JACKSON, Wyoming – Public transportation between Jackson and Jackson Hole Airport will be available this winter season after the city and county approved contributing the remaining $6,400 to fund the START Bus airport shuttle.
Bruce Abel, START Bus Transit’s director of operations, presented the funding solution to the city and county during a joint information session on August 5 and asked the boards to approve a $275,000 budget amendment.
Abel and the START staff worked with the Jackson Hole Airport and the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board to secure much of the funding for the program. The city and county said they supported the program conceptually but were unable to fund it on their own.
The Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board may contribute $70,000 from funds from a grant it received, pending board approval on Aug. 8. The Jackson Hole Airport has also agreed to purchase Universal Passes for its employees and is contributing $30,000, and the Wyoming Department of Transportation/Federal Transit Administration Grant 5311 awarded to START has a remaining balance of $83,600 to be used for the program.
The airport will also provide $45,000 in a combination of funding and staff time for public outreach and communications functions for the shuttle.
Abel estimates that fare revenue brings in $85,000, so if the city and county split $6,400 (based on the joint 46/54 division split), the total cost of services would be $275,000.
The START airport shuttle pilot program ran from December 16, 2023, to April 14. A bus ran 18 times per hour from four stops in Jackson to the airport, daily from 5:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Single-ride tickets were $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12, $5 for seniors and people with disabilities, and free for children under eight.
Numerous data points were collected and evaluated to measure passenger numbers, punctuality, customer satisfaction and fare revenue.
“We have met the financial and customer satisfaction goals (for the pilot program),” Abel said Monday, noting that he expects ridership to increase over time.
According to the staff report, the passenger target of 175-200 passengers per day was almost achieved with 160-170 passengers per day. Passenger surveys showed that 99% of respondents rated their experience with the service as satisfied or very satisfied.
Ty Hoath, chair of the START board, was also present at Monday’s meeting. He expressed his support for the program and addressed the need for long-term funding.
“I would encourage you to think about what it’s going to look like long-term,” Hoath said. “We’re expected to grow into this program in two or three years. So what does the funding of this particular program look like not today, but what does it look like until it’s completely self-sustaining?”
Abel said his department’s next steps include putting together job opportunities, accommodations and training for staff to support the service.
The airport shuttle pilot program was the only public transportation option to the airport in recent history. In 2018, the Ride2Fly program was discontinued after five years. The program was replaced by Taxi2Fly, which was also discontinued in 2020.
