I-way Blog

by David Doran, District 5 Mobility Manager  Read more...

by John Murray, District 2 Mobility Manager Read more...

A Blog by Vanessa Fry, CTAI District 4 Mobility Manager Read more...

Written by Brooke Green, with Monique Johns, Idaho State Independent Living Council Read more...

You are a single mother of two without a vehicle, out of work and unemployment benefits are running out. You have been offered a night job as the weekend auditor for a local hotel. The downside – the shift begins at 11:00pm and ends at 6:00am. The problem – affordable and safe child care is limited and there isn’t any public transit offered for late night and weekend workers. Will you accept the position…can you accept the position?

This is not a fictional scenario, this is the dilemma faced by a young mother within my district. We need to look at these two issues, child care and mobility as they relate to shift and weekend labor pools. Nationwide we find in rural areas that bartering and cooperation between neighbors and families can fill a portion of the gap in transit and child care availability. But, shift work often limits the willingness of families and others to provide rides or babysitting services.

Are these limitations keeping our unemployed or underemployed from seeking shift and weekend positions? As a mobility manager this discussion provided insight to the issues faced by our human service agencies – how do you help clients learn positive ways to meet their own needs on their journey to self-sufficiency with such overwhelming gaps in service.

Possible solutions:

• Visit I-Way.org and click on the Getting Around icon for RideShare information. The RideShare is a free, online resource to individuals find the perfect carpool or vanpool; RideShare also has matching tools such as Bike Buddies and School Pools for the kids.
• Work with employers that require shift and weekend workers to develop options such as van and car pools;
• Seek sponsorships for evening and weekend transit routes designed to serve the needs of major employers and their workers.

Our economic climate has created challenges for those seeking employment and mobility options can remove at least one of those challenge.  Read more...

The City of Victor recently cut the ribbon to open its new transit center facility. Located on the east side of the downtown area in the Pioneer Park area, the 1.5 acre paved parking lot will accommodate 120 commuter or carpool vehicles, and has bus pick-up and drop-off lanes. It also provides a multimodal connection to the local bike pathway network. The START bus system out of Jackson serves the facility four times per day with its commuter service between both Teton Counties in Idaho and Wyoming. The site was developed to provide a central terminal point to connect the community with the four area transportation providers and the pathway network. Read more...

Since starting as the District 3 Mobility Manager 3 months ago, I view transportation-related things a little differently. I now notice half empty buses that drive by, commuter vans that sit empty until riders return from a long days work, and senior vans that sit idle in their parking lots without moving from the parking spot for over a week. I take note of every provider vehicle on the street and make a mental note "there's one more vehicle to utilize" or "I wonder what service that vehicle provides?" I've seen multiple vehicles with many empty seats. Empty seats that I know, with a little innovation and coordination, can be filled with passengers who need a ride from point A to B.  Read more...

I’m a mobility manager! It’s my job to promote vanpools, car pools, buses, trails, biking, etc. It’s my job to coordinate and better utilize existing resources and systems. It’s my job to move people and connect Idahoans. And, do it without single occupancy vehicles. To quote the TV pitchmen: “But wait - there’s more.” I live about 7 miles outside of Sandpoint. I drive my gas guzzling truck to work. My office is on the edge of the city. It is just a little over a mile from downtown and all the lunch spots. For the last year, I would drive that mile to lunch. And, I’m a mobility manager! Every morning, in the garage, I would pass this like new 12 year old bicycle which is next to the like new 10 year old golf clubs. Late last summer it occurred to me. I’m not practicing what I preach. So, the bike moved from the garage to my office where it was used at lunch time and for other meetings in Sandpoint. Winter is here so the bike is back at its off season job of keeping dust from settling on the garage floor. But, I am left with some nagging questions. Read more...

If you said 'neither', you're right. Read more...

Idaho's new 511 Transit System continues to develop! With the addition of City of Lewiston and Mountain Rides, bus riders can now track nine of Idaho's fixed route providers via the online tool. The new system will feature a total of twelve fixed-route service providers across Idaho – allowing customers and service providers to easily access critical route information and updates. Read more...