Downtowner selected as vendor for GIFT

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Idaho Falls is a step closer to bringing public transportation back to the city. The Public Works department announced during a city council work session Monday that Downtowner will be the vendor for the Greater Idaho Falls Transit, or GIFT.

Downtowner was selected out of three companies that submitted proposals. It is the same company that provides microtransit services to the city of Jackson, Wyoming.

The program is expected to begin with a seven-vehicle fleet and 14 hour service days. That could be adjusted depending on demand.

The budget to begin with is around $4.5M. Most of that coming from a federal grant. The Idaho Transportation Department is pitching in $327,000. That will pay for the first two years of the program. The city council says plans are in place to fund it beyond that.

The next step is to negotiate a contract with Downtowner. It is expected to be ready for the city council to approve at the March 31 meeting. Once approved, GIFT should be up and running about eight weeks later.

The city council anticipates to have it in place by the end of May.