For the week of August 29 - September 4, 2001

One small step

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In retrospect, maybe it would’ve made sense to keep the Union Pacific rail tracks instead of abandoning them decades ago, and then converting them to a rapid rail commuter service between Bellevue and Ketchum/Sun Valley to deal with today’s traffic crunch.

But second-guessing and what-ifs don’t do much for reality.

So, the reality of the Bellevue-Hailey-Ketchum traffic corridor was on the minds of Blaine County commissioners when they ponied up $5,000 toward obtaining federal grant funds for a peak-traffic commuter bus service between the north and south valley.

Of equal importance at the commission meeting was the perspective expressed by Steve Wolper, of Citizens for Smart Growth, who captured the essence of the broader challenge in solving the valley’s worsening traffic.

"The long term solution in the valley," Wolper told the commission, "has to see changed public behavior, and this is a start."

"Changed behavior" simply means less reliance on cars for commuter transportation during peak morning and afternoon hours, and use of commuter alternatives such as ride sharing or, ideally, a bus system.

Not everyone can or will abandon their cars. Some drivers need their own vehicles to conduct business during the day.

But several thousand daily commuters between south and north Wood River Valley are involved in jobs not requiring a personal vehicle ¾ and those are the target of this new effort to develop a mass transit system.

Breaking the auto addiction won’t be easy. But employers of commuters who understand the urgent need for relieving the valley’s only major traffic artery of volume can hasten the solution.

They can offer incentives to commuter employees ¾ small cash rewards, gift certificates, adjusted work hours, etc.

With the proposed bus service to schedule three round trips in the morning and three in the afternoon, employers could adjust work schedules to earlier or later times to not only accommodate the commuter service, but employees who may prefer a flexible schedule.

Beyond working commuters, others can benefit from an established bus service — such as young people in the south valley going to the Ketchum/Sun Valley area for recreation and sports activities.

A "teen bus" service already is being operated on Friday nights to transport young people to and from events.

Make no mistake. Changing driving habits and building a bus system take time and commitment.

Blaine County commissioners have shown their initial commitment.

Now it’s up to the rest of the community to throw its support and commitment to those who’re leading the way.

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.