START buses to drive slower on Village Road during moose rut

JACKSON (WNE) — START buses will travel at 30 mph on Highway 390 between dusk and dawn for at least the next few weeks.

The new policy, which will have buses traveling 5 mph below the nighttime speed limit, comes following two moose-bus collisions on the road from Wilson to Teton Village, colloquially known as the Village Road, in a two-week period. 

Both bus operators were driving the speed limit at the time.

Slower travel on the 7-mile stretch of road will add one or two minutes to the journey each way. The bus schedule will remain the same because additional time is built into the schedule, Transit Director Mike Toronto said.

The decision to lower bus speeds on the stretch was made out of consideration for passenger and operator safety, as well as the community’s desire to protect wildlife, Toronto said. The policy is intended to reduce bus-wildlife collisions or to lower the chance that they’re fatal if they do occur.

“There’s nothing we can do that will 100% prevent impact,” Toronto said. “Except for not driving at all.”

The first moose hit by a bus, on Sept. 29, was killed. The second, hit at about 25 mph after the driver hit the brakes, walked away from the accident in unknown condition.

“We’re crossing our fingers and hoping that it’s alive,” Toronto said.

The uptick in collisions has been attributed to the moose mating season, known as the rut, which runs from September into October. During the rut, moose are high on hormones and low on common sense. Their behavior can be erratic, including running into roadways, and they can be difficult to see in the dark.

There have been four moose collisions, including the START accidents, on Highway 390 since September.

This story was published on Oct. 18, 2025.