from federal funds, with $48,738 in local match. City and county governments have committed enough funding to cover the local match, he said.
Like the other express routes from Canyon County, the fares for the new Middleton line will be $2 per trip or $50 for a monthly pass.