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MOUNTAIN LINE OFFERS SUMMER YOUTH PASS

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (May 25, 2023) – Put the brakes on driving the kids all over town this summer and get them Mountain Line’s new Summer Youth Pass!

Children ages 7-17 are eligible to purchase the $24 Summer Youth Pass, which is valid June 1 through August 12. The pass offers unlimited rides to all destinations Mountain Line serves, including the movie theater, shopping areas, downtown, museums, and more.

Transit gives kids the freedom of navigating their own summer and gives parents a much-needed break from being the year-round taxi service. Safety is Mountain Line’s top priority, both onboard the bus and at all transit facilities. The free Transit app shows where buses are in real time so parents can know when kids have made it safely to their destination. In addition, the See Say app allows riders to report safety concerns or issues directly to the Mountain Line dispatch office.

The Summer Youth Pass is available for purchase at https://mountainline.az.gov/fares-passes-online/, on the Token Transit mobile ticketing app, or at the Mountain Line headquarters building (3773 N. Kaspar Dr.). Visit www.mountainline.az.gov/summer to learn more.

Mountain Line is the transit agency in northern Arizona operating fixed route bus service on nine routes, paratransit service, vanpool, and seasonal Mountain Express service to Arizona Snowbowl. www.mountainline.az.gov for more information.

MOUNTAIN LINE DEBUTS FIRST BATTERY ELECTRIC BUS

Spot the bus during the first week of service to win prizes

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (April 24, 2023) –Mountain Line’s first battery-electric bus is officially going into service on April 26, marking a new era in low-emission fleet technology for the community.

The Gillig Battery Electric Bus is the first of two grant-funded zero-emission buses in the Mountain Line fleet, with the second bus expected later this year. In addition to federal grant funding, Arizona Public Service (APS) is partnering with Mountain Line to study how electric vehicles and charging infrastructure interact with the electric grid. Mountain Line will share battery charging data with APS to inform the utility’s customer programs and energy resource planning.

Mountain Line’s decision to invest in electric buses is guided by the agency’s Zero Emission Bus Transition Plan, which provides an analysis of various zero emission technology options and maps out the logistics, budget, and infrastructure needed to achieve this milestone.

Mountain Line has already received federal grant funding to purchase four additional electric buses and will continue to pursue funding to replace the existing hybrid-electric buses as they reach the end of their useful life. Flagstaff voters approved a 2008 proposition to fund the purchase of hybrid-electric buses and 10 years later, Mountain Line was the first transit system in the U.S. to operate a 100 percent hybrid-electric fleet.

When Mountain Line fully transitions to an all-electric fleet, it will reduce local greenhouse gas emissions by 68 percent. Replacing just one hybrid bus with an electric bus reduces annual greenhouse gas emissions by 61 tons, which is the equivalent of removing almost 10 passenger cars from the road each year. At full conversion, this would equal almost 300 cars a year.

The electric bus will be on different routes around town for the first week of service and the public is invited to spot the bus, post it on Facebook and tag Mountain Line at @FLGMountainLine for a chance to win prizes. The contest is open April 26 – May 3. Visit www.mountainline.az.gov/electric for more information.

“Mountain Line’s transition to a zero-emission fleet is a critical component in achieving our community’s carbon neutrality goals,” said Mountain Line CEO and General Manager Heather Dalmolin. “We remain committed to completing this transition in a fiscally responsible manner, monitoring new developments in the electric vehicle realm, and adapting our plans to best serve the Flagstaff community.”

“As the Flagstaff Community makes progress in decarbonizing transportation, this is an opportunity to learn more about how customers use electric vehicles and how they interact with our smart grid,” said Kerri Carnes, APS Director of Customer Technology.

MOUNTAIN LINE ROLLS OUT SERVICE CHANGES AND NEW RIDE GUIDE ON JAN. 16

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (January 12, 2023) – Mountain Line is rolling out a new Ride Guide on Monday, January 16 and reinstating full service on all routes. Highlights include:

Routes 2 and 4 will return to full weekday service hours.
BASIS Flagstaff families and riders who use the Route 2 deviations should note that the times the stops on Gemini are served will revert to the regular weekday schedule on Monday, January 16. The schedule differences are as follows:

https://mountainline.az.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Route-2.jpg

Route 10 will operate on a new schedule with Monday-Thursday service differing from Friday service. Weekend service will remain the same. A full schedule can be found at: https://mountainline.az.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Mountain-Line-Route-10-Schedule.pdf

Mountain Line Makes Getting to School Easy, Convenient, And Safe

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (July 28, 2021) – It’s officially back-to-school season, and Mountain Line student semester and annual transit passes are an essential part of the school supply checklist.

