Intercity Grants and Application
In many states, intercity bus service is a vital link between otherwise isolated rural communities and the rest of the nation. Historically, major intercity bus carriers abandoned less productive routes. Patronage generated in rural areas, however, appears to be important to the continuing viability of the remaining intercity routes. One objective of the funding for intercity bus service under Section 5311, therefore, is to support the connection between rural areas and the larger regional or national system of intercity bus service. Another objective is to support services to meet the intercity travel needs of residents in rural areas. A third objective is to support the infrastructure of the intercity bus network through planning and marketing assistance and capital investment in facilities. FTA encourages states to use the funding under Section 5311(f) to support these national objectives, as well as priorities determined by the state.
Idaho’s Intercity Bus Plan Update 2019
Idaho has developed a distinctive model for providing its rural intercity bus program under the FTA Section 5311(f) program. In addition to unsubsidized intercity bus services provided by private for-profit bus companies, over the past decade the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) has funded two private for-profit firms to provide services on selected routes identified in its previous statewide corridor study. ITD also provided capital for vehicles to operate some of these services through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, intercity bus ridership declined substantially, falling as low as 15-20% of pre-pandemic levels. During the pandemic ITD used available federal funding to sustain these two carriers, providing funds to support continued services even on lines that had not previously been funded. As Idaho and the nation emerge from the reduction in travel resulting from the pandemic, there is a need to consider the role that these services have provided, and to have a strategy to deal with the uncertain level of demand, revenue, and federal funding.
This study builds upon information about the pre-pandemic intercity bus network serving Idaho and stakeholder input about desired potential expansion of services to provide that strategy, even as it is difficult to develop a specific plan. The prioritization of current and potential services will help ITD respond to the future challenges, whether that is a continued need for support to maintain existing service, or the ability to expand with additional federal funding.
For more information regarding intercity bus services, please feel free to contact Connie Edwards at (208) 334-4492 or Connie.Edwards@itd.idaho.gov.