Posted: Jan 27, 2012 10:07 AM by Dennis Bragg (KPAX/KAJ Media Center)
Updated: Jan 27, 2012 9:10 PM
MISSOULA- Buoyed by another ridership record, the managers of Mountain Line are projecting continued growth after the snow melts. And General Manager believes there is plenty of room for more passengers, especially during "off peak" travel times.
Mountain Line announced this week it had set a single day ridership record on Tuesday, carrying more than 4,600 passengers. That's primarily because people were looking for options to driving Missoula's icy streets. But it's also one of a string of records as Mountain Line has set monthly ridership records in eight of the past 12 months.
However, GM Michael Tree is confident there are more passengers out there, and says the system still has plenty of capacity besides the morning and afternoon commute times.
"I do. I think there's lots of room for growth. Certainly we've got 12 routes out of the streets. And at peak times we have 17 buses and really in this community you can get to and from where you want to go in a fairly quick and efficient manner on Mountain Line. And I think as people discover that and they give it a try I think they'll get hooked."
Tree added that features like free Wi-Fi, that allow people to check email or even watch a video, and the bus tracker feature where riders can see exactly when their bus will arrive are also getting more people to try Mountain Line.
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