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Mountain Line Transit Authority
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Mountain Line Transit Authority is the public transportation operator serving Monongalia County, West Virginia, including Morgantown and the campus of West Virginia University. Mountain Line, officially the Monongalia County Urban Mass Transit Authority, operates 22 local bus routes in Monongalia County, and one intercity route to Pittsburgh. In 2024, the system had a ridership of 650,500.
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Services
Mountain Line provides bus services throughout Monongalia County, West Virginia. The most frequent services are provided in Morgantown, including the campus of West Virginia University.[2]
The Grey Line intercity service (route 29) operates from Bridgeport in neighboring Harrison County to Grant Street Transportation Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with intermediate stops in Fairmont; Morgantown; Waynesburg, PA; Washington, PA; and Pittsburgh International Airport.[2]
Mountain Line's operations facility and main transfer point is the Westover Terminal, located at 691 Fairmont Road in Westover.[3] A second major hub is Mountaineer Station, which is co-located with the Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit Health Sciences Center station.
On most Mountain Line services, buses are able to deviate to destinations off the published route. Customers wishing to have buses deviated must first have their pickup point approved by Mountain Line operations staff, to confirm that a full-size bus can safely navigate to the pickup point. Route deviations are not available on lines serving posted stops only.[4]
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Fares
The standard fare for Mountain Line local bus services is $0.75. Mobile ticketing is available through the Token Transit app. WVU students and staff, Monongalia County property owners, military veterans, and high school students are eligible for free rides on local services. Deviations are charged an extra $0.50.[5]
In addition to single fares, 15-ride tickets and monthly passes are also available for local services. The monthly Monster Pass provides unlimited travel on Grey Line services and local services.[5]
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History
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Mountain Line was founded in 1995, when the City of Morgantown and Monongalia County merged their transit services. Initially, the Mountain Line system served approximately 200,000 passengers per year. Late-night service to the WVU campus began in 2002, growing ridership for the system. Greyhound discontinued its intercity bus service through Morgantown in 2005, and Mountain Line responded by launching the Grey Line intercity service, which continues to operate as of 2024. Mountaineer Station, a bus station co-located with the WVU Personal Rapid Transit system's Health Sciences Center station, opened in 2007.[6]
Monongalia County discontinued much of its funding for transit service in 2016, following a decrease in coal severance tax receipts. Mountain Line proposed a new property tax levy, which was passed by Monongalia County voters.[7] In recognition of the property tax levy's importance, Mountain Line published schedules that showed the specific services funded by the levy, and added "Levy Funded" graphics to newly purchased buses.[8][9]
The agency faced further challenges in 2018, when local non-emergency medical transportation provider In Touch and Concerned Inc. went out of business. In Touch and Concerned was formerly a partner of Mountain Line, but stopped using space in the agency's facility in Westover after it expanded services. Mountain Line took over some of the company's services with the assistance of local grant funding.[10][11]
During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in West Virginia, Mountain Line expanded its communication through social media, and implemented social distancing restrictions on its buses.[12] WVU closed the PRT system for over a year beginning in March 2020, instituting its own substitute bus service. Mountain Line service continued, paralleling the PRT and providing additional options to WVU students.[13] Also in 2020, a second property tax levy was passed by Monongalia County voters, providing dedicated funding for Mountain Line services.[9]
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Routes
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Mountain Line operates 23 routes. Unless noted, all routes operate on a hail and ride basis, stopping for any passenger who flags down the bus.[3]
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References
External links
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