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Mountain Line, Missoula's bus system, is operated by its own board of directors and is not part of City of Missoula government. It benefits both organizations and our community to coordinate in transportation planning efforts and to host this project on the Engage Missoula platform.
Project Overview
The Missoula Urban Transportation District (MUTD), more familiarly known as Mountain Line, has launched the2024 Transit Strategic Plan with the goal of developing comprehensive recommendations for Missoula's public transit system to better serve riders, residents, and the broader community. This plan will cover numerousfacets of the agency, including service and operations, capital improvements, funding, climate and sustainability goals, equity objectives, and policy issues.
Building on the successes of the2018 Transit Strategic Plan and responding to evolving local, national, and global contexts, this new effort will determine MUTD’s course for the coming years.
Key elements of the plan include:
Evaluating service schedules and route design enhancements to improve efficiency, equity, and accessibility.
Assessing the passenger experience to improve comfort and convenience for riders.
Considering emerging technologies and ways new technologies could be incorporated into the transit system.
Reviewing local and regional transit policies and potential updates.
Analyzing COVID-19 impacts on public transit usage and challenges.
Land use and infrastructure analysis to determine effects on transit and opportunities for necessary infrastructure improvements.
Planning and implications of a new operations center.
Impacts of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on future service design.
Exploring alternative service delivery options.
Project Update
December 2024
Watch our recorded Transit and Transportation Virtual Open House to learn more about the proposed near-term and long-term service options.
After a period of public feedback and further analysis of ridership data, equity and accessibility metrics, and projected future transit needs, Mountain Line has proposed a preferred alternative for near-term and long-term strategic updates.
Near-term changes are cost-neutral, requiring no additional funding. These changes propose a reallocation of existing resources (e.g. transit fleet, staff time, revenue hours) to serve current ridership patterns more effectively without increasing operational costs.
The recent public survey (conducted August-September 2024) reflected the community's need for additional frequency on high-ridership routes, continued coverage of the current service area, and uncertainty about alternative service delivery options such as on-demand transit.
As a result, proposed near-term updates include:
Increasing to half-hour peak service on Route 3 and Route 4 (between Downtown and East Missoula)
Rerouting Route 8 to connect north Franklin to the Fort to Downtown with half-hour frequency
Minor routing changes on Routes 7 and 11 to improve on-time performance
Hourly Route 12 service, with no change in routing
Possible on-demand pilot program as an added service (not replacing any current routes)
No changes are expected for most existing service:
Routes 1 and 2 would maintain 15-minute service on weekdays
Routes 5, 6, 9 and 14 would maintain existing routing and schedules
About MUTD
Mountain Lineconnects Missoulians to the community through safe, sustainable, and innovative transportation solutions. Operated by the Missoula Urban Transportation District (MUTD) since 1976, Mountain Line provides zero-fare fixed-route bus and Paratransit service in and around Missoula seven days a week.
MUTD is a leader in adopting zero-emissions buses (ZEBs) in the United States, setting an example for other small urban transit networks. In February 2020, its Board of Directors committed to transitioning to a 100% zero-emissions fleet by 2035. More than 40% of the Mountain Line fleet is currently battery-electric, with four new electric buses arriving in 2024.
Mountain Line was recognized as the top public transit agency of its size in North America in 2021 by the American Public Transportation Association and named System of the Year in 2023 by the Montana Transit Association.
Further Reading
We will share project documents as they are completed. These documents are located under "Project Documents" in the sidebar.
The Existing Conditions Report provides a comprehensive overview of Missoula’s regional planning context, focusing on population and employment patterns. It evaluates the current state of the transportation network, including roadways, transit, and multimodal infrastructure. This report lays the groundwork for future recommendations and improvements in Missoula's regional planning and transportation systems.
The Executive Summary condenses the key findings of the Existing Conditions Report. It highlights important aspects of Missoula’s demographics, transit system performance, and multimodal transportation conditions, including roadways, bicycle, and pedestrian networks. This summary serves as a quick reference to the broader report’s insights, supporting the development of future plans and recommendations.
