APTA Award

August 26: Water Main Construction 34th St

Due to water main construction, closures on 34th Street and Stephens will require Route 6 buses to detour in both directions beginning the week of August 26. The stops at 34th & Bancroft Pond and 34th & Stephens will not be serviced.

There are temporary stops at Bancroft & 34th (heading south) and Bancroft just north of Hollis (heading north).

The closure is expected to last about three weeks, but please see the Bus Tracker for updated detour information as circumstances change.

July 24: Weather Disruptions

📢 Rider Alert: Route 2 is being redirected at St. Pat’s due to a fallen tree. There’s a tree down at Scott & Broadway as well, and additional detours may be required in the morning if roads remain obstructed.

Multiple employees have reported downed trees and other obstacles that will keep them from being able to access the bus barn safely in the morning, so service reductions are possible depending on operator availability.

If implemented, Routes 1 and 2 would likely move to half-hour service. More detail will be available if service changes are in effect.

Operations staff will determine whether a reduction is necessary early on 7/25, so please check back in the morning for updates.

July 4: No Service

Mountain Line will be closed on Thursday, July 4, with no fixed-route or Paratransit service available. Normal weekday service resumes on Friday, July 5.

(Did you know? We are on the road 361 days a year, with an extra day on leap years! July 4 is one of just four days with no service.)

June 28 & 29: Marathon Weekend Detours

Missoula Marathon weekend events will require some detours on the morning of Saturday, June 28, and from morning through mid-afternoon on Sunday, June 29.

Saturday

The outbound Route 6 (heading south) will miss all Higgins Avenue stops between Broadway and Beckwith for the first run of the day.

Inbound Route 6 (heading north) is expected to resume normal routing but may need to detour and miss Higgins Ave stops between Beckwith and downtown. Please see the Bus Tracker for current information.

Outbound Route 8 (leaving the Music Building) will miss stops at Arthur & Eddy and along 5th Street between Arthur and Orange for the first run of the day.

Inbound Route 8 (going toward the Music Building) is expected to run normally but may need to detour and miss stops along 6th between Orange & Arthur.

Sunday

Route 6 will run with a detour in both directions until 3:45 p.m. All Higgins Avenue stops between downtown and Beckwith Avenue will be closed until then.

Other routes are expected to run with delays due to traffic control along the race route. Please see the Missoula Marathon page for detailed course information.

Feel free to call us at 721-3333 with any questions.

June 19: Website Maintenance

The Mountain Line website may experience some disruption between 1 and 2 p.m. on June 19th during planned maintenance. Please make note of our customer service line at 721-3333 in case you need assistance during that time. The Transit app and the Bus Tracker will continue working normally. To see schedules ahead of time or download a PDF map for offline use, please visit the Maps & Schedules page.

June 14 & 15: Pride Weekend Detours

Bus stops at Main & Ryman and Front & Orange will be closed during the Missoula Pride block party on Friday, June 14 and Saturday, June 15. Inbound Routes 1, 6, 7, and 12 will be affected.

On Saturday, additional detours will begin at 12:45 p.m. for the Pride parade and will last until the end of the parade around 2:30 p.m. Both stops at Higgins & Front and the inbound stop at Higgins & 5th (on the east side of the street) will be closed.

MUTD Board appoints Jennifer Sweten as Interim GM

March 29, 2024

MISSOULA, Mont.—The Missoula Urban Transportation District (MUTD/Mountain Line) Board of Directors has appointed Jennifer Sweten as the agency’s Interim General Manager. Sweten will step into the role after CEO and General Manager Corey Aldridge’s departure in mid-April.

“Jennifer’s appointment reflects her exceptional leadership qualities and her deep understanding of our operations,” says Aldridge. “Her track record as Operations Director assures us that she is more than capable of steering MUTD through this transitional phase.”

Sweten has worked for Mountain Line for 17 years, beginning her tenure as a bus operator in 2007 and serving as Director of Operations for the past five years. She is active in numerous regional and national industry associations and was recently elected secretary of the American Public Transportation Association Safety Coordinating Council. Sweten is also a Certified Safety & Security Director, with certifications from the World Safety Organization, the Transportation Safety Institute, and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The board plans to hold a nationwide search for MUTD’s new CEO & General Manager.

March 16 Parade Detours

During the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 16, Routes 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 12 will be operating with detours between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. See the Transit app to plan your trip. Exact detour routes will be visible in the Bus Tracker.

Route 1 will miss stops at Main & Adams, Main & Ryman, Pattee & Front, and Front & Adams.

Route 4 will miss all Broadway stops west of Van Buren St.

Route 5 will miss all Broadway stops.

Route 6 will run along Orange Street, Brooks Street, and Beckwith, missing all Higgins Ave. stops between downtown and Mount Ave.

Route 8 will miss all stops east of Higgins, changing direction at Myrtle St.

Route 12 will miss stops at Main & Adams, Main & Ryman, and Broadway & Adams.

GM & CEO Corey Aldridge to Leave Mountain Line in April

March 8, 2024

MISSOULA, Mont.—After nine years as the CEO and General Manager of the Missoula Urban Transportation District (MUTD/Mountain Line), Corey Aldridge announced this week that he will be leaving the agency in April to take the CEO and General Manager position at Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District in Santa Cruz, California.

“It was an incredibly difficult decision,” says Aldridge. “I have been honored to lead an extraordinary team in working on MUTD’s growth and success, and I will always treasure my time in Missoula and at Mountain Line.”

Aldridge’s tenure at Mountain Line saw significant achievements for the agency that have reshaped public transportation in Missoula. Noteworthy among these accomplishments were the fleet’s transition toward electrification, extensive service expansions, and critical infrastructure improvements. The recent completion of the Bus Stop Improvement Project modernized the bus stop network to enhance safety, accessibility, and operational efficiency. After a successful ballot initiative in 2020, Mountain Line launched a 30% service increase, including Sunday service for the very first time. In 2023, MUTD secured almost $40 million dollars in federal funds for the construction of a new maintenance, administration, and operations base, a key step for future growth and service enhancements. The agency has also been an industry leader in its electrification efforts since 2017, consistently winning federal funding for battery-electric buses as part of its commitment to a zero-tailpipe-emissions fleet by 2035.

“These accomplishments have been the highlights of my tenure, demonstrating our shared dedication to delivering exceptional service, promoting sustainability, and serving our community,” says Aldridge.

In 2021, Mountain Line was chosen as the American Public Transit Association’s System of the Year for North America, a testament to the visionary leadership and unwavering commitment of Aldridge and his team.

“Corey has been an exemplary leader for Mountain Line, not only because of his vision for public transit in Missoula, but also because of his character,” says Director of Operations Jennifer Sweten. “He understands the importance of an empathetic, inclusive workplace, and that has fostered a truly welcoming environment at Mountain Line over the last nine years.”

Aldridge will be leaving Mountain Line on April 12. The MUTD Board of Directors is expected to name an interim General Manager at their March 28 meeting.

Sunday Schedule on Feb. 19

Buses and Paratransit will run on a Sunday schedule on Monday, February 19, for Presidents’ Day.