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Citylink (Idaho)

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Citylink
Commenced operationNovember 1, 2005 (2005-11-01)
HeadquartersCoeur d'Alene, Idaho
LocaleKootenai County, Idaho
Routes6
Stops150
Hubs2
Fleet20 buses
Annual ridership224,538[1]
WebsiteIdaho Citylink

Citylink is a public transportation service in parts of Kootenai County, Idaho. The agency operates six bus routes in urbanized areas of the county, including the cities of Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, that run for 16 hours a day, seven days a week. Patrons are not charged a fare on Citylink buses.[2] Citylink is funded by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, Kootenai County, Kootenai Health, and the Federal Transit Administration.[3] The agency's bus fleet consists of 20 buses that can seat up to 33 passengers and are equipped with wheelchair lifts and bicycle racks.[4]

Routes

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  • Urban Route A – Serves Coeur d'Alene
  • Urban Route B – Serves Post Falls
  • Urban Route C – Serves Hayden
  • Rural Route – Serves the towns of Worley, Plummer, Tensed and DeSmet
  • Link Route – Connects the two transfer stations at Riverstone and Worley
  • Plummer Express – Peak-only commuter service connecting Coeur d'Alene and Plummer

History

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Riverstone Transit Center in 2019

Citylink began operating on November 1, 2005, funded primarily by a $1.38 million Federal Transit Administration grant that was matched by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe.[5][6][7]

Budget cuts in April 2012 caused a major restructure in Citylink service, including the elimination of a route to State Line, the addition of 125 stops to the system, increased frequencies on services operating out of Riverstone, and the elimination of one-way loops on urban routes B and C.[8][9] The permanent Riverstone Transit Center opened in 2019, with public restrooms and a reception area.[10]

Extension of Spokane Transit Authority service into Idaho, mainly an hourly express bus from Coeur d'Alene to Spokane, was proposed as part of the 2015 "STA Moving Forward" ballot measure, which failed to pass.[11][12] This was again proposed in 2016, as part of the "Proposition 1" ballot measure, which successfully passed. Service is expected to commence in 2025.[13]

References

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  1. ^ "Kootenai County (KC)" (PDF). National Transit Database. Federal Transit Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 3, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  2. ^ "Citylink: Reliable. Efficient. Free". Citylink. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  3. ^ Carr, Geoff (September 8, 2015). "C'mon and take a free ride". Coeur d'Alene Press. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  4. ^ "Appendix B: Citylink Fleet Roster" (PDF). Kootenai MPO Public Transportation Plan Update Final Report. Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization. August 2012. p. 111. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 3, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  5. ^ Rotunno, Nick (November 9, 2010). "Citylink celebrates five years". Coeur d'Alene Press. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  6. ^ "Kootenai County Coordinated Public Transit Human Services Transportation Plan" (PDF). Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization. June 7, 2007. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  7. ^ Drumheller, Susan (November 4, 2005). "CityLink bus service gets rolling". The Spokesman-Review. pp. B1–B2. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  8. ^ KMPO Staff (March 14, 2012). "Kootenai County - CITYLINK SERVICE REDUCTION - Summary Sheet - FAQ's". KMPO Transportation Blog. Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  9. ^ Warren, Alecia (April 25, 2012). "Citylink services cut". Coeur d'Alene Press. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  10. ^ Thomas, Virginia (August 2, 2018). "Transit center in works at Riverstone in Cd'A". Spokane Journal of Business. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  11. ^ Prager, Mike (January 29, 2015). "Coeur d'Alene bus service is part of STA tax request". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  12. ^ Cole, David (January 30, 2015). "Waiting for the bus". Coeur d'Alene Press. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  13. ^ Kelety, Josh (March 5, 2020). "With ridership declining, we hop on the bus with one big question in mind: Where is the STA headed?". Inlander. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
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