Mountain Line, Missoula's bus system, is operated by its own board of directors and is not part of City of Missoula government. It benefits both organizations and our community to coordinate in transportation planning efforts and to host this project on the Engage Missoula platform.
Project Overview
The Missoula Urban Transportation District (MUTD), more familiarly known as Mountain Line, has launched the2024 Transit Strategic Plan with the goal of developing comprehensive recommendations for Missoula's public transit system to better serve riders, residents, and the broader community. This plan will cover numerousfacets of the agency, including service and operations, capital improvements, funding, climate and sustainability goals, equity objectives, and policy issues.
Building on the successes of the2018 Transit Strategic Plan and responding to evolving local, national, and global contexts, this new effort will determine MUTD’s course for the coming years.
Key elements of the plan include:
Evaluating service schedules and route design enhancements to improve efficiency, equity, and accessibility.
Assessing the passenger experience to improve comfort and convenience for riders.
Considering emerging technologies and ways new technologies could be incorporated into the transit system.
Reviewing local and regional transit policies and potential updates.
Analyzing COVID-19 impacts on public transit usage and challenges.
Land use and infrastructure analysis to determine effects on transit and opportunities for necessary infrastructure improvements.
Planning and implications of a new operations center.
Impacts of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on future service design.
Exploring alternative service delivery options.
Project Update
December 2024
Watch our recorded Transit and Transportation Virtual Open House to learn more about the proposed near-term and long-term service options.
After a period of public feedback and further analysis of ridership data, equity and accessibility metrics, and projected future transit needs, Mountain Line has proposed a preferred alternative for near-term and long-term strategic updates.
Near-term changes are cost-neutral, requiring no additional funding. These changes propose a reallocation of existing resources (e.g. transit fleet, staff time, revenue hours) to serve current ridership patterns more effectively without increasing operational costs.
The recent public survey (conducted August-September 2024) reflected the community's need for additional frequency on high-ridership routes, continued coverage of the current service area, and uncertainty about alternative service delivery options such as on-demand transit.
As a result, proposed near-term updates include:
Increasing to half-hour peak service on Route 3 and Route 4 (between Downtown and East Missoula)
Rerouting Route 8 to connect north Franklin to the Fort to Downtown with half-hour frequency
Minor routing changes on Routes 7 and 11 to improve on-time performance
Hourly Route 12 service, with no change in routing
Possible on-demand pilot program as an added service (not replacing any current routes)
No changes are expected for most existing service:
Routes 1 and 2 would maintain 15-minute service on weekdays
Routes 5, 6, 9 and 14 would maintain existing routing and schedules
About MUTD
Mountain Lineconnects Missoulians to the community through safe, sustainable, and innovative transportation solutions. Operated by the Missoula Urban Transportation District (MUTD) since 1976, Mountain Line provides zero-fare fixed-route bus and Paratransit service in and around Missoula seven days a week.
MUTD is a leader in adopting zero-emissions buses (ZEBs) in the United States, setting an example for other small urban transit networks. In February 2020, its Board of Directors committed to transitioning to a 100% zero-emissions fleet by 2035. More than 40% of the Mountain Line fleet is currently battery-electric, with four new electric buses arriving in 2024.
Mountain Line was recognized as the top public transit agency of its size in North America in 2021 by the American Public Transportation Association and named System of the Year in 2023 by the Montana Transit Association.
Further Reading
We will share project documents as they are completed. These documents are located under "Project Documents" in the sidebar.
The Existing Conditions Report provides a comprehensive overview of Missoula’s regional planning context, focusing on population and employment patterns. It evaluates the current state of the transportation network, including roadways, transit, and multimodal infrastructure. This report lays the groundwork for future recommendations and improvements in Missoula's regional planning and transportation systems.
The Executive Summary condenses the key findings of the Existing Conditions Report. It highlights important aspects of Missoula’s demographics, transit system performance, and multimodal transportation conditions, including roadways, bicycle, and pedestrian networks. This summary serves as a quick reference to the broader report’s insights, supporting the development of future plans and recommendations.
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