START Board to weigh service cuts and new fares for Oct. 1 gap

The START Board is set to revisit service reductions and a new fare structure designed to close a projected $1.5 million budget deficit that begins Oct. 1, 2026, including potential reductions to commuter and late-night service and shortened START On-Demand hours. The packet notes the system “needs to reduce the budget by a total of $1,500,000,” and staff will ask the board to reaffirm or adjust the July 23 motions after hearing more public comment Thursday. START Board packet

For wildlife and air quality, how we move people through the valley matters, because fewer cars in winter inversion season means less exhaust settled into our creek bottoms and neighborhoods. A service contraction can push riders back into individual vehicles, at the same time the board is looking at fares that would add new costs for On-Demand trips and change prices across routes. The board’s discussion will set up the recommendation that ultimately goes to the Town Council and Teton County commissioners, and the contingency plan in the staff report ties any service and fare changes to an October start date. START Board packet