Valley Regional Transit reports ridership gains, asks Meridian to hold funding flat while expanding on-demand and lift-pass services

Valley Regional Transit (VRT) told the Meridian City Council on June 24 that systemwide ridership rose after a 2024 service change and asked Meridian to keep its FY2026 contribution at the same level as last year while VRT pursues efficiencies and targeted expansions.

VRT’s presenter, Elaine, said service changes in 2024 — including rerouting the Route 45 off Fairview onto Pine, modifying Route 30 service, and adding new routes from Town Square Mall and the Village — have produced mixed local results but an overall increase in ridership for Meridian and the region. “Overall, ridership’s up, transit activity in Meridian is up if you take all of the routes,” Elaine said.

The agency highlighted Beyond Access, which consolidated several senior and paratransit providers into a single zone. VRT reported 87,800 rides in the first nine months of the consolidated service and said 41.3% of Beyond Access trips serve Meridian, “You guys are getting a big bang for your buck there,” the presenter said.

VRT described the Lift Pass pilot, which subsidizes ridehail trips to high-ridership stops with a $2 rider contribution and a fixed subsidy; staff said expanding the Lift Pass into Meridian could allow more riders to access fixed routes but would require an identified subsidy source, such as a foundation grant or partner contribution.

Council members asked for more granular data and regular updates. Councilman Strader and others asked about riders originating in Meridian vs. boardings, unique rider counts and cost per boarding. VRT staff said a 9-month count of 15,000 boardings in Meridian extrapolates to roughly 20,000 boardings annually and noted many of those trips continue beyond Meridian, so evaluating shared regional trips changes the per-boarding subsidy calculation. VRT’s current systemwide cost per boarding is about $11; staff estimated Meridian’s effective cost-per-ride, adjusted for outbound trips and annualization, would be closer to $15 in their presentation.

Council members also questioned timeline and metrics for improvement. VRT recommended potential memoranda of understanding to set multi-year expectations with partners, and flagged federal funding opportunities (Carbon Reduction Program) and private partnerships as ways to lower subsidy per ride. VRT also discussed emerging automation opportunities (yard operations and bus start/stop automation) as potential long-term savings.

Outcome and next steps: VRT asked Meridian to maintain its contribution at last year’s level and for staff to continue working together on data-sharing, Lift Pass expansion, and Valley Connect planning. Council members asked VRT to provide the specific cost and ridership math used in the presentation and to return with regular updates to help Meridian budget for operating costs.