Mountain Rides seeks $295,000 from Sun Valley, outlines pilot route and on-demand service

Jason Miller, Executive Director of Mountain Rides Transportation Authority, presented the agency’s FY2017 funding request and service proposals to the Sun Valley City Council. He said every city dollar leverages matching funds, cited the highest winter ridership on record, and asked Sun Valley for $295,000 for FY17, which he said would yield nearly a three-to-one return through combined funding and service value within the city.

Miller described service changes being considered, including a pilot route to Galena Lodge that would charge a fare and an on-demand service to cover the Sun Valley area during slack periods when the regular Red Route is not operating. He said the on-demand service could begin Oct. 1 if the funding is allocated and noted that average federal-to-local matching for operating funds is roughly 65% federal to 35% local; administrative overhead is about 18%.