The new Big Sky Community Connector launched Monday with two bright blue vans running between Meadow Village and Mountain Village every thirty minutes. The route links the grocery store, the post office, the medical clinic, and the base lodge. Ridership through Wednesday averaged four passengers per trip.

“I drove my Tahoe past the empty van three times Tuesday,” said Dale Hargrove, who has lived in Meadow Village since 1998 and remembers when the only traffic jam was elk on Lone Mountain Trail. “Gas is four dollars. The van is free. I still took the truck. Felt weird.”

The shuttle was funded by a resort tax allocation approved after a visioning session where both populations agreed transportation was a priority. The Meadow Village crowd wanted reliable access to service jobs up the hill. The Mountain Village crowd wanted fewer employee cars in the base lodge lot. Neither group mentioned riding it themselves.

Driver Miguel Santos, 406-555-0182, keeps a clipboard with tally marks. “Monday morning had seven riders. Two were me and the dispatcher testing the route. Tuesday a golden retriever boarded at the clinic stop. Owner said the dog had an appointment. We don’t have a policy for that.”

The vans have bike racks and wifi. The schedule extends to 10 p.m. for closing shifts. A second route to the Yellowstone Club gate was proposed but withdrawn after the homeowners association asked whether the vans would be wrapped in advertising.

“It’s a nice gesture,” said Candace Wheeler, visiting from her Denver condo for the week. “But the schedule doesn’t work for dinner reservations at 7:30. We’ll Uber.”

The transit committee meets next Thursday to discuss adjustments. Dale Hargrove plans to attend. He will drive.