Mountain Line offers a safe and reliable transportation option for students to get to and from school and other activities. There are nine routes traversing Flagstaff, stopping within walking distance of most Flagstaff schools. Mountain Line continues to offer route deviations on Routes 2 and 3 to better serve BASIS School and Northland Preparatory Academy (NPA) during the school year. Flagstaff Arts & Leadership Academy (FALA) students can also take advantage of supplemental morning and afternoon service on Route 5, which offers more options to get to and from school.

Flagstaff students enrolled in a K-12 school can purchase a Mountain Line semester pass for $49. Fall semester passes are valid Aug. 1 – Dec. 31 and spring semester passes are valid Jan. 1 – Jun. 15. An annual pass, valid for the entire calendar year from the date of purchase, is available for $119. Both passes are valid on the entire Mountain Line system for the duration of the pass.

Per federal law, Mountain Line requires riders to wear face masks all vehicles. Buses are also fully sanitized each evening and hand sanitizer is available on board all buses. Families are encouraged to download two useful apps – Transit and See Say Now. The Transit app is replacing Mountain Line’s previous FLGRide app to provide real time arrival information and bus tracking. The See Say Now app allows riders to get in touch directly with Mountain Line’s Dispatch office, right from their phone.

Student passes are available for purchase at the Mountain Line office at 3773 N. Kaspar Dr. between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (closed from 12-1), Monday-Friday. To purchase the pass, all students must show proof of enrollment and bring a student ID, if applicable. Passes can also be purchased at https://mountainline.az.gov/fares-passes-online/ and will be mailed to students.

The Mountain Line front desk staff is happy to answer any questions about routes and the best way for students to access their individual schools. Call 928.779.6624 or visit https://mountainline.az.gov/students/ for additional information.

Mountain Line is the transit agency in northern Arizona operating fixed route bus service on nine routes, paratransit service, vanpool, and seasonal Mountain Express service to Arizona Snowbowl.

Mountain Line Updates Mask Policy to Meet New Federal Law

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (February 2, 2021) – The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued an order imposing a mask requirement for public transportation systems, implementing President Biden’s Executive Order to “Promote Safety in Domestic and International Travel.”

The requirement went into effect on February 1, 2021 and impacts public transportation systems around the country. Per a local emergency declaration, Mountain Line has required face coverings on all vehicles and at stops and connection centers since June 21, 2020. The new federal mandate supersedes the local declaration, and all local requirements must meet or be more stringent than the federal law. To meet the parameters set forth in the CDC order, Mountain Line is implementing the following changes to its face covering requirement:

All transit riders over the age of 2 (updated from the local requirement of 5) must wear a face covering.
The only other exemption will be for a person with a disability who cannot wear a mask, or cannot safely wear a mask, because of the disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The local declaration provides an exemption when a person’s religious beliefs prevent the person from wearing a face covering.
Acceptable masks are defined as being made of a solid piece of material without slits, exhalation valves, or punctures. Masks must contain a minimum of two layers, fit snugly around the nose and chin, and be made of a tightly woven fabric. Unacceptable masks include scarves/ski masks, those that do not fit property, and those that have only one layer. A full description of the face cover guidance can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html

Riders who do not have an acceptable face covering and do not meet the age or ADA exemptions will not be permitted to board. Mountain Line continues to make face coverings available for those who do not have one. If a rider removes their face covering while on a transit vehicle, the driver will safely pull over and ask the rider to exit the vehicle.

The full CDC order can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/pdf/Mask-Order-CDC_GMTF_01-29-21-p.pdf.

Visit www.mountainline.az.gov/health for information about Mountain Line’s COVID-19 response and regulations.

Mountain Line is the transit agency in northern Arizona operating fixed route bus service on nine routes, paratransit service, vanpool, and seasonal Mountain Express service to Arizona Snowbowl.

