Grand Targhee changes shuttle schedule

DRIGGS — The Driggs city council approved a plan for Grand Targhee Resort to increase shuttle service to Driggs this winter, by ending service to Victor.

Under the new schedule, time between shuttles from Driggs to the resort will be cut from over an hour, to around 30 minutes between each trip.

“It’s exciting to concentrate and focus the service on the Ski Hill Road Corridor,” said Grand Targhee Director of Marketing and Sales Ken Rider.

He said the change is good for the environment and the people of Driggs, since it will encourage more people to take the bus instead of driving their private vehicles to the resort.”It hits on a lot of positive fronts,” he said.

The resort needed approval for the change because it operates the shuttle service under a contract with the city. The council held a public hearing to decide whether to let Grand Targhee change the terms of the agreement.

The council received five written responses before the hearing. Four of which were against and one of which was in support.

Targhee employee Micheal Woodruff wrote that he rides the Victor shuttle around four times a week in the winter, if not more.

“I had assumed that the city of Driggs and Grand Targhee ran this bus under some kind of federal grant in order to promote carpooling, thereby cutting down on pollution and congestion,” his letter read in part. “This Proposal to eliminate service to Victor will do the exact opposite for me, forcing me to once again drive up to Targhee!”

In addition to improving service to Driggs, one of the most persuasive arguments in favor of eliminating the Victor route was the low number of people who used it.

Four people spoke at the public hearing, with two in favor and two opposed.

Dave Heinen, who drove the Victor route for Grand Targhee, spoke in favor of the change. He said around two people used the shuttle service in the winter. That number was backed up by numbers from Grand Targhee.

He said that the trip to Victor and back takes around 20 minutes and comes out to a total of 840 miles a week for seven-days-a-week service.

“If you extend that out, that’s 18,000 miles a year to pick two or three people up,” Heinen said.

Mark Paglierani spoke against the change, and in favor of keeping the service to Victor. He said the number of riders from the past may not be accurate for the future since some employees have had to move to find housing.

“I would urge you to ask how many employees have moved from Driggs to Victor or are in the process of moving,” he said.

Grand Targhee Director of Transportation Zac Kamphaus said the resort does not have any employee housing in Victor.

Grand Targhee Marketing and Social Media Manager Jennie White said that not only is the shuttle an asset to the community but it is environmentally friendly.

“Help reduce your carbon footprint and help keep winters cool,” she said, imploring people to use the service.

The Driggs City council voted unanimously to approve the change.

“It seems like a lot of miles and a lot of time for only a few people,” said councilman Greer Jones.

“I think it’s a classic example of how tough it is to have public transportation in a rural community like this,” said councilman Jay Mazalewski.

He said in order to create a public transit system throughout the valley, all of the communities in Teton Valley needed to cooperate.

“This isn’t an easy decision,” said Driggs Mayor Hyrum Johnson, thanking everyone who submitted comments or who spoke at the hearing.

He said anyone who wants to see a more connected network of public transit in the valley should contact him or the city council.

Woodruff asked who to contact in the city of Victor. He was directed to reach out to Mayor Jeff Potter.

Woodruff said in the meantime he would text his fellow Targhee employees who live in Victor to make sure they have alternative rides to work this winter.

This article was originally published in the Teton Valley News. It is used here with permission.