What Mountain Line does

Mountain Line is the public transportation system serving Missoula, Montana, operated by the Missoula Urban Transportation District (MUTD), a voter-established government entity created in 1976 with statutory taxing authority. The agency provides zero-fare fixed-route bus, ADA Paratransit, and senior shuttle van service across 70 square miles of the Missoula Valley via 12 fixed routes and a fleet of 30 ADA-accessible coaches, delivering approximately 1.5 million rides annually. As of 2026, 90% of the fixed-route fleet is battery-electric, and the agency has committed to a fully zero-tailpipe-emissions fleet by 2035.

The technology stack centers on real-time operations and rider-facing digital tools. The Smart Bus Project provides GPS-based real-time tracking, delay notifications, and bike rack occupancy data. Mountain Line publishes GTFS and GTFS-rt data feeds integrated with Google Maps and the Transit App for trip planning, and operates a proprietary Bus Tracker web tool. Paratransit and shuttle van services are supported by a partnership with Via's mobile reservation platform. The agency also maintains a data portal with shapefile GIS downloads for third-party developers.

Mountain Line does not collect fare revenue and is funded primarily through voter-approved mill levies, federal FTA grants (cumulative ~$56.9M since 2018), state environmental grants, and partnerships with the University of Montana, the City of Missoula, Missoula County, and the Missoula Downtown Association. The customer base is the general public distributed across commuters, students, seniors, and people with disabilities, with go-to-market executed through physical infrastructure (bus stops, the Downtown Transfer Center), the Transit mobile app, the agency website, an Instagram channel (@mslabus), email newsletters, and Google Maps integration.

Name

Mountain Line

Legal name

Missoula Urban Transportation District (MUTD)

Website

https://mountainline.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Mountain Line is the public zero-fare bus system serving the Missoula Valley, operated by the voter-established Missoula Urban Transportation District. It runs 12 fixed routes plus ADA Paratransit and senior shuttle services, delivering about 1.5 million annual rides funded by mill levies and federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Transportation

NAICS

Urban Transit Systems (48511), Special Needs Transportation (485991), Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation (485)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Community & Senior Transportation Shuttles (Dial-a-Ride, Non-ADA) (TLAFAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

ADA/Accessible Paratransit (Complementary to Fixed-Route Transit) (THAIAHAA)

Keywords

• Public transit services
• Zero-fare bus service
• ADA paratransit service
• Fixed-route bus transit
• Electric bus operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Missoula

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Public Funding and Mill Levies: Mountain Line is funded primarily through voter-approved mill levies and public funding rather than fare revenue. In November 2020, voters approved a mill levy increase by a 20% margin to expand seven-day, seven-night service and bring Zero-Fare under its regular operating budget.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mountain Line operates a zero-fare public bus transit system across the Missoula Valley, providing 12 fixed bus routes, ADA Paratransit door-to-door service for people with disabilities, and a senior Shuttle Van service. The agency runs a fleet of 30 ADA-accessible coaches (90% electric on fixed routes) and complements physical service with digital tools including the Transit mobile app, a web-based Bus Tracker, Google Trip Planner integration, and public GTFS data feeds.

