Silver Express facing new administration

WALLACE –– The Shoshone County Commissioners are working behind the scenes to make sure that public transportation remains an option for the county’s residents.  

The Silver Express Shuttle service has operated with the county for more than a decade, but the county now must find new administrators to keep the service up and running.  

Currently, Silver Express is a cooperative effort between the county – who funds the bus, and Northwest Medical Supply (NMS) – which handles the logistics and administration of the service. This includes coordinating routes, supplying drivers, and handling bus inspections.  

Recently, NMS informed the county that they would not be renewing their contract with the county at the end of this month; Or would need increased funding to continue in their current role.  

According to Shoshone County Grant Administrator Colleen Rosson, Silver Express is funded through a $448,000 grant from the Idaho Transportation Department. This grant has match component to it, where the county provides in-kind service and some funding to keep the bus in operation.  

Rosson explained that NMS receives approximately $11,000 to cover their responsibilities, including paying the bus drivers. During a recent meeting, they requested an additional $10,000 monthly to continue operating at the current level. 

Shoshone County currently spends $45,000 per year, as part of their match for the grant and the commissioners had very little interest in adding an additional $120,000 to that cost.  

Commissioner Tracy Casady said that the county is looking to see if they can move the administration responsibilities under the umbrella of Shoshone County but that the infrastructure is in place to facilitate the county taking on the additional responsibility.  

“Liability requirements, insurance, expenses, these are all things we have to look at,” Casady said.  

According NWM, increasing liability costs are the driving force behind request. Rosson concurred with their position, explaining that the service requires a lot of work and comes with minimal profit beyond being a well-used community service.   

The good news is that under no circumstances is the county planning on getting rid of the Silver Express Shuttle.  

“Our plan is to figure this situation out and hopefully no one will notice a thing,” Rosson said. “We understand that the bus is a vital asset for our community. We hope this will be a seamless transition.”  

According to Rosson, NMS has told the commissioners that they would stay on through October to help facilitate whatever transition takes place.  

The Silver Express Shuttle operates Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. and serves an average of 70 people in Shoshone County per day with stops in the cities of Kingston, Pinehurst, Smelterville, Kellogg, Osburn, Silverton, Wallace, and Mullan with additional stops in the unincorporated Shoshone County areas in between each city.  

The route makes three trips with 40 stops in each direction.  The stops have been strategically located in both residential and commercial locations to provide easy access to shopping, healthcare, government facilities, schools, libraries, senior centers, and all other services in the Silver Valley. 

They also provide three days of paratransit service and two trips each week to and from Coeur d’Alene.  

For more information regarding the Silver Express Shuttle, call the management office at (855) 495-7325.