A free summertime river shuttle saw skyrocketing usage in Missoula.
The Associated Students of the University of Montana offer the free service to help reduce traffic congestion along the Clark Fork River for summertime floating season.
Nearly 3,200 people used the shuttle in 2022, which is a big increase from 2021, jumping up 283%.
The bus takes floaters from Campus Drive to either the Sha-Ron Fishing Access Site or Milltown State Park during July and August.
"The program started two to three years ago. We started doing the planning with other partners so Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Clark For Coalition, other community members, Mountain Line, just trying to find a way to fill that accessibility gap for recreation," said Danny Gundlach, ASUM Transit Operations Supervisor.
Operations cost a total of $19,000 for the shuttle.