SPOT riders top 1,000 mark

SANDPOINT — The Selkirks-Pend Oreille Transit bus service sped past another milestone last week by giving more than 1,000 rides is seven days of operation.

SPOT officials are celebrating the new record as a major moment for the transportation system.

“We’ve come close before, but this is the first time we’ve actually topped 1,000 riders in a week,” SPOT manager Marion Johnson said.

According to Johnson, the transportation system likely has winter tourists to thank for the boost in ridership. Previous reports indicated the riders per week slowed after school resumed and kids who had used SPOT to hit the beach and other local hot spots returned to their studies. However, once Schweitzer Mountain began attracting out-of-town visitors, the strong ridership numbers returned with a vengeance.

According to Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce CEO Kate McAlister, one large group of tourists even told her via e-mail that they wouldn’t consider a skiing vacation in a town without an excellent public transportation system. Upon visiting Sandpoint, however, they were so impressed with both SPOT and Schweitzer Mountain that a return trip was very likely.

 The recently altered bus routes are another possible reason for the upswing in riders.

“We completely revamped the routes,” Johnson said. “Since then, ridership has increased.”

By dividing the previous single-route system into a blue route and a green route, system administrators increased the coverage area, added the connection to the base of Schweitzer Mountain and doubled the frequency of bus arrivals at the most popular destinations.  

Johnson said the new ridership benchmark is very significant for the future of the system. Since the system administrators need to show stable activity and a proven desire for the system within the community, higher numbers are a potent tool in applying for grants or public funding.

“We need to prove these numbers to continue our funding,” Johnson said.

The next goal for an all-time ridership high is 1,500 people, according to Johnson. Meanwhile, she’s hoping that the current numbers will stabilize to a consistent 1,000 riders per week. If she and her co-workers can accomplish that, she said the SPOT bus system’s future will be looking quite bright indeed.