Riverstone to get Citylink center

Posted: 7/18/2014 12:53:52 PM

Citylink will soon have a permanent presence in Coeur d’Alene’s Riverstone development.  Citylink began services with three buses in November 2005. The bus service has been operating out of a gravel lot in Riverstone since that time.

Over the past couple of years, the free bus service has paid rent to Riverstone for use of the lot, but the transit service has been overdue for a permanent home. At the beginning of this month, Kootenai County and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe completed their purchase of two lots in Riverstone for a Citylink transit center, according to a press release issued by the Tribe. The lots are located on West John Loop and bounded by Riverstone Drive and Seltice Way.

“The Tribe has been a great partner for providing transit services for our citizens,” said Kootenai County Commissioner Jai Nelson. “The County is proud to have played a role in making this purchase happen and we look forward to having site improvements in the near future.”

Coeur d’Alene Tribal Chairman Chief Allan added, “This has been in the works for quite some time. We’re excited to be able to provide some infrastructure and amenities for our drivers and passengers and enhance the transit services that are provided each month to the tens of thousands of citizens across north Idaho.”

The County had about $570,000 in Federal Transit Authority (FTA) grant funding that was used toward the purchase of Lot 1. The Tribe had $1,147,057 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant funding, which covered the rest of the cost of Lot 1 and the purchase of Lot 2. Approximately $18,600 of tribal funds were left over after the purchase and will be used for the design and engineering of the project and improvements.

The two parties will jointly own Lot 1 and the Tribe will own Lot 2. As part of the agreement, the County will own, operate and maintain the improvements of the project, which will likely include paved parking, a bus loading area, landscaping, irrigation, signage, lighting and passenger seating in Phase I.

Citylink is a free transportation service that is funded through a federal grant with significant financial support from the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and operated and managed in partnership with Kootenai County and local cities in north Idaho.

Schedules and timetables can be downloaded from www.idahocitylink.com.