Scheduled bus service returns to the Big Horn Basin this week with the word that Black Hills Stage Lines is starting passenger and express bus service from Denver to Billings through the Basin.


The service was scheduled to began Wednesday, July 9, with the route running through Big Horn County including scheduled depot stops in Lovell and Basin and flag stops in Frannie, Deaver, Cowley and Greybull.


With depot stops, the bus will stop no matter what, and tickets can be purchased at the stop, whereas the bus will only stop at a flag stop if a passenger is waiting.


The arrival of Black Hills Stage Lines – which will actually operate the buses under the company’s Arrow Stage Lines flag – fills a void in the Basin’s transportation network that has existed since Powder River Transportation pulled out last December.


Since then the Big Horn Basin Transportation Authority has been seeking a company to resume service to the area. The Authority has representatives from all four Big Horn Basin counties, as well as seven municipalities, and was formed when Powder River initially looked at dropping service late in 2001.


A joint powers board was formed in July of 2002, and the Authority has since then worked with the Wyoming Dept. of Transportation to obtain subsidies for a bus line to operate in the Basin. The subsidy has grown over the years from around $100,000 in 2005 to $195,000 by 2007, Authority Chairman Phil Juillard of Basin said in December. Juillard said at the time that if a new company took over the bus route, it would be eligible for the subsidy for 2007-08.

Both a southbound and a northbound bus will run through the county each day except for the first day, Wednesday, Transportation Authority Secretary Brian Dickson of Lovell said, when only the northbound route will operate to get a bus to Billings without first having to “deadhead” the bus (run it without passengers to begin the route).


Once the buses are in place by today (Thursday), the southbound route will leave Billings at 6:15 a.m. and stop in Lovell at 7:45 a.m., according to a tentative schedule formed recently, with flag stops in Laurel, Bridger, Frannie, Deaver and Cowley if needed, then after the Lovell depot stop a flag stop in Greybull at the Chamber of Commerce office on Greybull Avenue if needed, followed by a depot stop in Basin at Tom’s Café at 8:25.
Frannie, Deaver and Cowley flag stops had not been determined by press time.


The bus will continue on to Worland, arriving at 9 a.m., then travel on to depot stops in Shoshoni (10:20), Casper (12:25 p.m.), Douglas (1:40), Cheyenne (3:25), Greeley (4:20), Longmont (5:05) and Denver, arriving around 5:50 p.m. in the Mile High City.


The northbound bus will leave Denver at 11:45 p.m. and reach Basin the following morning at 9:05 a.m., then stop at Lovell at 9:50 a.m. and continue on to Billings, arriving at 11:20 a.m. Passengers traveling beyond Billings or Denver would transfer to Greyhound Bus Lines, Dickson said.


Dickson said a flag stop passenger can get on the bus without a ticket but must purchase a ticket at the next depot stop.


A shuttle service from Cody to Lovell via Powell to hook up with the Arrow Stage Lines Bus is also being run by Palmer’s Outpost. The shuttle bus will leave Palmer’s in Cody at 6:40 a.m., stop in Powell at 7:10 a.m. and arrive in Lovell at 7:45. Passengers can then immediately travel south on the Arrow Stage bus that leaves Lovell at 7:50 or await the arrival of the northbound bus, which departs Lovell at 9:55 a.m.


The shuttle will then return to Park County, leaving Lovell at 9:55 and stopping in Powell at 10:20 a.m. and Cody at 10:50.


Dickson said the Wind River Transportation Authority in Fremont County is also pursuing a shuttle service from Lander and Riverton to Shoshoni.

Dickson said Black Hills/Arrow Stage Lines is operating the bus service through the Big Horn Basin on a trial basis this summer through Sept. 30. He said the company had originally planned to begin service May 19 but the process of hiring “passenger-certified” drivers (a specific endorsement on a commercial driver’s license) took longer than expected. Thus, the trial period will be shorter than originally planned.


“We will meet again with them on Sept. 24,” Dickson said. “We met last Wednesday (June 25) in Thermopolis and talked about the Sept. 30 trial period. Everyone in the group said they understand that trial period but said we want that trial period to last for several more years.


“It depends on the revenue. The Authority does not have enough subsidy to carry them if there are no passengers, and if there are no passengers, there’s no need for the bus service.”

According to a company release, Black Hills Stage Lines is a Norfolk, Neb., based, family owned company that has been in business since 1962 and currently runs scheduled services in Nebraska, Wyoming and Colorado.


“I believe the people in this area will be pleased not only with the quality of our equipment but also with the level of service we offer at Black Hills Stage Lines, Inc.,” Director of Administrative Operations Janice Johnson said. “We look forward to serving the people of Wyoming and working alongside the Big Horn Basin Transportation Authority to make this all happen.”


Dickson said the feeling is mutual, noting that Black Hills has proven to be a first class operation in every way from communication to the quality of the service.


“I’m just excited,” he said. “Their people are just super. It has been a pleasure to work with them.”


As one example of the company’s quality, he said, Black Hills Stage Lines runs every one of its newly-hired drivers through a two-week school, no matter how much experience they have before the hire.