Greater Idaho Falls Transit

What Greater Idaho Falls Transit does

Greater Idaho Falls Transit (GIFT) is a public transit authority created by Idaho Falls voters in 1994 to serve Southeast Idaho. After the predecessor Targhee Regional Public Transportation Authority (TRPTA) ceased fixed-route bus operations in May 2019, the City of Idaho Falls stood up GIFT On-Demand, an app-based microtransit service launched in June 2022 that delivers door-to-door rides in shared minivans throughout the city. The service runs Monday through Saturday with extended hours Thursday-Saturday and accepts bookings through a mobile app (iOS and Android) or a phone scheduling center, with all vehicles ADA-compliant and drivers trained in basic medical transport assistance.

The core product is a single integrated service with tiered pricing: $4 per on-demand ride, $6 per scheduled ride, and $10 for after-hours service between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Technology is delivered through a turn-key partnership with Downtowner, which provides the software platform, fleet of vehicles, and professional drivers, while GIFT retains public oversight through a City-employed transit coordinator and a Board that includes Idaho Falls City Council members. Initial operations were funded by a $4.2 million Federal CARES Act grant administered by the FTA plus $327,000 from the Idaho Transportation Department, with a two-year pilot structure that permits unused funds to roll into a third year.

GIFT serves four primary rider segments: general public and commuters, non-emergency medical transport patients (with up to one week of advance booking), recreation and events attendees, and ADA/mobility-impaired riders needing accessible vehicles and door-to-door assistance. The service area is currently restricted to Idaho Falls city limits, with active expansion pursuits into the City of Ammon and Bonneville County. Revenue is generated through a mix of per-ride fares, federal and state grants, local taxpayer subsidies, community donations, and prospective sponsorships or private funding, and the program is operating at 83,768 annual rides on just eight vehicles, which is materially above the predecessor's peak ridership.

Name

Greater Idaho Falls Transit

Legal name

Greater Idaho Falls Transit (GIFT)

Website

https://greateriftransit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Greater Idaho Falls Transit (GIFT) is a public transit authority operating GIFT On-Demand, an app-based microtransit service providing door-to-door shared minivan rides throughout Idaho Falls, Idaho. It serves commuters, non-emergency medical patients, ADA riders, and recreation travelers using a turn-key Downtowner-powered platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Microtransit Services

NAICS

Taxi and Ridesharing Services (485310)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

On-Demand Microtransit (App-Based, Corner-to-Corner) (TLAFAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

On-Demand Microtransit & Vanpool (App-Dispatched Shuttles) (THAIAGAF)

Keywords

• Public microtransit service
• On-demand rideshare transit
• ADA-compliant transportation
• Non-emergency medical transport
• Door-to-door public transit

Headquarters

HQ city

Idaho Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ride Fares: The primary revenue stream comes from per-ride fares: $4 for on-demand rides, $6 for scheduled rides, and $10 for after-hours service (9-11 p.m.).
2. Federal Transportation Grants: Initial pilot program funded by $4.2 million grant from Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) and Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), applied for in 2021 with additional $327,000 announced. Funds not used in two-year pilot can roll over to year three.
3. Community Donations: GIFT relies upon community support and accepts donations to help keep the microtransit service operational throughout Idaho Falls.
4. Local Taxpayer Subsidies: As initial federal funding depletes, the program is exploring ways to reduce reliance on local taxpayer subsidies while pursuing sustainable funding mechanisms.
5. Sponsorships and Private Funding: GIFT is researching additional funding mechanisms such as sponsorships or private funding to support the program into the future beyond the initial grant period.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GIFT On-Demand is an app-based, door-to-door microtransit rideshare service that provides point-to-point public transportation throughout the city of Idaho Falls using a fleet of ADA-compliant minivans. Riders book on-demand or scheduled rides via the GIFT On-Demand iOS/Android app or by calling the phone scheduling center, with shared rides, real-time tracking, and non-emergency medical transport capabilities. The service operates Monday through Saturday with extended after-hours availability Thursday through Saturday.

