BOISE -- With gas prices up, mass transit in the Treasure Valley has become a more popular way to get around.
And mass transit was the hot topic in Downtown Boise Tuesday as officials from across the valley were on hand to commemorate Valley Regional Transit's switch to marked bus stops.
Boise Mayor Dave Bieter says it's a much better system than forcing riders to flag down a bus.
"Stops that are marked and where people know that a bus will be coming on the schedule that was put out," said Bieter.
Bieter says it's about providing better service to the people of Ada County.
In the last five months, more than 725 bus stop signs have been installed countywide.
And the celebration at the Boise Centre on the Grove was also an opportunity for Bieter and other dignitaries to play tour guide.
Officials from the Capital City Development Corporation and Boise State University joined the mayor to highlight the "circulator route," which a proposed trolley would follow.
Bieter says the 34-block route between St. Luke's and 17th Street could be the start of something even bigger.
"We hope that that's the first step in an overall system that's valleywide and that's rail-based, because that's where we really get the ridership and people will see it as an even more viable option," Bieter.
In addition to touting the convenience and economic benefits the trolley would bring to Downtown Boise, Bieter talked about the city's history and how trolleys have been used in the past.
