START board advances 5-year plan with FY27 route, budget blueprint
At its Feb. 26 meeting, START’s governing board reviewed a new 5-year Transit Development Plan update and discussed staff’s FY27 budget and service-level recommendations, setting up near-term decisions on routes and fares.
The START board used its Feb. 26 regular meeting to advance a new five-year Transit Development Plan (TDP) update — including a comprehensive fare-study component — and to hear staff’s recommended FY27 budget and service levels. The work is intended to guide service and funding decisions over the next several years, with an eye toward route priorities, rider access and revenue assumptions.
The TDP materials presented to the board include a proposed simplified fare policy that keeps the Town Shuttle fare-free, sets a $1 base fare on Teton Village routes, and sets a $5 base fare on commuter routes (with discounted student/senior/disabled options and a menu of passes and 10-ride products). The plan also contemplates modernizing fare collection and increasing pass sales to employers, hospitality businesses and social service organizations as part of a ridership/revenue strategy.
On the operating side, the packet’s long-range financial tables outline projected local-share costs and how they would be split among lodging-tax support, the county and the town in future fiscal years, alongside federal formula support and other dedicated revenues. The FY27 budget discussion also flagged service implications — including reduced airport-fare revenue tied to a recommendation to suspend the Airport Shuttle — as the board considers how to balance service levels with available funding.
Documents: START Board Regular Meeting Agenda Packet (Feb. 26, 2026) and START Board Regular Meeting Agenda Packet (Feb. 26, 2026).
Background
On July 23, 2026, the START Board approved recommending service reductions to address a $1.5M budget shortfall, with final decisions pending a public hearing and Joint Board approval.
Latest: 2026-08-20 — Scheduled public hearing to receive comment on proposed service reductions and fare changes before Joint Board approval.
curated as of 2026-07-22
On July 23, 2026, the START Board voted 5-1 to approve $1,118,000 in service and budget cuts as a contingency if Town and County General Fund support for a $1.5 million shortfall was not pursued.
Latest: 2026-10-22 — START Board votes 5-1 to approve initial service and budget cuts totaling $1,118,000 as a contingency if primary funding is not pursued.
curated as of 2026-10-22
START closed a $1.5M FY27 budget gap with $633,638 in service cuts, fare increases, and $750,000 in local contributions, approved in September 2026 and implemented from October 2026.
Latest: 2027-01 — New fare structure scheduled for implementation, pending final approval.
curated as of 2026-10-30
Source Documents
| Date | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| February 26, 2026 | START Board Regular Meeting Agenda Packet | packet |
| February 26, 2026 | START Board Regular Meeting Agenda Packet | packet |