Mountain Line plans new Missoula hub after top transit ranking

Missoula, Mont. — Mountain Line said it was moving into its next phase after being named the top transit system in its size category nationwide.

The agency announced plans for a new facility in Missoula as it also prepared to roll out service changes in July. Mountain Line said the project would help support the system for decades to come near a familiar landing strip.

Mountain Line has operated in downtown Missoula for nearly four decades. The agency said the new hub would help people get around the Garden City and support its long-term operations.

Jordan Hess, Mountain Line's CEO, said the project was backed mostly by federal funding.

“Oh, yeah, you know, we got a federal grant a few years ago to build a new facility, and it's, you know, it's to maintain and store busses, it's administrative offices, it'll, it'll support really the entire operation, so that that's a really exciting project for us that's funded primarily through through a large federal grant, and that that'll really set the stage for for the next several decades online,” Hess said.

Hess said the recognition reflected Mountain Line's place in Missoula.

“It's part of it's part of providing for our community, part of, you know, mountain lions, part of the fabric of our community, and this award really recognizes the role that we play in the community,” Hess said.

Mountain Line also announced new routes beginning in July. One of those changes included Route 10, which will connect North Franklin to the Fort area and downtown with half-hour service six days a week.

The agency said that would be the first higher-frequency Saturday service it offered. Readers can learn more about Mountain Line here.