A vehicle for change

 Transforming public transportation services while meeting customer demand

 

With a clear strategy to encourage increased ridership on frequent routes while providing more connections to places passengers couldn’t previously get to, Valley Regional Transit is steering ahead and expertly adapting its services to meet customer demand.

Covering a 400-square-mile radius that primarily serves the beautiful and vibrant city of Boise, Idaho, Valley Regional Transit has its finger on the pulse of the direction of public transport while seamlessly navigating the best route forward for its valued customers.

With the implementation of new technology and a plan to chart a course towards a fully electric-operated fleet, this Regional Transit Authority (RTA) for the Treasure Valley (Boise Metro Region) is fully geared to meet future transportation needs.

The RTA which covers two counties, Ada and Canyon Counties, encompasses a population of roughly 800,000, although the majority of the high-traffic routes in the transportation network reach a population of half that number.

Enjoying increased customer demand and ridership numbers heading northward, Valley Regional Transit has much to be optimistic about.

 Navigating new routes forward

“Our funding is not a dedicated funding source, so we only serve places that contribute to us voluntarily. The City of Boise is our most robust service. We have high-frequency routes and extensive routes in Boise. And then we have regional routes in the rest of the valley, as well as some micro transit that feeds those roads,” Elaine Clegg, Chief Executive Officer with Valley Regional Transit, explains.

Clegg outlines recent changes that have been implemented, pointing to a significant service change in June of 2024.

“Many of our new routes are performing quite well. We have seen a 50% increase on some routes and near a 20 to 25% increase on others.”

She further explains the number of routes has been reduced to 19 from the previous 22 routes Valley Regional Transit had in place.

“The discontinued routes were combined into other routes so they still exist, but in a more coverage fashion with less frequency. The combined routes were regional routes that lost a fair amount of ridership,” Clegg relays.

When it comes to ridership numbers, Clegg notes that the regional system is up about three to four percent year over year despite the discontinuation of one of the regional routes.

“The changes made had exactly the impact that we hoped for. The people who have discovered them, like them.”

One route now takes passengers out to the airport from the Northwest end of the city.

“People tell me that they don’t have to park at the airport anymore and can just go by bus and get there. They love it,” Clegg describes.

On the city’s best-in-class corridor, Valley Regional Transit has also added 15-minute frequencies in service due to increased passenger demand on higher-traveled routes such as this route directly passing through the downtown area.

“Ultimately we would like to do a double loop so that you could go downtown every half hour,” Clegg offers.

The route planning and service adjustments have paid off, Clegg determines, highlighting the success of the Transit Authority’s strategic plan over the last number of months.

“I think we made the right choices with the changes that we made,” Clegg says.

 Electrification steering in the right direction

Valley Regional Transit began electrifying in Ada County in 2018 and has chargers ready for up to 72 charging stations. This was a deliberate move to be ahead of the curve with the goal of fully electrifying the fleet in line with the targets set.

“We are waiting to get some of those [charging stations] commissioned and we are working on our second batch of buses. We started with 12 and now are adding another 11,” Clegg outlines.

The main focus, Clegg explains, is to work steadily towards electrifying the downtown’s main station in Boise.

“Then we can do route charging there and the buses that leave the base in the morning can route during the day and make the full day with all of those charges without having to go back to base.”

Supply chain issues have posed somewhat of a challenge, Clegg admits, in meeting targets on its preferred time schedule. Valley Regional Transit is still waiting for one of the parts necessary to fully implement the infrastructure needed to support the electrification of the fleet.

In the meantime, Clegg adds, “We are working on the State Street corridor which is also our only designated bus rapid transit route.

“We are looking at what we can do on route charging, likely at the end of the route; however the plans there are not fully developed.”

Clegg also notes that Valley Regional Transit is keeping busy with work on bus stop infrastructure along the route to ensure that near-level boarding, good shelters with real-time displays, and other key amenities adding positively to the passenger experience, are in place.

“Electrification is still the right way to go and the city of Boise is very committed to a carbon neutral goal of their own. So we are pretty confident that ultimately these issues will get worked out.”

“With any technology, you find these disruptions.”

 Infrastructure driving growth

Investing in the Valley Transit’s main bus facility in Ada County has taken center stage when investing in capital infrastructure.

“The facility is near the airport and we have completely rebuilt the yard itself. We have all new asphalt, all new charging stations, all new parking, and now we are even getting to the point of going ahead with the building of a small administration building for us,” Clegg states.

The new building will include new storage space, additional space to create an ideal working atmosphere, and a space to lie down.

“We also began remodeling the break room and the shop used by the contractors. The shop has had a lot of upgrades and is all CNG compliant. We have new elevators in place as well. The upgrades in the shop make it more efficient,” Clegg details.

“Our asset management software has been upgraded as well so that they can get parts and supplies more efficiently.”

Valley Regional Transit’s second facility in Canyon County lags slightly, Clegg admits, and needs a “fair amount of work.”

The plans are in place, however, and the team is working on getting this work completed.

“We have federal funding identified; however we have not identified the local funding yet. We are looking in both facilities at adding solar arrays on the roofs and we would build canopies,” Clegg projects.

Clegg predicts that by adding canopies and then putting solar on top, the result will be to both shade and cover and produce energy that will ultimately shave down energy costs by reducing demand charges.

The direct route forward

“I served for about 20 years as a city council member and I learned an awful lot about how decision-making in government agencies works. I had never been on the executive side, so moving to the executive role was certainly a learning experience,” Clegg reflects.

When asked just how she navigates her position and ensures directed outcomes for the transportation service, Clegg is quick to answer.

“I remember the important advice that my grandfather gave me many, many years ago.”

Clegg uses this advice to guide the work that she does. She reflects on how she approaches leadership.

“It is all about problem-solving and finding ways forward to whatever you are working on,” she offers.

She continues, “It is a process of building teams. I have a strong team and making it even stronger, growing it in ways that develop a culture of can-do and get things moving.”

When looking ahead, Clegg wants most to continue with the processes that she has built, along with continuing infrastructure improvements that pivot to meet passenger demands in the future.

Clegg recognizes that the job is fluid and the work is never done.

“Nothing is static. If something is static, it is probably not working very well,” she concludes.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Valley Regional Transit
What: The regional transit service for the greater Boise, Idaho region with efforts towards electrifying its current fleet and meeting increased customer demand.
Where: Boise, Idaho, USA
Website: www.ridevrt.org