Mountain Line launches “See Say Now” app to enhance safety

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (December 9, 2020) – Mountain Line launched the new “See Say Now” app on Wednesday, December 9 to give riders and staff an easy-to-use resource for reporting security concerns and safety hazards onboard Mountain Line vehicles and at stops and connection centers.

Designed by ELERTS, the See Say Now app provides a direct connection to Mountain Line staff who can assist with safety concerns as they arise. The app allows customers to submit a photo and description of the issue and select from a list of report options and locations. Report types include Disruptive Behavior, COVID-19 issue, Human Trafficking, Vandalism, Unattended Bag or Package, and more.

Mountain Line purchased the See Say Now app through funding received from the Federal Transit Administration’s Human Trafficking Awareness and Public Safety Initiative. While the app will be a valuable resource in combatting human trafficking in the Flagstaff community, it will also be a vital tool in Mountain Line’s safety program.

“Everyone has the right to a safe and secure transit trip, and the See Say Now app puts the power in the hands of our riders,” said Mountain Line CEO and General Manager Heather Dalmolin. “Safety is Mountain Line’s number one priority, and it is a team effort, so if you see something, we encourage you to say something.”

Mountain Line is the transit agency in northern Arizona operating fixed route bus service on nine routes, paratransit service, vanpool, and seasonal Mountain Express service to Arizona Snowbowl.

ELERTS is a Massachusetts-based software company that provides a mobile reporting platform for airports, mass transit, cities and other organizations. The company was founded in 2010 on the belief that while “See Something, Say Something” is easy to understand, it is not so easy to report a concern. ELERTS delivers a communication platform that lets Operations Centers receive and respond to incident reports in a timely and efficient manner. By deploying mobile technology that enables crowd-sourced incident reporting, ELERTS is putting safety and security in the hands of smartphone users everywhere.

Learn More

Mountain Line Participating in “Health and Safety Commitments” Program

Mountain Line joins over 100 public transit agencies across the country in signing on to the program

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (November 18, 2020) – Mountain Line has joined the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) “Health and Safety Commitments Program,” the public transportation industry’s overarching pledge to passengers that public transit systems are taking all the necessary measures to operate safely as the nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The health and safety of passengers and operators is the most important priority for Mountain Line. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Mountain Line has worked tirelessly to keep riders safe from infection from the coronavirus. By signing on to the APTA Health and Safety Commitments Program with more than 100 public transit systems, Mountain Line and the public transit industry are actively working to instill confidence in riders that it’s committed to protecting their health and safety.

The program was developed after asking transit users from across the country what measures would make them feel more confident riding public transportation amid concerns about COVID-19. From this research, the industry identified four key areas that transit systems need to address to earn riders’ confidence:

Following public health guidelines from official sources
Cleaning and disinfecting transit vehicles frequently and requiring face coverings and other protections
Keeping passengers informed and empowered to choose the safest times and routes to ride
Putting health first by requiring riders and employees to avoid public transit if they have been exposed to COVID-19 of feel ill.

Mountain Line has pledged to meet these commitments by creating specific policies that are effective for our system, our riders, and our community. A key component of the Health and Safety Commitments Program is the shared responsibility of our system and our riders to follow the guidelines. Riders rely on us to follow these commitments, and Mountain Line relies on riders to protect themselves and other customers.

“Since the beginning of this pandemic, Mountain Line has created policies and procedures that protect both our employees and our riders,” said Mountain Line CEO and General Manager Heather Dalmolin. “By signing on to this Health and Safety Commitments Program we are pledging to the Flagstaff community that Mountain Line will continue providing vital transit service in the safest manner possible, and we request our riders to be our partners in this effort.”

Mountain Line’s actions to address and implement the pillars of the Health and Safety Commitments Program can be found at www.mountainline.az.gov/health.

Mountain Line Requires Face Coverings on All Vehicles and At All Facilities

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (June 19, 2020) – On June 17 the Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (NAIPTA) Board of Directors voted to require all Mountain Line bus and paratransit riders to wear face coverings while on vehicles and at stops and connection centers.

Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans also issued an Emergency Declaration on June 18 making masks mandatory in public places. The Declaration stipulated that face coverings must be worn in public places where social distancing is not possible, which includes public transit.

