Valley Regional Transit

Bus operator serving Boise, Idaho, U.S.

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Valley Regional Transit

A VRT bus departing from the underground Main Street Station in downtown Boise

Founded| 1999
Headquarters| 700 NE 2nd St. #100
Locale| Meridian, Idaho
Service area| Ada County, Idaho
Canyon County, Idaho
Service type| bus service
Routes| 21[1]
Stations| Main Street Station, Happy Day Transit Center
Fleet| About 50 Buses
Annual ridership| 893,935 (2022)
Fuel type| CNG & Diesel
Operator| First Transit
Chief executive| Elaine Clegg
Website| Valley Regional Transit

Valley Regional Transit (abbreviated VRT) is a public agency which is the main provider of mass transit service in metropolitan Boise, Idaho. It operates 19 fixed-route services, mostly in Ada County, as well as two on-demand services in Canyon County and the city of Eagle.[1]

VRT also operates Boise GreenBike, the city's bicycle-sharing system that was launched in 2015.[2]

## Fares

[edit]

VRT offers a contactless smart card and mobile app under the City Go brand as methods to pay for rides, and also accepts cash and preloaded stored-value cards. The City Go app can be used to purchase passes, while the card can store a reloadable balance and features fare capping.[3]

As of March 2023, fares are as follows:

Fare Type  | Local  | Universal

|
|

Single ride  | $1.50  | $4.50
Day pass  | $2.50  | $7.50
31-day pass  | $42  | $90
Year pass  | $282  | $594

Local fares apply to all routes except for 40. This express intercounty route requires a universal fare. For youth, seniors, and people with disabilities, the single ride, day pass, and 31-day passes are offered for half price.[4]

## Routes

[edit]

### Ada County

[edit]

Routes within Ada County mainly originate from Main Street Station or nearby along Main Street, although some routes originate from shopping centers.[1]

Route  | Name | From  | Via  | To | Notes

|
|
|
|
|

| 2  | Broadway | Main Street Station  |  | Boise Airport | Has Saturday service
| 3  | Vista | Main Street Station  |  | Boise Airport | Has Saturday service
| 4  | Franklin | Main Street Station  |  | Towne Square Mall |
| 5  | Emerald  | Main Street Station  |  | Towne Square Mall | Has Saturday service
| 7  | Fairview  | Main Street Station  |  | Towne Square Mall | Has Saturday service
| 8  | Chinden  | Main Street Station  |  | Discovery & Chinden |
| 9  | State Street  | Main Street Station  |  | Gary & Bunch | Has Saturday service
| 10  | Hill Road  | Main Street Station  |  | State & Ellens Ferry |
| 16  | VA/15th Street  | Main Street Station  | VA Medical Center | Parkhill & Bogus  |
| 17  | Warm Springs/Parkcenter  | Main Street Station  |  | Millspur Way |
| 20  | Orchard  | Boise Airport  |  | 36th & Shasta | Has Saturday service
| 21  | Cole/Glenwood  | Towne Square Mall  |  | Gary & Bunch | Has Saturday service
| 24  | Ustick/Maple Grove  | Towne Square Mall  |  | The Village at Meridian |
| 28  | Cole/Victory  | Towne Square Mall  |  | Pro Tech at Frank Church High School |
| 29  | Overland  | Main Street Station  | Boise State Transit Center | Towne Square Mall | Has Saturday service
| 30  | Pine  | The Village at Meridian  |  | Ten Mile Crossing |
| 160  | Eagle On-Demand  | On-demand route in and around Eagle | Rides must be booked online or through the phone

### Canyon County

[edit]

Route  | Name | From  | Via  | To | Notes

|
|
|
|
|

| 150  | Nampa/Caldwell On-Demand  | On-demand route in and around Nampa and Caldwell  | Rides must be booked online or through the phone. Replaces three previous fixed-route services[5][6][7]

### Intercounty

[edit]

Route  | Name | From  | Via  | To | Notes

|
|
|
|
|

| 40  | Caldwell/Boise Express  | College of Idaho | Happy Day Transit Center, Idaho & 9th, Main Street Station | Boise State Transit Center | Runs clockwise within downtown Boise in the morning, counterclockwise in the afternoon
| 42  | Happy Day to Towne Square Mall  | Happy Day Transit Center  | College of Western Idaho | Towne Square Mall |
| 45  | Boise State/CWI  | College of Western Idaho  | Ten Mile Crossing, The Village at Meridian  | Boise State Transit Center |

## Facilities

[edit]

### Main Street Station

[edit]

The lobby of Main Street Station

Located underground beneath City Center Plaza in downtown Boise, Main Street Station serves as Boise's main transit center. The majority of services within the city arrive underground at the station's eight bays, although some arrive above ground on Main Street.[8][9] In addition to VRT buses, Boise State University shuttle buses also serve the station, as the university's computer science department occupies two floors of the City Center Plaza building. These free shuttle buses run in a loop between Main Street Station and the Boise State Transit Center.[10][11] Main Street Station opened on October 24, 2016.[9]

## History

[edit]

