Regional shuttle to link Colfax, Pullman and Moscow seeks city support

Coast Transportation representatives told the Moscow City Council on Feb. 3 that a proposed shuttle linking Colfax, Albion, Pullman and Moscow has been rated highly by the Palouse Regional Transportation Planning Organization and is likely to receive Washington State Department of Transportation funding, but still needs local contributions to close a startup funding gap.

The shuttle would run six days a week from about 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and provide regular, ADA-accessible service on routes connecting Colfax, Pullman and Moscow, Coast Transportation Executive Director Paige Collins said. “The contracts with WSDOT provide 95% of the cost of the operations for the shuttle and 20 or 80% of the capital we need to buy 2 new buses,” Collins said during her presentation. Collins also told the council the project currently has an estimated remaining local funding need of about $13,000.

Why it matters: Council members and speakers noted the shuttle could improve access to medical care and retail in Moscow for rural residents and free Coast’s vehicles to serve more paratransit riders. Collins said Moscow is a destination for many riders because it is the nearest site for dialysis, wound therapy and the farmers market voucher program serving seniors.

Coast staff described potential stops in Moscow as tentative and subject to route timing; suggested locations included near the mall, the Disability Action Center, dialysis providers and the hospital. The agency said it is seeking two 14-passenger buses and described those vehicles as relatively small, so permanent shelters are not expected to be required.

Council members asked about ongoing costs and eligibility. Collins said the numbers presented are for the first two years under WSDOT’s startup contract and that, afterward, the service could be folded into Coast’s regular operations; she said additional local matching would be evaluated then. When asked about the deadline for a city commitment, Collins said May and added that no payment would be required until a contract is signed: “All I would need now, anytime between now and May, would be just a commitment to some sort of financial donation towards the program. Would not need a check until we have a contract in hand,” she said.

Council response: Councilmembers asked Coast to provide a data sheet listing secured funds, remaining needs, and the program’s expected deliverables. Mayor and councilmembers also suggested regional funding contacts including the Clearwater Economic Development Agency and the Port, and noted the Port has discussed a $40,000 contribution toward buses.

Next steps: Coast said it will prepare the requested data sheet for council review and that a funding decision, if any, would be needed before WSDOT’s contracting timelines in May. Council did not vote on funding during the meeting.