MISSOULA- Mountain Line will make some substantive changes to public transit service in a couple of weeks when the agency begins rolling buses seven days a week.
Mountain Line is making the formal announcement this week after months of reviewing different ideas for expanding transit service. In fact, the first step toward the change came with a public planning process back in 2017
Beginning on July 10, Mountain Line buses will operate for the first time ever on Sundays, between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Additionally, the agency will expand evening service, with some routes operating as late as 10:45 pm.
The changes add up to a 30% increase in Missoula's transit service, with Mountain Line CEO and general manager Corey Aldridge calling it a "transformative moment."
Mountain Line had hoped to expand service by 20% after getting voter approval in 2020 but the pandemic created a hiring shortage which forced the agency to delay the plans.
Now, Mountain Line has been able to add 58 employees, including many drivers over the past year, allowing for the expansion to take place.
Highlights of the July 10 service expansion include:
- Sunday service from 9 AM to 9 PM*
- Saturday service from 9 AM to 10:45 PM*
- Expanded weekday hours, from 6 AM to 10:45 PM*
- All-day service on Routes 4 & 11
*Hours vary by route.
The expanded service will benefit fixed-route riders, as well as seniors and people living with disabilities who use Mountain Line’s paratransit and shuttle van services.
Mountain Line notes that also starting July 10, the agency will be changing some routing on Routes 3, 5 and 11, as well as increasing service on holidays. Effective the same date, Mountain Line will operate every day except New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
“We’re excited to amplify these benefits this summer to help build a healthier, more equitable community," Missoula Urban Transportation District board chair Jesse Dodson noted.
Click here for additional information about the Mountain Line changes.