Product overview

Mountain Line is Missoula's public transportation system operated by the Missoula Urban Transportation District (MUTD), offering a zero-fare bus network as a single unified transit service. The core offering is the Fixed-Route Bus Service comprising 12 routes (Routes 1-14) serving the Missoula Valley, supplemented by ADA Paratransit Service for eligible passengers and a Shuttle Van Service for seniors. Key digital products include the Transit Mobile App and Bus Tracker for real-time trip planning, along with Google Trip Planner integration. Special seasonal services include the Marshall Mountain Shuttle and Farmer's Market Trolley. The system provides GTFS data feeds for third-party transit applications and maintains a Bike & Bus Program with bike racks on all vehicles. The agency has committed to a zero-tailpipe-emissions fleet by 2035 and operates a 90% electric fixed-route fleet as of 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fixed-Route Bus Service 12 fixed bus routes (Routes 1-14) operated with a fleet of 30 ADA-accessible coaches, providing seven-day service throughout a 70-square-mile area in the Missoula Valley. Routes 1 and 2 offer high-frequency 15-minute service during peak hours; other routes operate on 30- or 60-minute frequencies. Targeted at commuters, students, seniors, and the general public.
• ADA Paratransit Service Origin-to-destination prescheduled transportation service for individuals with disabilities who cannot use the fixed-route bus system, available within 3/4 mile of fixed routes. Requires ADA eligibility certification. Targeted at ADA-eligible riders.
• Shuttle Van Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.5 million rides per year, a 70% increase since December 2014
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Via (RideWithVia)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Technology provider for Paratransit mobile app enabling ride reservation, cancellation, and real-time vehicle tracking for ADA and shuttle van services
• Missoula in MotionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership for employee bus pass programs and transportation demand management
• Missoula Urban Transportation District (MUTD)coreOthers · 1 January 2020Mountain Line is operated by MUTD, the public transportation district established by voters in 1976 with taxing authority
• University of Montana (UMT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Key partner in Zero-Fare program; provides funding and support for student transportation; joint initiative since 2015 demonstration project began
• ASUM (Associated Students of University of Montana)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Student organization partner in Zero-Fare program funding and advocacy
• City of MissoulacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Municipal partner in Zero-Fare program; provides local government funding and support for transit operations
• Missoula CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015County partner in Zero-Fare program funding and transit district support
• Missoula Parking CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Parking authority partner providing funding support for Zero-Fare program
• Missoula Downtown Association (MDA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Downtown business association partner in Zero-Fare program; provides employee bus pass programs
• Transit AppcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2015Technology partnership providing mobile app for trip planning, real-time bus tracking, arrival notifications, and rider alerts; essential customer-facing technology platform

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Bozeman Streamline: Streamline is the fixed-route bus service serving Bozeman and Belgrade, Montana — a similarly sized Montana community transit system with comparable scope, paratransit offerings, and rural-Small-urban operating environment.
• Mountain Express (Cascades East Transit): Community bus service in Bend, Oregon serving a similar small-to-mid mountain-west city, with comparable ridership scale and zero-fare community partnerships. Both rely on mill levies/local funding.
• Mountain Mobility (Asheville, NC): Asheville's transit service branded similarly and operating in a comparable size community serving seniors, persons with disabilities, and the general public — provides useful scale and operating-model comparison.
• Lane Transit District: Mid-sized Oregon transit district covering Eugene-Springfield, with comparable fixed-route bus + paratransit structure and Pacific Northwest operating context similar to Mountain Line.
• MATBUS (Fargo-Moorhead Metro COG): Metro transit system serving Fargo-Moorhead, providing fixed-route and paratransit services through a similar public-funding/grant-backed model and comparable ridership scale.
• TheRide (Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority): Mid-sized Michigan transit authority operating fixed-route bus and paratransit services for a college-town ecosystem similar to Missoula/University of Montana ridership dynamics.
• RTC Washoe (Regional Transportation Commission): Reno-area transit operator providing fixed-route bus and paratransit in a similar mountain-west mid-sized metro, useful comparison for fleet electrification and electric bus deployment strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Spokane Transit Authority: Larger Inland Northwest transit provider covering Spokane with fixed route, paratransit, and vanpool — relevant as a scaled-up comparable with similar zero-fare pilot experiences and Pacific Northwest operating conditions.

Emerging players

• SunLine Transit Agency: Coachella Valley small-urban transit agency recognized as a pioneer in hydrogen and zero-emission bus technology — comparable as a small transit pushing frontier clean-fleet electrification similar to Mountain Line's electric trajectory.

Others

• Via Transportation: Technology partner that provides Mountain Line's Paratransit mobile app. Relevant as an enabling ecosystem participant shaping demand-responsive transit software that Mountain Line depends on.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBZu-9S9BwbWfaX_VPnnA_A
• Instagraminstagram.com/mslabus
• Xx.com/mslabus
• Facebookfacebook.com/MountainLineTransit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mountain-line

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mountain Line