SPOT honored with I-Way leadership award

by Cameron Rasmusson Staff Writer
| August 16, 2012 7:00 AM

SANDPOINT — By all accounts, the Selkirks-Pend Oreille Transit system is turning out to be the little bus service that could.

The public transportation system, which debuted in early summer of 2011, has grown leaps and bounds over its first year of existence. SPOT has established such a stable user base so quickly that the statewide I-Way organization, which oversees and assists Idaho transportation networks, granted the system and its supporting cities a leadership award in April.

I-Way officials cited Dover, Kootenai, Ponderay and Sandpoint’s forward-thinking in collaborating to implement an innovative and coordinated system tailored to the community’s specific needs as the primary reason for the recognition.

District 1 transportation director Clif Warren and SPOT manager Marion Johnson attended a joint meeting between the Ponderay and Sandpoint councils Tuesday evening to award mayors Carol Kunzeman and Marsha Ogilvie with trophies of the victory.

“At statewide transportation conferences, SPOT is referred to as the poster child of success,” Warren said.

It’s easy to see why SPOT has impressed transportation professionals. The system has expanded from 250 riders in its first week of operation to a consistent 1,200 rides a week — more than double the estimate from the original study that first supported the viability of a local bus system.

Since its debut, the SPOT bus has helped people do their grocery shopping, take a trip to the beach, make doctor appointments, spend a day at Schweitzer, pick up a few library books and much more. In addition, the system has a multi-jurisdictional administration in place with a governance board, technical committee and stakeholder committee all ensuring that SPOT is managed by and for the community.

In addition to the cities of Dover, Kootenai, Ponderay and Sandpoint, the 2012 I-Way awards recognized Lewiston Transit for collaborating with the city of Lewiston to expand fixed route services and accessibility. Officials also honored Melva Heinrich for using the I-Way vision to advance rural transportation in south-central Idaho.