Intercity bus options mulled

SANDPOINT — Attendance was limited but productive at a Friday transportation meeting regarding two proposed bus routes.

According to Region 1 Transportation Manager Clif Warren, only a handful of people dropped by to offer their opinions on two proposed intercity bus services. However, Warren will forward those comment cards to project planners, who can revise their ideas before submitting their final proposals.

“It was good,” Warren said. “About nine people showed up, but they showed up from all around the county.”

Attendees discussed two different routes.

The first, an east-to-west route proposed by Special Mobility Services to operate out of Sandpoint, connects Priest River residents to Sandpoint, who can then use the SPOT bus system to access all the hot locations within the region. It also gives Panhandle residents access to Newport and the Spokane airport.

The proposed pricing is set at a particularly pleasing range, with the Sandpoint to the Spokane airport only running $5. The other connections are equally appealing. It will only cost $3.00 for Newport to Spokane, 50 cents for Priest River to Newport and $1.50 for Sandpoint to Priest River.

“Beyond the connection to the Spokane airport, I think the connection between Priest River and Sandpoint will be a really valuable one,” Warren said.  

Two service providers are competing for the second route, a north-to-south route connecting Bonners Ferry to Coeur d’Alene and Boise, hitting all the major stops along the way including Sandpoint.

The route will likely feature twice-a-day service and run every day of the year. Salt Lake Express representatives predicts the average ticket cost would run $35, while Northwestern Trailways officials estimate a fare between 25 and 30 cents per mile.

Most of the comments centered around the Bonners Ferry route. Attendees felt the route would be a great boon to the community, especially for North Idaho College students commuting to school. The two trips a day was one particularly winning characteristic. Once the projects open to the public, some individuals felt the service should get plenty of marketing and include money-saving features like a monthly pass or a voucher program for residents in need.     

Fewer people had any suggestions for the east-to-west route. Most individuals loved the service idea and the price point. However, project organizers have suggested the library as a Sandpoint staging location. That displeased some people, who preferred a location with plenty of space to support a park ‘n’ ride setup. That way, travelers could leave their cars in Sandpoint without a worry and catch a plane in Spokane. Residents also want to see some cross-advertising with the local SPOT bus system.

Hopeful service providers won’t have long to revise their plans. Planners hope to kick the north-to-south into gear by October and the east-to-west route by the end of the year.