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Council holds public hearing on Valley Regional Transit priorities; residents urge more frequency, weekend service and West Boise connections
Summary
Boise City held its annual public hearing on Valley Regional Transit priorities. VRT and city staff described route stability, frequency improvements, and pilot projects; public commenters urged more weekend service, expanded West Boise routes, bus priority measures and consideration of fare‑free service.
The Boise City Council heard a public hearing from Valley Regional Transit (VRT) on April 22 about annual priorities and upcoming service considerations, followed by several public comments urging more frequent service, weekend and late‑night runs, improved West Boise connections and steps to make transit a more attractive choice.
Bree Brush of the mayor’s office opened the item and asked members of the public to submit feedback by April 30 so it could be provided to VRT for budget and service planning. Elaine Clegg, chief executive officer of Valley Regional Transit, reviewed VRT’s service area, recent achievements and planned priorities. Clegg said VRT seeks to preserve stability on core corridors (including Vista, State and Fairview), increase frequency on some routes (moving from 30‑minute to 15‑minute headways on certain corridors and improving peak‑hour frequency) and conduct targeted outreach to boost ridership on lower‑performing routes.
Clegg noted recent awards and projects: a competitive grant application for State Street corridor design, reconstruction work at Town Square Mall Transit Center, a real‑time information pilot at some bus stops, and investments in the Orchard bus depot. She said VRT had piloted low‑profile pole seats, launched a residential pass and bike‑share initiatives, and expanded beyond‑access Lyft partnership rides; ridership on some redesigned routes is increasing despite a major service restructure earlier in the year.
Public commenters thanked VRT staff and asked for specific changes. Becky Walker said she rides transit and urged improved West Boise connectivity and later evening service. Marybeth Netting described her reliance on Route 10 and urged continued peak‑hour service and the recently proposed evening loop; she said cuts in midday and evening service had temporarily forced her to rely on a car after injuries prevented cycling.
Adam McCoy urged the city and VRT to experiment with inexpensive bus‑priority treatments that would move buses through congested corridors more quickly and make transit more competitive with driving. Beth Norton urged continued city support and asked the council to examine the feasibility of a fare‑free pilot, noting that fare payment can slow boarding.
A council member asked whether VRT is financially stable; staff said long‑term expansion would rely on additional funding sources, including state support and contributions from other jurisdictions. Bree Brush said the city is at its funding capacity for additional services for the coming year and that many expanded options would require broader regional funding or new member jurisdictions.
No council votes were required at the hearing; staff said the public comments would be used to inform VRT’s budget and service priorities going forward.
