Public Transportation

Why public transit now?

The City of Twin Falls has grown to a population above 50,000. With this growth comes federal requirements related to public transit. In 2016 a Transit Development Plan was completed in order to provide the City with a roadmap to prepare for public transit. In 2020, a Transit Study was conducted to provide recommendations for the most cost efficient and service-oriented system in a community such as Twin Falls. Taking both planning documents into consideration, the City is currently considering options for a pilot transit system that will utilize microtransit.

What is microtransit?

The term microtransit describes what can be thought of more generally as “flexible transit.” Conceptually, microtransit fits somewhere between private individual transportation and public mass transit.

A simple way to think of microtransit would be using an app to book your trip – kind of like UberPOOL or Lyft Line, but for buses. Using a dedicated app, online booking tool, or by calling in, riders can request a pickup anywhere in a given service area, or only at existing bus stops (depending on the agency’s setup). The designated vehicle may be an existing fixed route bus, para-transit vehicle, or dedicated vehicle, allowing agencies to maximize the use of their fleet.

Benefits of microtransit:

Cost-effective: Alternative to fixed route service
Increase service coverage: Allows agencies to reach areas that a fixed route system may not accommodate
Flexible service: Accommodates riders whose schedules may not fit into fixed route service timings (shift workers/those who work during off-peak hours) or service areas that do not support fixed rout systems
Equitable & Economical: Provide inclusive service and maximize use of resources by facilitating para-transit and conventional riders traveling together in the same vehicles
Efficient: Pick up and drop off riders at common locations and stops, reducing travel times

Who uses microtransit?

Short answer: anyone who needs a ride. The City is using a survey tool to better understand the needs of the community, who will use the service, the hours when transit is most needed, ride origin and destination, cost, etc.