Council boosts Mountain Rides funding to $295,000 and urges later service hours

The Sun Valley City Council voted to increase funding for Mountain Rides to $295,000 during its July 12 budget review and urged the transit agency to expand late-night hours.

Council Member Jane Conard advocated for an additional $30,000 to support Mountain Rides’ expanded services. Council Member Michelle Griffith specifically pressed for late-night service to run until bars close and said she would "prioritize the extension of those hours over other projects Mountain Rides has proposed, such as a route to Galena Lodge." Council President Keith Saks said the council would review Mountain Rides’ follow-through on service expansions when considering next year’s funding.

The council’s approval increases the town’s financial support for Mountain Rides but ties ongoing funding considerations to the agency’s service delivery.