In 1994, the Idaho Legislature passed a law that allows cities or counties to place the creation of regional public transportation authorities on the ballot to request voter approval.[12] In November 1998, voters in Ada and Canyon Counties approved creating an RPTA for their respective counties. A few months later, in January 1999, The boards of directors of the Ada County and Canyon County RPTAs voted to merge the two organizations, creating the Treasure Valley Regional Transportation Authority. The organization went through a few more name changes, becoming VIATrans, short for Valley InterArea Transportation,[13] and then ValleyRide in June 2002. In July of that year, ValleyRide took over operations of Boise Urban Stages, which had been the operator of bus service in the city of Boise since 1973. By 2003, ValleyRide also operated service in Garden City previously offered by Garden City Interline, and had agreements with Treasure Valley Transit and Commuters Bus for the operation of the intercounty routes.[14] In November 2004, the organization was renamed to Valley Regional Transit, with the ValleyRide name being used to describe the services offered. On March 1, 2005, the agreements with Treasure Valley Transit and Commuters Bus for the intercounty routes expired, and VRT began using First Transit to provide service on intercounty routes as well as routes within Canyon County.[15]

On April 15, 2015, VRT launched Boise Greenbike, the city's bicycle-sharing system.[2][16] At the end of September 2020, VRT suspended the program, with plans to restart it in the spring of 2021 using electric-assist bikes.[17]

A VRT electric bus

In January 2020, Valley Regional Transit agreed to buy 12 battery electric buses from Proterra.[18] The buses were expected to enter service in 2021 on a new route in Meridian; it was to be the first to serve the downtown Meridian area.[19][20] The first four electric buses debuted in October 2021.[21]

Valley Regional Transit introduced the City Go integrated fare payment system in November 2021. It uses the Umo platform and comprises a smart card and mobile ticketing app.[22] Longer-term plans for the agency include increasing frequency on its most used routes, upgrading its maintenance facility, and improving bus stops.[23][24] Additionally, depending on the success of the on-demand pilot in Canyon County, a similar program could be considered for Boise.[25]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Routes Archive - Valley Regional Transit". Valley Regional Transit. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
2. ^ a b Jaszewski, Joe (April 15, 2015). "Get a first look at Boise GreenBike, the new bike-sharing system". Idaho Statesman. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
3. ^ "Valley Regional Transit Launches City Go Wallet, Boise, ID 2021". Mobility Learning Center. Shared-Use Mobility Center. November 15, 2021. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
4. ^ "Fares and Passes - Valley Regional Transit". Valley Regional Transit. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
5. ^ "Long-Term Service Changes - Valley Regional Transit". Valley Regional Transit. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
6. ^ "Nampa / Caldwell OnDemand Service - Valley Regional Transit". Valley Regional Transit. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
7. ^ "ValleyRide bus service in Nampa/Caldwell moves to on-demand". KTVB-TV. October 5, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
8. ^ "Treasure Valley Bus Stations, Locations, & Offices - Valley Regional Transit". Valley Regional Transit. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
9. ^ a b Berg, Sven (October 24, 2016). "Boise's new Downtown transit center is open. Here's how to use it". Idaho Statesman. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
10. ^ "CCP Building Information - Computer Science". Boise State University. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
11. ^ "Bronco Shuttle - Transportation and Parking". Boise State University. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
12. ^ "Idaho Statutes (40-2105)". State of Idaho. 1994. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
13. ^ "Valley InterArea Transportation's Transit Development Plan" (PDF). Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
14. ^ "Our History". ValleyRide. Archived from the original on July 13, 2003.
15. ^ "Our History". ValleyRide. Archived from the original on February 13, 2006.
16. ^ "Boise GreenBike FY2016 Annual Report" (PDF). Boise Bike Share. Valley Regional Transit. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
17. ^ "Pushing the pause button with Boise GreenBike - Valley Regional Transit". Valley Regional Transit. March 16, 2020. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
18. ^ "Some Valley Regional Transit buses going electric". KIVI. January 28, 2020. Archived from the original on February 1, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
19. ^ "Valley Regional Transit seeks public opinion on bus service in Meridian". KIVI. January 28, 2020. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
20. ^ "Meridian Fixed-Route Service". Valley Regional Transit. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
21. ^ Stevens, Alx (September 29, 2021). "Transportation representatives, partners cut ribbon for new electric buses". Idaho Business Review. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
22. ^ Descant, Skip (November 5, 2021). "Boise Transit Adopts Digital Fare Payment Technology". Government Technology. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
23. ^ "Capital & Service Planning". Valley Regional Transit. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
24. ^ "Executive Board Meeting Agenda" (PDF). Valley Regional Transit. February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
25. ^ "Draft FY2021-25 Transportation Development Plan" (PDF). Valley Regional Transit. November 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Valley Regional Transit.

* Official website

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Mass transit in the State of Idaho

Local|

* Benewah Area Transit
* CityLink
* Spokane Transit Authority
* Mountain Rides
* Pocatello Regional Transit
* SMART Transit
* Treasure Valley Transit
* Valley Regional Transit

Statewide|

* Amtrak
* Empire Builder
* Flixbus
* Greyhound Lines
* Jefferson Lines

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