County transit and transportation staff updated the Board of County Commissioners on March 17 about flat ridership, next steps for a transit development plan and the early screening of options for Highway 22 improvements, including roundabouts and a managed lane.

Start Transit Director Bruce Abel reported ridership through the year-to-date months is essentially flat, with town-route ridership rebounding above pre-pandemic levels while village and on-demand services lag. Abel said Start on-demand is down roughly 13 percent and the contractor is working with the county to address longer wait times; the agency is also piloting an airport shuttle that staff propose continuing into a third winter after coordinating with partner contributions and a two-year grant structure.

Regional Transportation Manager Charlotte Fry briefed the board on pathway and Highway 22 planning. Jacobs and White Hawk (the project consultants) have conducted a Level 1 screening of intersection alternatives and are modeling intersection permutations as they move toward corridor cross-section work. Fry said the team is considering options including a roundabout at Spring Gulch/Highway 22, a Florida T (signalized) at Highway 22 and Broadway, and a roundabout at Boyle Hill and Tribal Trail; all alternatives would be designed to accommodate a managed lane on Highway 22, reflecting the county’s intermodal transportation plan vision.

Fry cautioned that the federal funding landscape is changing: new notices of funding opportunity emphasize climate and equity criteria and may narrow eligible project types. She said the county expects a funding notice later in the month and will target candidate projects for an implementation grant and planned adoption of the Safe Streets for All safety plan in June.

Commissioners asked about parking pricing as a tool for transit mode shift, possible direct airport–Teton Village service, and whether YDOT was still considering access changes at Indian Springs Ranch. Fry and Public Works Director Heather Oberholzer said YDOT remains engaged and that some access-change options remain under discussion; Oberholzer confirmed the planned Bridal Trail/Highway 22 connection in screenings is a signalized conventional intersection in the current set of alternatives.

Staff said the transit electronic fare rollout is experiencing some smart-card wallet lags (about a 24-hour delay for card loads to be usable), and the StarBoard has prioritized fare-structure evaluation, including free-fare pilots and employer-based fare programs. A consultant-led five-year transit development plan and public engagement process will begin this week and last roughly one year, with stakeholder interviews and advisory meetings planned.

Fry said pathway public meetings on Downtown Wilson and the Teton Pass Trail are being scheduled for spring and summer and that a stakeholder workshop on bicycle and e-bike safety is planned for April 16 at the library. The county will also test parking arm-bar equipment at Millward Simpson Garage later in spring to evaluate on-street parking impacts.

The board asked staff to provide a short memo summarizing the Highway 22 screening alternatives and timeline for follow-up and public meetings.