GETTING AROUND TOWN

AROUNDGetting

Getting used to navigating a new

town can be confusing, but fortunately there are plenty of ways to get around in Bozeman. First things first, you’ll want to consider getting fat tires for a bike if you plan on riding around in the winter, and you’ll also want to think about getting snow tires for your car. If you’d prefer to use public transportation, there are several options to choose from.

STREAMLINE — GALAVAN —

Bozeman’s Free Bus System

There are two types of yellow buses that zip around Bozeman — one is for school children and the other is Streamline. The canary yellow buses follow four in-town routes, and two commuter routes to Belgrade and Livingston. There’s also a late-night bus service Thursdays through Saturdays. Streamline bus service rolled out new routes in August 2021, in an effort to expand to more areas of Bozeman and run buses later in the day. These public buses are fare-free. The program is run by the nonprofit Human Resource Development Council and aims to provide alternative transportation for all kinds of people. All buses are wheelchair accessible. The service has won the Montana Transit System of the Year Award and was recognized by the Federal Transit Administration as an Outstanding Rural Transit Agency. The bus service aims to accommodate cyclists. Buses are equipped with bike racks so passengers can incorporate two modes of transportation into one outing. Streamline also rents out bike lockers on Montana State University’s campus to keep bikes safe for commuters. Streamline also offers rides to and from Livingston, about 30 miles east of Bozeman. The service runs Monday through Friday. Pickups in Livingston start at 5:50 a.m. The last pickup in Bozeman is at 6:45 p.m. A full schedule of Streamline’s daytime and late-night stops are outlined in the included map. Streamline also uses the app RouteShout, which is available on Apple and Android phones, and gives up-to-the-minute information on bus schedules and delays. Masks are required by federal law to ride the bus.

CALL FOR A RIDE —

If you ever need a ride, Bozeman has several options. Bozeman has a number of cab companies, including Bridger Taxi, 406-624-8294, DeShield’s Taxi Service, 406-580-6461, and Greater Valley Taxi, 406-388-9999. Lyft and Uber rideshares are also available in Bozeman. The Human Resource Development Council also operates Galavan, a paratransit provider for older adults (60+) and people with disabilities to get rides to medical appointments or run errands. The service offers door-to-door transportation, making it about as convenient as it gets. It’s also free of charge. Call 587-2434 by 3:00pm the day before to schedule a ride. Many seniors and people with disabilities are able to use the regular Streamline fixed route system. The Galavan office can assist in understanding how to use Streamline. Prospective riders can visit HRDC’s website at thehrdc.org or call 406-587-2434.

CONNECTING TO

THE MOUNTAINS —

Bozeman also offers several public transportation options for those in search of alpine thrills. It’s an easy drive to Bridger Bowl Ski Area, 16 miles east of town, but parking can be tough, especially on powder days. To skip parking at the furthest row from the base area and lugging ski gear up a hill, take the bus. Bridger contracts with Streamline, First Student and Windrider to offer free rides from MSU and Gallatin County Fairgrounds to the ski hill and back about every 15 minutes on the weekends. The buses typically run a limited-service Wednesday through Friday, as well. More information and updates can be found at bridgerbowl.com. There’s also a bus service that gets skiers up to Big Sky Resort, about an hour south of Bozeman. Skyline is a year-round bus service that connects Gallatin Valley to Lone Mountain. It stops in town at the Super 8 Motel, Walmart, MSU, Four Corners and Gallatin Gateway Inn before heading up Gallatin Canyon. The route is called The Link Express. Skyline also offers routes that make stops in Mountain Village, at area hotels and at Moonlight Basin. More information and pass prices can be found at skylinebus.com.

BUS SERVICES