Micron commits $11.6 million to express bus service linking Canyon County and Boise

A new public express bus route connecting Canyon County with east Boise is being developed with $11.6 million from Micron over five years. The Valley Regional Transit service would provide another connection across the valley as Nampa riders continue to contend with the loss of the city's on-demand transportation services this summer.

The planned route would travel from Canyon County to Micron's campus in east Boise, stopping at park-and-ride locations along the way and at the Boise Airport. VRT's tentative schedule calls for buses to operate seven days a week, beginning at 4 a.m. and continuing past midnight. It would mark the first time VRT has offered service seven days a week.

Valley Regional Transit CEO Elaine Clegg said Micron wanted the funding to support transportation beyond trips for its employees. She said the company sought a service that could help people throughout the valley while recognizing its own impact on the region. VRT is designing the new route around that investment.

The announcement comes after Nampa's elimination of on-demand service left Route 42 as the city's only operating bus route. Since July, people who depend on public transportation have had to reorganize their routines around that remaining service, with fewer options for getting to destinations or arranging their travel.

Mellene Rawson, a rider affected by the cuts, said she now has to plan her home schedule around catching Route 42 and book rides much earlier. The additional planning has made daily travel difficult. “I have to constantly come here to catch the 42,” Rawson said.

Another rider, Andrew Mills, said losing the on-demand option had limited his ability to travel to and from Nampa. Mills said a switch to his employer's Caldwell location had helped him manage the transportation difficulties, but described getting around after the service changes as a challenge.

Clegg said the existence of a single bus route does not fully address riders' needs. People must also be able to reach the route, connect from it and use a schedule that fits their circumstances.

Despite the additional connection planned with Micron's funding, Clegg said the express route will not bring back the Nampa services cut this summer. Any broader restoration of the city's transit system would still require funding from Nampa.