Record Ridership in FY09

Friday, July 10th, 2009

Once again, Missoulians helped Mountain Line to beat last year’s ridership record.  Between July 2008 and June 2009, Mountain Line carried a record 828,887 on its regular fixed route buses, a 4% increase over fixed route ridership the previous year.

In addition, Mountain Line provided 20,164 rides on its Paratransit and Senior Van services, compared to 16,000 paratransit rides the previous year.

Total ridership in FY09 was 849,051 compared to 811,216 in FY08.

Steve Earle, Mountain Line General Manager, “Once again Missoulians have shown that transit works in Missoula.  These numbers follow a positive trend for transit in Missoula that is reflected nationwide.”  Mountain Line has seen an amazing 60% increase in ridership in 15 years.

Mountain Line is an affordable, convenient alternative to driving to work.  Regular scheduled service is offered six days a week.  In addition, Mountain Line offers many popular free services during the summer months including the Out To Lunch Trolley on Wednesdays, the Saturday Market Trolley service, Kids Ride Free June through August and the Park and Ride service available during the Western Montana Fair.

Mobile Phone Website Released

Monday, June 15th, 2009

Mountain Line released a website for mobile phones designed to make it easier for commuters to find route and schedule information on the go. The website, available at http://mobile.mountainline.com/, is a simplified website with basic schedule information that is specifically designed for display on small screens. Passengers with cellular phones, BlackBerries or other mobile devices can access the site from anywhere they happen to be, even while running to the bus stop.

Jordan Hess, a student of geography at The University of Montana who also launched Google Transit for Mountain Line, designed the site. The site is a great way to harness cellular phones to give passengers more information. “This service will be great for those times when you need to catch a bus but don’t have a schedule handy.” said Hess. “Many people want to ride the bus for the environmental or cost benefits, but don’t know where to start; this will help them have the confidence to climb on board.”

“Mountain Line is looking to cost effective technologies to provide convenience to our passengers.” said General Manager Steve Earle.

The website is the latest in a series of technological improvements designed to make it easier to ride the bus. Last year, Mountain Line added a trip planner, Google Transit, designed to help bus patrons plan their bus trip. Mountain Line is also in the process of upgrading its website.