Mountain Transit’s Ride Free Now program introduced free local transit service and the elimination of zones across the Rim area last May. As of Oct. 9, Mountain Transit has made additional improvements to benefit Rim residents.

Route 2, which services the communities of Valley of Enchantment, Crestline, Twin Peaks and Lake Arrowhead, will have four new stops added to the route. The new stops are San Moritz Lodge, Rim of the World High School, Cedar Glen post office and Mountains Community Hospital. Route 2 will also increase frequency to Cedarpines Park/VFW.

“The changes to Route 2 are in response to input from the community,” said Sandy Benson, Mountain Transit’s general manager. “Wait time at stops will also be reduced from 90 minutes to 60 minutes along Route 2,” she said.

There has been a small increase in ridership since launching the free service in May. Route 2 is Mountain Transit’s most productive route in the Rim area. “We hope that ridership will continue to increase on Route 2 due to the free fares, reduced wait times, and added stops,” Benson said.

County Supervisor Dawn Rowe stepped up to pay the fares for the Rim community as one of her initiatives to help the community recover from the detrimental effects of the winter storms.

Mountain Transit is also adjusting the Route 5 Off the Mountain (OTM) schedule to coincide with changes to the Metrolink schedule. The OTMs, originating from Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear Lake, are the only routes provided by Mountain Transit that retained their fare structures.

Mountain Transit staff will be manning booths at local fairs and farmers markets to promote the free service and improvements to Route 2. Staff will be available to help community members understand Mountain Transit’s routes and how to access them.

The new schedules for Route 2 and Route 5 went live on MountainTransit.org as of Oct. 8. Mountain Transit’s Ride Free Now bus stop signs QR codes also provide access to Mountain Transit’s schedules.