Champaign County Area Rural Transit System

Last updated
Champaign County Area Rural Transit System
FoundedOctober 1, 2014
Headquarters1101 E. University Ave., Urbana, IL
Locale Rantoul, Illinois
Service area Champaign County, Illinois
Service type Bus service, Demand-response
Routes5
HubsDowntown Rantoul
Annual ridership27,682 (2021)
Website Champaign County Area Rural Transit System

Champaign County Area Rural Transit System, or C-CARTS is the primary provider of mass transportation in Champaign County, Illinois, with routes serving the Rantoul area. As of 2021, the system provided 27,682 rides over 6,915 annual vehicle revenue hours. [1]

Contents

History

Public transit in Rantoul has existed since at least 1952, when the Rantoul Transit Co. served the city. [2] However, by the 1970s, service had ended. In 1995, in order to address the transportation needs of rural Champaign County and Rantoul, a county Rural Transportation Steering Committee was established. Little changed until 2007, when IDOT notified Champaign County of available funding specifically for rural public transportation. As an indication of the necessity of transit service to the area, Rantoul resident Wendell Golston began Rantoul U-C Express, a private bus service, from Rantoul to Champaign-Urbana on May 16, 2008. [3]

After fulfilling the requirements for funding, in 2011 CRIS Rural Mass Transit District (CRIS-RMTD) began operating rural general public transportation in Champaign County. Demand-response service was originally provided to the Rantoul area, with service expanding to the whole county in May 2013.

On October 1, 2014, the Champaign County Area Rural Transit System (C-CARTS), replace CRIS-RMTD as the service provider for the county. [4]

Eagle Express routes, which provide deviated fixed-route service in Rantoul, launched on November 7, 2016. [5] On November 1, 2018, service was expanded from one to three routes serving the community. [6]

Service

Champaign County Area Rural Transit System operates 5 deviated fixed routes, in addition to demand-response service. Buses operate from 5:00 am to 8:00 am and again between 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday. There is no weekend service. [7] The following routes provide local service in Rantoul:

The Rantoul Connector route provides service from Rantoul to Champaign-Urbana and back, with connections to the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District and Amtrak at the Illinois Terminal.

Fares

Fares are $2.00 for local routes and $5.00 for the Rantoul Connector. [8]

Transfer points

Fixed Route Ridership

The ridership statistics shown here are of fixed route services only and do not include demand response. [9]

5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
2019
2020
2021

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champaign County, Illinois</span> County in Illinois, United States

Champaign County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 205,865, making it the 10th-most populous county in Illinois. Its county seat is Urbana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champaign, Illinois</span> City in Illinois, United States

Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in the state outside the Chicago metropolitan area. It is a principal city of the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, which had 236,000 residents in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rantoul, Illinois</span> Village in Illinois, United States

Rantoul is a village in northern Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,371 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champaign–Urbana Mass Transit District</span>

The Champaign–Urbana Mass Transit District is a mass transit system that operates in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area in central-eastern Illinois. MTD is headquartered in Urbana and operates its primary hub at the intermodal Illinois Terminal in downtown Champaign. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 8,947,600, or about 32,700 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Illinois</span> Region of Illinois, United States

Central Illinois is a region of the U.S. state of Illinois that consists of the entire central third of the state, divided from north to south. Also known as the Heart of Illinois, it is characterized by small towns and mid-sized cities. Agriculture, particularly corn and soybeans, as well as educational institutions and manufacturing centers, figure prominently.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VINE Transit</span> American public transportation service

VINE Transit is a public transportation service in Napa County, California, United States; it is managed under the Napa Valley Transportation Authority and operated by Transdev. The system offers extensive service throughout the county along with providing connections to other public transportation systems in adjacent counties. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 498,600, or about 1,900 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuma County Area Transit</span> Public transportation system

The Yuma County Area Transit (YCAT) system is a public transportation system based in Yuma County, Arizona. Since 1990 the agency has grown from a new transit service offering paratransit to the current mix of fixed-route and demand-responsive services serving over 32,000 riders per month, with an annual operating budget of $2.5 million. YCAT is also the local Greyhound Lines agent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victor Valley Transit Authority</span> Transit agency in San Bernardino County, California, US

Victor Valley Transit Authority (VVTA), the second largest transit operator in San Bernardino County, is a transit agency providing bus service in the Victor Valley, California area. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 1,476,600.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Decatur Public Transit System</span>

The Decatur Public Transit System is the primary provider of mass transportation in Macon County, Illinois. Fourteen main routes, plus one downtown shuttle using replica trolleys, serve the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danville Mass Transit</span> Provider of mass transportation in Vermilion County, Illinois

Danville Mass Transit is the primary provider of mass transportation in Vermilion County, Illinois with twelve routes serving the region. As of 2019, the system provided 606,155 rides over 28,659 annual vehicle revenue hours with 11 buses.

