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Missoula buses will be 'zero fare' beginning Jan. 5
http://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-buses-will-be-zero-fare-beginning-jan/article_3e36f75c-2257-11e4-82ce-0019bb2963f4.htmlThe Missoula Urban Transportation District on Tuesday unveiled plans to operate the Mountain Line bus system “zero fare” starting Jan. 5....
The goal is to increase ridership by 45 percent – 400,000 annual riderships, said Eric Hines, who chairs the MUTD board. That works out to nearly 1,100 more rides a day, all of them free.
It’s free only to passengers, of course. Hines said the partners will pony up $460,000 a year in order to eliminate the fares. UM and the city have the lion’s share of the financial commitments – roughly $205,000 and $100,000, respectively.
Missoula becomes one of only about 40 cities and metropolitan areas to offer free public transportation, a fact not lost on Mayor John Engen.
The goal is to increase ridership by 45 percent – 400,000 annual riderships, said Eric Hines, who chairs the MUTD board. That works out to nearly 1,100 more rides a day, all of them free.
It’s free only to passengers, of course. Hines said the partners will pony up $460,000 a year in order to eliminate the fares. UM and the city have the lion’s share of the financial commitments – roughly $205,000 and $100,000, respectively.
Missoula becomes one of only about 40 cities and metropolitan areas to offer free public transportation, a fact not lost on Mayor John Engen.
4 replies
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I'm glad it's good news. 
Once I left work early because of a blackout in the area. Sure enough, the Clipper card tagging device was down. And of course, the bloody fare inspector just had to be on that train. Off I went at the next stop while she got a clue. That's 15 minutes of my life I'll never get back. 
One of them harassed a female passenger so badly she felt it necessary to make a public comment about it at VTA's board meeting. She broke down in tears while doing so.
Then there was the time one of them hassled a passenger who obviously had a developmental disability... 