START transit board proposes targeted service increases, vanpool pilot and fleet shifts amid federal funding uncertainty

START, the joint transit agency serving Jackson and Teton County, presented a service plan April 29 that focuses on targeted capacity increases at peak times, a pilot vanpool program and an adjustment to vehicle procurement to reduce capital-match pressure — all while warning elected leaders of exposure to pending federal grant changes.

The plan the START director, Bruce Abel, described to county commissioners and the Town Council would add two round trips per day to the Town Shuttle to better match school bell times and add limited summer-season trips on a Teton Village Express to relieve peak-hour overcrowding. Abel said the Town Shuttle increase is estimated to cost about $47,000 annually; the proposed summer Teton Village Express capacity additions were presented with an approximate total cost that START estimates would be partly covered by federal grants and contracted partner support.

Why it matters: START’s presentations underscored that about half of the transit system’s funding currently comes from federal sources and that federal changes would have an outsized local effect. Officials also flagged that buying new buses is capital intensive and often depends on federal grants that require local matching money.

Major elements discussed

- Vanpool pilot: START and town transportation staff described a low-cost pilot to lease several vans and recruit employer- or group-based vanpools. Staff estimated the public subsidy per vanpool passenger would be lower than the average current START subsidy per rider; the pilot request in the presentation was modest (staff presented a one-year pilot estimate in the low five-figure range) and would be structured with riders and employers covering most of the operating cost.

- Targeted route changes: START’s board and staff recommended small, targeted increases — two extra round trips on the Town Shuttle (addressing afternoon bell-time loads) and seasonal augmentation of Teton Village Express service to relieve summer peak overcrowding. The START board said these additions were intended to concentrate capacity where demand has grown most.

- Fleet procurement and capital match: The START director described plan changes for vehicle procurement after industry and cost shifts. He recommended shifting two buses originally planned as battery-electric to hybrid propulsion and using diesel for a set of lower-priority replacement buses to keep the program within the previously approved capital envelope and available grant matches. START staff said some vehicle contracts are under federal review and that delivery timelines are 12–24 months, elevating the importance of near-term decisions.

- Federal funding risk: START and county staff repeatedly warned that the transit program is exposed if federal operating or capital assistance is reduced. Abel said roughly 49% of START’s funding comes from federal sources; staff recommended monitoring federal actions and maintaining fund balance and contingency planning in case grants are delayed or rescinded.

Quotes from the meeting

- "About 50% of our funding of our transit system comes from the federal government," Tyler Sinclair, Town Manager, said when describing START’s revenue mix and exposure to federal changes.

- "Vanpool is a great strategy that we should pilot as soon as possible so that we can start to understand how much it moves the needle," Charlotte Frye, town Transportation Manager, told the boards.

Next steps and decisions

Staff presented the START route plan and asked the elected bodies to indicate whether they wanted to restore any of the START board’s recommended services that were not included in the recommended budget. Officials were also asked to consider whether to use START fund balance for capital match if necessary and to watch for federal grant updates. The town and county scheduled additional joint budget sessions in May, when START’s proposals may be refined or returned with net-cost figures that account for contract revenues and partner contributions.