PRT cancels non-essential trips due to snow, most routes still running

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - Roads, schools and offices are closing all around southeast Idaho on Monday. But public transportation is still chugging along.

In a post on Facebook, Pocatello Regional Transit announced that they are "canceling all non-essential trips today. The A, B, C, D, and E routes will be running as normal."

For information about PRT routes and services, please contact 208-234-2287 or visit their website at pocatellotransit.com.

Skyler Beebe, the director of PRT, said canceling trips is not a common practice.

"It's not (a decision) we take lightly. It's a hard one because we know people need to get where they need to go," Beebe said.

It takes a lot of snow to cancel a public transportation route. That's why even though the area is under a couple inches of snow, most city routes are still running.

“All of our same routes are running, we’ve eliminated a few of our door-to-door buses,” Beebe said.

The door-to-door services is primarily for ADA-qualified people, non-emergency medical transportation, senior citizens and people in rural areas.

“Those that have medical appointments, those that had pressing trips that they couldn’t get out of we’re still trying to do,” Beebe said.

People in rural areas will have a more difficult time finding public transportation today. PRT canceled trips outside of the Pocatello/Chubbuck area because of how dangerous the roads are.

“More of those trips that are out in the outlying areas that really got hit with snow and slick roads making it pretty dangerous,” Beebe said.

Tune in tonight on KIFI and KIDK to learn more.