Jackson's Free Bus Rides End Nov. 27, and the Fare Is the Smallest Change

Starting Nov. 27, 2026, START will charge $2 for a one-way ride on the Town Shuttle and START On-Demand, and the ride from Stilson to Teton Village will no longer be free. The fare is the part people will notice first. It is also the smallest piece of the plan. Town and county officials expect fares to bring in about $117,000 toward a $1.5 million shortfall. Fewer buses after dark and money moved out of other local budgets cover the rest.

If you ride the Town Shuttle to work, take On-Demand home from Miller Park, or park at Stilson for ski days, the timetable matters more than the $2.

Where the $1.5 Million Went

The gap did not begin in Jackson. START gets federal operating money through the Federal Transit Administration's Section 5311 program, and the Wyoming Department of Transportation passes that money along. For federal fiscal year 2026, START received $4.9 million. For FY27 it asked for $5.9 million and got about $3.4 million.

The cut came from WYDOT's award, not from a local vote. START's July 6 briefing to town and county officials says WYDOT received $14 million in requests and had $8.5 million to give out. The briefing links the smaller pot to the end of pandemic-relief money and of the state's carryover funds. START learned on June 4 that its award came in well below both its request and the prior year.

The same briefing says WYDOT indicated the reduced level should be expected for the next three years. Staff also warned that more reductions would be needed if costs for fuel, parts and labor keep rising without new funding. The Nov. 27 fare card is likely the first of several adjustments.

How the Gap Actually Got Closed

At a special joint meeting on Aug. 31, the Jackson Town Council and the Teton County Board of County Commissioners weighed options ranging from full general-fund coverage to deep cuts. Mayor Arne Jorgensen cautioned against putting the whole shortfall on riders. Commissioner Wes Gardner said the boards should not cut $1.5 million of service.

The final plan came at the Sept. 14 joint meeting and split the gap three ways:

Fares cover less than a tenth of the shortfall. The partner share of the reallocation, $150,000, was not yet committed as of mid-September. That leaves part of the plan open. The boards told staff to work with the business community and the Teton Village Association on longer-term support, to draft a proposal for a joint transportation advisory board and a regional transportation agency, and to work with Wyoming lawmakers on changes that would support public transit.

During public comment, Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce CEO Rick Howe said the community needs a more lasting approach:

"It's time to put a group of coalition partners together to talk a little more about a more sustainable funding model. Just to say we're going to keep cutting back on service is probably not something that we as a community should adopt or accept."

The Cuts That Show Up After Dark

The $633,638 in reductions approved Sept. 14 is a specific list, and most of it falls on evenings and the hours between commutes. From the meeting chart:

• Teton Village, after 8 p.m.: reduced late-night service, saving $75,582
• Town Shuttle, after 8 p.m.: reduced late-night service, saving $64,879
• Teton Village Express: full service from 6 to 10 a.m. and 2 to 6 p.m., with one bus between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and after 6 p.m., saving $144,150
• Town Shuttle weekends, after 10 p.m.: reduced service, saving $37,000
• Vanpool: fleet cut from 10 vans to 5, saving $45,000
• START On-Demand: the Teton County Library stop discontinued, saving $79,000, plus service-hour adjustments of $71,555 and related staffing reductions of $50,872

The Teton Village Express change is the largest single line. Dropping the library stop saves more than the cuts to marketing, professional services and recruitment combined, which total $65,600. The chart does not give On-Demand's new hours. Since its 2021 launch, the service has run from 6 a.m. to midnight. Check the hours before planning a late return trip.

START's airport shuttle suspension was reported separately and is not part of this list.

All of this affects a lot of people. The News & Guide, citing town and county figures, reported that START carried more than a million riders in 2025.

The Fare Card, Line by Line

Before the change, START charged only on commuter routes and on trips to Teton Village: $8 one way for commuters, $3 from town to the Village, and $1 from Highway 390 stops to the Village. The Town Shuttle and On-Demand were free. Here is what Buckrail reported for Nov. 27:

According to the town's public notice, discounts still apply. Riders 60 and older and 12 and younger pay half price, children 8 and under ride free with an adult, and Teton County students ride free within the county.

The Teton Village Number Still in Question

One fare is not settled in the public record. In August, START proposed lowering the one-way fare on Teton Village routes from $3 to $2. After the Aug. 31 meeting, the boards told staff to raise it to $4 one way and $8 for a day pass instead. That $4 version was the proposal at the Oct. 1 public hearing.

Buckrail's Oct. 5 report, published after that hearing, lists Teton Village routes at $2 one way, with $4 for a round trip between Jackson and Teton Village. We did not find posted minutes or an official fare page that settles which number was adopted. If you ride to the Village, check with START or Town Hall before Nov. 27. A one-way ride could cost less than the current $3 or more.

Doing the Pass Math

The passes cost less per ride than single fares for almost anyone who rides regularly. Buckrail reported these prices:

1. 10-ticket pack, $16. That works out to $1.60 a ride on the Town Shuttle, On-Demand or Teton Village routes. Each ticket covers one one-way fare.
2. One-month pass, $50. It includes unlimited rides on On-Demand, the Town Shuttle and Teton Village routes. At $2 a ride, it pays for itself at 25 one-way trips. A weekday round trip on the Town Shuttle gets there in about two and a half weeks.
3. Six-month pass, $150. It covers the same routes for about $25 a month, half the monthly price, which fits a ski-season Stilson routine.
4. Universal pass, $120 a month, $499 for six months, or $899 a year. It covers every START service, including the Star Valley and Teton Valley routes. At $10 a ride, a commuter covers the monthly price in 12 one-way trips, or six workdays.

Passes are sold at START headquarters and at Town Hall.

START expects fewer riders. A July staff report, covering a fare package close to the one now planned, projected a 7.8% drop in ridership along with the added fare revenue.

Before the Fares Start

One change comes first. The Town Shuttle's fall schedule begins Monday, Oct. 12. On that date, Stop #1 at Snow King Resort will be suspended. Riders who used it should go to Stop #8 at Snow King Center or Stop #9 at Snow King & Willow. The town's alert does not say which of the approved service reductions start with the fall schedule. Check the posted timetable for evening service before November.

Transit access is one of the everyday factors we help clients weigh when they compare locations across Teton County, from a Stilson ski-day routine to a winter commute from Star Valley. If you have questions about how this winter's START changes affect where you live or where you're looking, Deirdre Griffith is happy to talk it through. Let's connect to explore Jackson Hole opportunities.