Moscow buses head back to capacity

SMART Transit is planning to add a third Moscow bus route this year and will study the possibility of eventually adding a route to Pullman.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the nonprofit was forced to cut its service down to one bus as it struggled to hire staff, said executive director Andie Severson. During that time, riders would have to wait an hour between stops.

Severson said SMART Transit is now fully staffed and has two buses that run from 6:40 a.m. until 7 p.m. and cover eastern and western Moscow.

It is planning to implement a third bus route likely this fall and will look to hire more drivers. This route will cover southern Moscow to the area of Palouse River Drive, Severson said.

Severson also said SMART Transit’s monthly ridership has increased 30% since last year.

She attributes that increase to a stronger marketing effort letting people know its services are available. Severson said SMART Transit has particularly focused on attracting University of Idaho students, especially international students and freshmen.

“(We’re) trying to let incoming freshmen know that they don’t need to bring a car to college,” she said.

Severson said that after the nonprofit implements a third Moscow route, it will focus on trying to create routes to Pullman and the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport.

Wheatland Express used to provide a Moscow-to-Pullman bus route until that service was canceled in 2011 because of cost, according to previous Daily News reporting.

Severson said the addition of Pullman routes are part of SMART Transit’s strategic plan for the next couple of years. It must first ensure that its drivers meet the necessary qualifications to cross state lines.

Severson said the availability of more routes benefits the community because it reduces the time it takes for people to get from their workplace or the grocery store back to their homes.

“They’re just getting home sooner,” she said.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.