Most Riders Use Transit System For Shopping
Riders of North Idaho’s transit system pump about $3 million annually into the region’s economy, according to a federal study.
Shopping was one of the top destinations for North Idaho Community Express riders in 1996, the year the study surveyed.
About 19 percent of the transit system’s 120,700 riders listed shopping as the primary purpose for their trip. Only doctor’s visits and schooling ranked higher, at 21 percent each.
The study was done by the Federal Transit Administration, which looked at rural public transportation in 22 areas.
North Idaho Community Express provides transit service to Kootenai, Bonner and Shoshone counties. The transit provider is supported by $650,000 in federal grants and box fares.