Product overview

Greater Idaho Falls Transit (GIFT) operates a single unified product called GIFT On-Demand Transit, an app-based micro-transit service that provides on-demand and scheduled point-to-door rides within Idaho Falls city limits. The service operates Monday through Saturday with extended evening hours, offering non-emergency medical transport capabilities and ADA-compliant vehicles. GIFT replaced the former TRPTA fixed-route bus system with a leaner, technology-enabled model using eight vehicles that significantly outperforms the previous system in ridership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GIFT On-Demand Transit Point-to-point, door-to-door micro-transit service providing on-demand and scheduled rides throughout the city of Idaho Falls using a fleet of ADA-compliant minivans. Accessible via smartphone app or phone booking with real-time driver tracking and shared rides for passengers heading in the same direction, available to any individual rider needing transportation within city limits.
• GIFT After-Hours Service Extended-hours rideshare service available Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. at a $10 per-ride fare, providing public transit access during evening hours outside the standard schedule for individual riders needing late transportation within Idaho Falls.

Quantifiable outcome

• 83,768 rides provided in 2025 compared to predecessor TRPTA's peak of 15,000-20,000 annual rides
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DowntownercoreTechnology or IntegrationSelected micro-transit provider delivering turn-key operation including software platform, fleet of vehicles, and professional drivers. Downtowner is an established rideshare provider that ensures reliable, professional service delivery. Drivers are employed directly by Downtowner.
• City of AmmonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighboring city being pursued for expansion partnership as initial federal funding depletes. The city would need to invest in GIFT to participate in the service area.
• Bonneville CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighboring county being pursued for expansion partnership as initial federal funding depletes. The county would need to invest in GIFT to participate in the service area beyond current city limits.
• Targhee Regional Public Transit Authority (TRPTA)minorOthersPredecessor transit authority that ceased fixed-route service in May 2019. TRPTA had provided nearly 25 years of service to Southeast Idaho since being created by voters in 1994. GIFT emerged from TRPTA's closure to provide new on-demand transit solutions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• TransLoc: TransLoc provides fixed-route and on-demand transit software to public agencies across the US, including microtransit dispatch capabilities. Adjacent incumbent providing comparable technology for transit authorities like GIFT.
• Uber: Uber is the dominant rideshare platform with broad coverage in mid-size US cities like Idaho Falls. It competes with GIFT for on-demand point-to-point trips while also partnering with public agencies through Uber Transit-style integrations.
• Cubic Transportation Systems: Cubic is a large incumbent provider of public transportation systems, fare collection, and transit technology to agencies globally. Represents the broader transit-tech incumbent landscape that competes for transit agency technology and operational budgets.
• Moovit: Moovit (owned by Intel) is a widely-used urban mobility and transit app serving public transit riders globally. Comparable in addressing the same rider base for public transit trip planning in cities, though it does not operate microtransit vehicles.
• Lyft: Lyft is a major rideshare platform that competes for the same discretionary commuter and recreation rider pool in Idaho Falls. Lyft also offers Lyft Concierge partnerships with transit agencies, representing a broader incumbent alternative to specialized microtransit providers.

Direct peers

• Spare Platform: Spare provides microtransit software that enables transit agencies to launch on-demand, app-based public transportation services. Comparable platform offering for public transit microtransit operations like GIFT, with similar rider and operator experiences.
• Via Transportation: Via is a leading microtransit SaaS platform used by hundreds of transit agencies globally to deliver on-demand, shared-ride public transportation. Directly comparable technology model to GIFT's app-based door-to-door service, with similar ridership and cost-efficiency outcomes.
• Downtowner: Downtowner is the turn-key microtransit operator that provides GIFT's software, vehicles, and drivers. It directly powers GIFT's service and operates similar microtransit services in other small/mid-size US cities, making it the most comparable operator.

Emerging players

• HopSkipDrive: HopSkipDrive provides supervised, scheduled rides for youth, seniors, and healthcare transport — comparable to GIFT's NEMT use case where drivers are specifically trained and trips are pre-scheduled. Adjacent emerging player in the specialized on-demand transport space.
• Padam Mobility: Padam Mobility is a microtransit platform provider serving transit agencies and operators in Europe and North America. Comparable SaaS model for on-demand shared transit services with similar app-based, door-to-door capabilities to GIFT's service.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wix
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wix-com
• Instagraminstagram.com/wix

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Greater Idaho Falls Transit