BOULDER – Mountain residents in Jamestown and along Lee Hill Road now have a bus connection to Boulder.

The Climb, which already runs three weekday routes each way between Gold Hill and Boulder along Fourmile Canyon, started weekday service between Boulder and Jamestown on Wednesday, Aug. 15.

The new morning bus leaves the Jamestown Mercantile and post office at 7 a.m., making stops in Lefthand Canyon and along Lee Hill Road. It arrives at the Boulder Transit Center, 14th and Walnut streets, at 7:50 a.m., from where riders can transfer to Regional Transportation District buses to other points in the city and county of Boulder as well as toward Denver and Longmont.

The new return trip will leave the Boulder Transit Center at 5:15 p.m., arriving in Jamestown at 6 p.m.

The fare is $3 each way, although residents living along the route can obtain a free pass, good through the end of the year, by visiting the-climb.com or contacting Phil Carter at pcarter@viacolorado.org or at 303-447-2848.

The Climb system is funded through a partnership between Boulder County, Via Mobility Services (formerly Special Transit) and area residents. Boulder County this year gave the system two 16-passenger vehicles which include wheelchair lifts.

Carter started The Climb in 2009, and the service was “adopted” by Via early this year to provide more stability of funding, according to Mary Cobb, Via’s communications director.

The service originally extended from Gold Hill to Ward, but that extension had to be eliminated because of the rough road’s wear and tear on the vehicle, Cobb said. Ward riders are being encouraged to travel to Jamestown and catch the new route there.

The three round trips to Gold Hill usually run at capacity, Cobb said. The initial day of service to Jamestown saw just three passengers, she said, but “we depend on word of mouth, and the communities along Lee Hill Road specifically requested service.”

The buses make designated stops, but “some of them are one and two miles apart,” Cobb said, “and if a regular passenger needs pick-up or drop-off between those stops, we can arrange that."

The Climb also provides special door-to-door service for residents with disabilities as well as transportation to special events.