Montana takes pride in its rural communities, but getting from one place to another without a car can sometimes be challenging. Northern Transit Interlocal in Shelby has been providing cost-free transportation connecting Northern Montana for 17 years.
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Whether it’s to Kalispell for an appointment, the Great Falls Airport, or simply to the grocery store, numerous members within Northern Montana communities rely on the non-profit for cost-free transportation.
Northern Transit Interlocal transit director David Ray Irvin says, “The biggest thing is helping people that don't have transportation, or or even people that do have transportation but don't feel comfortable driving in the weather, or just want to kick back and enjoy the ride.”
Their 11 buses travel numerous routes every week, including to Great Falls, Browning, and Kalispell. They also provide services within Glacier, Toole, and Pondera counties, and offer in-town routes in Shelby and Cut Bank.
The transit service recently won the Northwest Regional Transit of the Year award for 2024, and has been recently looking into expanding, possibly adding a connection to Havre, and adding an additional day in Cut Bank.
Rides can also be reserved ahead of time, and can pick people up from their home and take them where they need to go.
Northern Transit Interlocal Promotions Director Kimberly Moore says, “We can pick up at houses for people that don't have a means to get to one of our stops. We have a lot of people that are ADA, or they just don't have transportation. or it's super cold outside. And living in a small town like where we are, there's not a lot of specialists, and you have to go to different places like Great Falls or Logan Health over in Kalispell.”
Northern Transit Interlocal is one of few rural transit services that remained in operation after the pandemic.
Irvin says, “A lot of rural transit struggled during that time, and it really left a lot of people without transportation. We were one of the first if not the first transit that got back up and running. I felt that was a big deal because people need us no matter what, whether the weather's bad or whatever, we need to make concessions to do the best we can to get people where they need to go.”
The transit service recently won the Northwest Regional Transit of the Year award for 2024, and has been recently looking into expanding, possibly adding a connection to Havre, and adding an additional day in Cut Bank.
The non-profit is currently applying for grants to support those expansions.
Irvin says, “The more people that find out about it, and once they ride, they realize that, you know, the bus is clean, it's safe. It's a great way to get from point A to point B and it doesn't cost them anything, it's donation based.”
For more information on Northern Transit Interlocal, click here to visit the website.
