START’s 5-year route map moves ahead, 5-1 vote drops airport bus

START’s long-range route redesign is effectively locked in, and the next public checkpoint is May 28: the START Board is scheduled to discuss and approve the Final 5-Year Transit Development Plan, after voting 5 to 1 in April to approve the recommended route plan, with airport service explicitly excluded. For riders, that 5-1 vote is the clearest signal so far about where service expansion effort is headed, and where it is not. See: START Board Regular Meeting Agenda Packet.

What I will be listening for Thursday is whether the Board treats that route map as a firm commitment or as a placeholder that still could change before implementation work begins. The packet frames the TDP as a five-year guide, with an incremental scenario that holds the operating budget around $9.3 million in 2026 before ramping up in later years, and it ties bigger service expansion to START’s ability to staff up. If you care about reliable cross-valley commuting, the stakes are simple: the plan decides which lines get priority, and it keeps airport service off the table for now. START Board Regular Meeting Agenda Packet.