High-Capacity Transit: Let’s Ride Treasure Valley Study (2024 – 2026)

Let's Ride Treasure Valley Logo

Rapid population growth, increasing travel demand along east-west corridors, and deteriorating performance in the Interstate 84/Interstate-184 corridor prompted COMPASS and its member agencies to study high-capacity transit options such as light rail, commuter rail, and bus rapid transit, that connect major activity centers in the Cities of Caldwell, Nampa, Meridian, and Boise.

The Let’s Ride Treasure Valley study examined a future high-capacity transit connection east to west across the Treasure Valley, south of the Boise River. High-level goals of the study included:

• Defining the purpose and need for potential high-capacity transit service
• Analyzing the technical feasibility, ability to meet the defined purpose/need, and public preference for various high-capacity transit options
• Identifying the benefits and impacts of those high-capacity transit options
• Removing infeasible options from further analysis

The purpose of the project is to improve the mobility, accessibility, and efficiency of east-west travel between Boise, Meridian, Nampa, and Caldwell, providing reliable and convenient high-capacity transit service that links key origins and destinations with strong potential for transit use.

Map of the HCT PEL planning area, running along Interstate 84 and through Caldwell, Nampa, Meridian, and Boise.

The study focused on east-west connections among the Cities of Caldwell, Nampa, Meridian, and Boise south of the Boise River. Click on the map to open an interactive version.

Study Process

Let’s Ride Treasure Valley built on previous high-capacity transit planning efforts. As a “Planning and Environmental Linkages” study, it represented a formal step in the federal environmental process.

The study kicked off in January 2024 and included three tiers of progressively more detailed analyses, along with stakeholder and public input at each step.

The final study was accepted by the Federal Transit Administration in January 2026 and approved by the COMPASS Board of Directors in February 2026.

Results

In the first tier of analysis eight potential routes connecting the Cities of Caldwell, Nampa, Meridian, and Boise, were analyzed, along with two additional routes to connect to the Boise Airport and Micron Technology, both in east Boise.

This analysis eliminated the two northern-most and two southern-most of the eight original routes. The additional routes to the Boise Airport and Micron did not meet the study purpose as stand-alone options but remained as potential auxiliary routes.

The second tier of evaluation paired the four remining routes with different high-capacity transit “modes” – bus rapid transit, light rail, and commuter rail – and analyzed route/mode combinations to determine those that would best meet the region’s needs.

This evaluation resulted in three route/mode combinations that were moved into the final tier of analysis:

  • Bus rapid transit on Interstate 84
  • Bus rapid transit on Fairview Avenue (east end)/Franklin Road (west end)
  • Commuter rail along the Boise Cutoff rail corridor

During the third tier of evaluation, the three combinations underwent more detailed analysis. Of the three, commuter rail along the Boise Cutoff rail corridor yielded the greatest technical benefit.

When compared to the study’s screening criteria, commuter rail along the Boise Cutoff rail corridor provided the greatest benefit.

Public sentiment aligned with this analysis, with 80% of survey respondents selecting this option as the best fit for the region.

In August 2026, the COMPASS Board of Directors approved regional rail along the Boise Cutoff rail corridor as the “preliminary locally preferred alternative.” Following this decision, the study was finalized and submitted to the Federal Transit Administration for acceptance prior to final COMPASS Board action in February 2026.

Regional rail along the Boise Cutoff rail corridor was selected as the “preliminary locally preferred alternative.”

A funding source to build and operate this system currently does not exist; therefore, this project will remain in the “planning” stage until funding is secured. At that time, an extensive process to plan for, build, and initiate operations for such a system will begin. Treasure Valley residents will have extensive opportunities for further involvement as that process evolves.

Study Materials

Final Study Report

Additional Study Materials

Past Planning (2009 – 2021)

COMPASS completed the first Treasure Valley High-Capacity Transit Study (PDF) in 2009, then the Treasure Valley High Capacity Transit Study Update (PDF) in 2020. In addition, COMPASS conducted a large-scale public survey in 2021 to better understand if and how residents would like to use high-capacity transit, including preferred destinations, timing, and types of service.

COMPASS staff used the survey results (PDF) to identify trends, needs, and common destinations, then compared those to potential transit modes and alignments as identified in the Treasure Valley High Capacity Transit Study (PDF) to identify options to best serve regional needs and preferences. Based on that analysis, regional rail on the Boise Cutoff alignment was identified as a “locally favored” (PDF) option for the regional long-range transportation plan, Communities in Motion 2050. This finding aligned with the results of the Let’s Ride Treasure Valley study.

Let’s Ride Treasure Valley is a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study, and all draft and final planning products produced during this PEL process may be adopted during a subsequent environmental review process in accordance with 23 USC 168, with the goal of not revisiting during future National Environmental Policy Act processes.