Mountain Line’s face covering requirement will go into effect at the start of service on Sunday, June 21. Riders must wear a face covering that covers both the nose and the mouth, and it must remain in place while on a vehicle or at a stop. Mountain Line will have masks available for individuals who do not have one.

Per the Declaration, cloth face coverings are not required in a public place:

When that person cannot wear a face covering because of a medical condition, mental health condition, or developmental disability, or is unable to remove the face covering without assistance.
When a person’s religious beliefs prevent the person from wearing a face covering.
When a child is under five years of age.

“The NAIPTA Board recognized that COVID-19 cases in Arizona are on the rise and if public transit must continue to operate for essential trips, it is our duty to protect the Mountain Line employees and riders,” said NAIPTA Board Chair and Flagstaff City Councilmember Jamie Whelan.

Many transit systems across the country have made the decision to require face coverings based on the recommendations of health experts.

In addition to requiring face coverings, Mountain Line is also operating fare-free and only allowing riders to board through the rear door. Additionally, all buses are fully sanitized each day, and high-touch surfaces are disinfected throughout the day.

Mountain Line continues to operate reduced service levels and is available for essential trips only. Visit www.mountainline.az.gov/health for full details on the agency’s COVID-19 response.

Mountain Line is the transit agency in northern Arizona operating fixed route bus service on nine routes, paratransit service, vanpool, and seasonal Mountain Express service to Arizona Snowbowl.

Mountain Line to Resume Fare Collection and Front Door Boarding on Oct 21

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (October 19, 2020) – Mountain Line will resume fare collection and front door boarding on all fixed route and paratransit vehicles on October 21, 2020.

Due to COVID-19, Mountain Line halted fare collection on March 21 and asked riders to board through the rear door. With the implementation of new safety measures, these activities will resume as normal on Oct. 21. Plastic barriers have been installed on all buses to keep drivers and riders separated, and all Mountain Line employees and riders are required to wear face coverings while on vehicles and at stops and connection centers.

The Mountain Line Headquarters building (3773 N. Kaspar Dr.) reopened on Oct. 14 and is available by appointment only. Customers can call 928-779-6624 to schedule an appointment.

Details about Mountain Line’s commitment to health and safety can be found at www.mountainline.az.gov/health. In addition to requiring face coverings, the following safety measures will also continue:

All Mountain Line buses are fully sanitized each day and high-touch surfaces are disinfected throughout the day.
Buses will be marked with suggested seating arrangements to maintain six feet of social distance and will be stocked with hand sanitizer.

Mountain Line is running on a regular schedule with the following exceptions:

The Route 2 deviation to BASIS, Route 3 deviation to NPA and Route 5 supplemental bus to FALA will not operate until students return to in-person instruction.

Mountain Line is the transit agency in northern Arizona operating fixed route bus service on nine routes, paratransit service, vanpool, and seasonal Mountain Express service to Arizona Snowbowl.

Mountain Line Announces Extension to Reduced Weekday Service Through Summer

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (July 1, 2022) – MOUNTAIN LINE EXTENDING REDUCED WEEKDAY SERVICE THROUGH SUMMER

Contact: Jacki Lenners
928.679.8933 or jlenners@mountainline.az.gov

Due to ongoing and unprecedented staffing shortages, Mountain Line is continuing the weekday service reduction through the summer.

All Mountain Line routes will operate on a weekend schedule for frequency, but with the weekday span of service. This means that routes will start and end at approximately the same time they currently do on weekdays, but buses will not run as often. Schedules for individual routes are posted at all bus stop and at https://mountainline.az.gov/routes/.

Full service (with the exception of Route 10) will be restored on August 10 to coincide with the start of the K-12 fall semester. Route 10 will resume regular service with the start of NAU’s fall semester.

Additionally, Mountain Line will operate on a Weekend/Holiday schedule on Monday, July 4 and the Admin Office will be closed for the Independence Day Holiday.

“Like many transit agencies around the nation, Mountain Line is facing extreme staffing shortages, making it impossible to continue safely running full service,” said Mountain Line CEO and General Manager Heather Dalmolin. “Cutting service is a last resort and we are committed to spending the summer recruiting and training new drivers to ensure we are ready for a return to full service in August.”