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Will Valley Transit Go To The Dogs?
January 8, 2019 
Talk about being “business friendly!” Seems the government owned and funded Valley Regional Transit (VRT) has been approached by the big dog in the bus business, Greyhound, about the possibility of using VRT taxpayer supported facilities for commercial passenger terminal and vehicle servicing purposes. One could say VRT is going to the dogs to get […]
Transit Riders Decline With Gas Price Dip
There’s good news and bad news on the commuter and bus business. The good news is the price of gas is down, so motorists are not spending so much to commute. The bad news is the price of gas is down, so motorists are not spending so much to commute. No matter how you cut […]
Transit Center Design Flaw Prompts Bus Modifications
The GUARDIAN has confirmed that a ValleyRide bus scraped the road surface at the new underground transit center during a test run due to a construction design flaw. Sources tell us the ramp leading up to Main is so steep that buses cannot crest the top without scraping the undercarriage. To be clear, we have […]
Valley Ride Missed The Bus Despite Growth
Our transportation consultant has provided some insight into the operation and success–or lack thereof–at Valley Ride, the regional bus system. By Jimmy D. Bus GUARDIAN Consultant With planners screaming for “increased density” and repeating the mantra “we have to get people out of their cars,” I harken back to the days when Boise’s BUS system […]
Mass Transit Needs Masses, Too Expensive
Ron Harriman is a guy who tends to use science and math to make his points. Here is his take on recent calls for a TRANSIT SYSTEM in the Treasure Valley. By Ron Harriman My research has led me to conclude that in a basically rural area, transit fares will only cover 8% of the […]
Transit Center Heads Underground
If Valley Regional Transit and Capital City Development Corp. (CCDC) get their way, Boise’s highest and lowest structures will be at the same downtown intersection of 8th and Main. That is the latest planned location for a “multi model transportation center,” but this time they are looking at hiding the bus station underground diagonally across […]
Transit Center Derailed Before First Spade Of Dirt Is Turned
Valley Regional Transit has joined the ranks of Team Dave when it comes to getting the proverbial cart before the horse. VRT is sending out press releases saying the agency is moving forward on a downtown “Multi-Modal Transit Center” and solicits a private partner on the project. All this despite the owner of the land–Idaho […]
Boise’s Team Dave To Ignore Will Of People With Yet Another Transit Survey
Despite repeated attempts at shaping public opinion through surveys, informational events, and “$24,500” expenditures for consultants, Boise officials refuse to take “NO” for an answer when it comes to Mayor Dave Bieter’s desire named street car. Citizens overwhelmingly opposed every plan he has brought forth. The Idaho Statesman commissioned an independent survey which also came […]
Poll Supports GUARDIAN Transit Plan
According to a poll commissioned by the Daily Paper, 63% of folks in the city of trees agree with the GUARDIAN position that we should upgrade the bus system and forget about the “Desire NAmed Street Car.” OK, they didn’t exactly say they supported the GUARDIAN position, but we have indeed advocated bus improvements over […]
Transit Experts Vindicate GUARDIAN
For years the GUARDIAN has been poking fun at Team Dave. Senator Senior Crappo, and all the rest of those who favor trains. Each time we poked holes in their ill advised dreams, survey, and yes–SCAMS, we pointed out the need for a decent bus system before anything else can even be considered. Here is […]
GUARDIAN Offers Yet Another Transit Plan
We don’t get paid for our services, but the GUARDIAN is able to provide thinking people of Treasure Valley with transportation alternatives much more logical than those being promoted by Team Dave and the CCDC. For the cost of the proposed downtown “Trolley Folly” we think a Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT)– similar to previous […]
Transit Guy Stands To Gain From Decisions
Once again the Daily Paper’s Cynthia Sewell has come up with a GOOD STORY about developer Jim Tomlinson’s land holdings being considered as parts of a downtown transit scheme. The story accurately points out that Tomlinson is a member–and currently president–of the Downtown Business Association which is an official agency created by Boise City government. […]
Sun Valley Politico Junket
Finally! The GUARDIAN has found common ground with local politicos and the Chamber of Commerce. We both discuss ad nausea the topic of growth, blueprint for growth, smart growth, regional cooperation, transit, local option taxes etc. AND WE HAVE BOTH ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING! The difference is the GUARDIAN does it for free. Once again the hard […]
All Aboard! GUARDIAN Transit Line
The GUARDIAN has been making a lot of “casts” trying to hook some big fish as we angle for public transit and highway ideas. All we have seen from the politicos is a mad dash to continue to pollute the water and offer up bottom feeding trash fish. The ideas we have proffered come from […]
Hop Onboard GUARDIAN Transit Plans
There have been endless meetings, endless surveys, and endless chatter about “mass transit” in the valley. Now the cities are proposing a local option tax (probably a sales tax) to fund both highways and public transit. The legislature needs to exercise plenty of caution on this one. The GUARDIAN posted a plan for an “above […]
Transit Sounds Good, Costs Too Much
By Ronald M. Harriman GUARDIAN READER Your legislators will be asked this year to allow a local option tax for transit in the Treasure Valley. The transit plan proposed by the local Idaho transit folks is $1.2 Billion dollars over the next 20 years, probably funded with sales taxes. It SOUNDS good…”it will clean […]
D.C. Metro Is Transit Dream
The GUARDIAN editor is in the Nation’s Capitol working for the “day job.” Each time we ride the METRO subway/surface mass transit trains we must marvel at how clean, well run, and efficient it is. The system is basically four lines that come from each direction and wind through the city in the rough shape […]
50 Candidates Vie For 2 Council Seats
The GUARDIAN finds it very interesting that 50 Boise residents are seeking to fill to vacancies on the City Council through appointments, rather than an election. Councilor Elaine Clegg is headed off to a high paying job as director of the Valley Transit bus system and Lisa Sanchez lost her seat when she moved out […]
Is Boise Losing “Small Town” Flavor?
With all the pressure Boise’s Team Dave is putting on the Ada County Highway District, Urban Renewal, Autitorium District, and Valley Transit, we growthophobes have to conclude their efforts are aimed at justifying a TROLLEY through urban growth. While they try to make a case for trains, trolley, street car or circulator there seems to […]
Bulging Boise’s Bungled Building Boom
At the risk of posting another typical “growthophobe” story, we offer up a major caution in the rush to embrace the Gardner folks’ latest plan for downtown Boise. As wise businessmen, they are gathering as much public funding as possible to build on some pretty small plots adjacent to the Grove Hotel and the U.S. […]
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