Galesburg Transit is the primary provider of mass transportation in Knox County, Illinois with routes serving the Galesburg area. As of 2019, the system provided 160,712 rides over 23,487 annual vehicle revenue hours with 4 buses and 8 demand response vehicles.

Coles County Zipline is a provider of mass transportation in Coles County, Illinois, with deviated fixed-routes serving Charleston and Mattoon. As of 2020, the system provided 18,863 rides over 2,688 annual vehicle revenue hours. The service is a division of Dial-a-Ride Rural Public Transportation, which also provides demand-response service to Coles and Douglas Counties.

South Central Illinois Mass Transit District is a provider of mass transportation in Clinton, Franklin, Jefferson, Marion, Perry and Washington counties in Illinois, with deviated fixed-routes serving numerous cities, as well as demand-response service across the counties. As of 2021, the system provided 60,311 rides over 14,109 annual vehicle revenue hours.

JAX Mass Transit is a provider of mass transportation in Carbondale, Illinois with five routes serving the region. They also opperate the Saluki Express. As of 2019, the system provided 93,691 rides over 28,778 annual vehicle revenue hours with 16 buses. The service provided by JAX in Carbondale is complemented by Rides Mass Transit District and South Central Illinois Mass Transit District.

Southern Minnesota Area Rural Transit (SMART) is a provider of mass transportation in Freeborn, Mower, Steele, and Waseca counties in Minnesota, with deviated fixed-routes serving the major cities, as well as demand-response service across the counties. The service is operated by Cedar Valley Services, Inc. In 2019 the system provided 272,878 rides over 62,048 annual vehicle revenue hours with 13 buses and 15 paratransit vehicles.

Southern Indiana Transit System (SITS) is a provider of mass transportation in Southern Indiana with two deviated fixed route services in Corydon and Salem. As of 2019, the system provided 28,262 rides over 11,665 annual vehicle revenue hours with 4 buses and 12 paratransit vehicles.

Rides Mass Transit District (RMTD) is a provider of mass transportation in Southern Illinois, primarily serving Harrisburg, Marion, Robinson and Olney. Local fixed-route transit service is provided in these three communities, while additional demand-response service is available through the 17 county service area. The counties served include Clark, Crawford, Cumberland, Edgar, Edwards, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jasper, Lawrence, Pope, Richland, Saline, Wabash, Wayne, White, and Williamson counties. As of 2019, the system provided 1,119,285 rides over 249,718 annual vehicle revenue hours with 137 buses. In FY 2024, the system provided 636,290 rides over 141,218 annual vehicle revenue hours.

Central Community Transit (CCT) is the primary provider of mass transportation in Litchfield and Willmar, Minnesota with two routes serving the region in addition to countywide demand-response services. As of 2019, the system provided 227,429 rides over 51,272 annual vehicle revenue hours with 5 buses and 27 paratransit vehicles.

Hiawathaland Transit is the primary provider of mass transportation in Faribault, Northfield and Red Wing, Minnesota with nine routes serving the region in addition to countywide demand-response services in three counties. It is a service of Three Rivers Community Action. As of 2019, the system provided 283,931 rides over 55,108 annual vehicle revenue hours with 12 buses and 8 paratransit vehicles.

References

  1. "Champaign County Agency Profile" (PDF). Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  2. "Obscure Bus Lines" . Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  3. Tim Mitchell (May 17, 2008). "Rantoul man to start bus service". The News Gazette. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  4. "C-CARTS History" . Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  5. Jim Meadows (November 7, 2016). "New Bus Service Launches In Rantoul". Illinois Public Media. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  6. Debra Pressey (September 27, 2018). "MTD board approves extension, expansion of bus service in Rantoul". The News Gazette. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  7. "Deviated Fixed-Routes" . Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  8. "Deviated Fixed-Routes" . Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  9. "The National Transit Database (NTD): Champaign County" . Retrieved June 2, 2023.