Rockford Mass Transit District

Last updated
Rockford Mass Transit District
RMTD bus.jpg
A RMTD bus at the downtown transit center in 2022
FoundedFebruary 15, 1971
Headquarters520 Mulberry Street
Rockford, Illinois
Service area
  • Rockford, Illinois
  • Loves Park, Illinois
  • Machesney Park, Illinois
  • Belvidere, Illinois
Service typeBus, Paratransit
Routes30
Depots2
Fleet40 buses
Daily ridership4,200 (weekdays, Q4 2023) [1]
Annual ridership1,156,800 (2023) [2]
Fuel typeDiesel and gasoline
Website rmtd.org

The Rockford Mass Transit District is the public transportation operator for the metro area of Rockford, Illinois. Service is provided six days per week along 19 routes, with several of these routes being combined into five Sunday routes that service a large portion of the system. The core of the system is contained in The City Loop (Route 16 clockwise and 17 counterclockwise), which interconnects with every other service. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 1,156,800, or about 4,200 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.

Contents

History

The previous RMTD logo RMTD bus logo.png
The previous RMTD logo
A RMTD bus in 2010 RMTD0003Front.jpg
A RMTD bus in 2010

On April 20, 2020, RMTD reduced its daily routes after six employees, including five drivers, tested positive for COVID-19. [3] [4] The district later received a $9.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation as part of the CARES Act. [5]

In August 2020, the pre-COVID-19 route system resumed [6] and RMTD launched Token Transit, a mobile fare app that allows passengers to purchase bus passes on their cell phones. [7] The app displays a digital bus pass or ticket on the phone's screen, eliminating the need for a paper pass or cash.

On June 15, 2023, RMTD unveiled six new battery-electric buses, the first electric buses in the fleet. The buses will replace diesel buses from 2007, reducing carbon emissions by 4,500 metric tons annually. RMTD plans to have a fully electric fleet by 2036. [8]

Facilities

The Downtown Transfer Center, located at 501 West State Street, is the primary hub for the RMTD, serving 14 routes. The center opened February 11, 2019, replacing an earlier transfer facility at the same location. The transfer center provides riders with restrooms, vending machines, an indoor waiting area and a location to purchase tickets and passes. [9]

The East Side Transfer Center, located at 725 North Lyford Road, opened in 2012, serving buses and riders on the east side of Rockford with 4 routes. The transfer center provides riders with restrooms, vending machines, an indoor waiting area and a location to purchase tickets and passes. [10] In addition to serving RMTD buses, Greyhound Lines intercity buses also stop here. [11]

Fixed route ridership

The ridership statistics shown here are of fixed route services only and do not include demand response. [12]

500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2002
2005
2008
2011
2014
2017
2020
2023

See also

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References

  1. "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  2. "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  3. "RMTD reduces routes after 5 drivers test positive for COVID-19". Rockford Register Star. April 18, 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  4. "Rockford Mass Transit District announces changes to service". Rockford Register Star. April 18, 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  5. "More than $9M to Rockford Mass Transit District for COVID-19 response". WIFR. July 1, 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  6. "Rockford Mass Transit District service returns Aug. 3". WIFR. July 27, 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  7. "RMTD introduces new mobile ticketing app". Mass Transit Magazine. August 10, 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  8. John Jurgens (June 15, 2023). "RMTD unveils first fully-electric powered buses". 13 WREX. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  9. "Rockford Mass Transit opens doors on renovated downtown bus station". My Stateline. February 11, 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  10. "Rockford Mass Transit District East Side Transfer Center". 26 August 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  11. "Destinations" . Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  12. "The National Transit Database (NTD)" . Retrieved January 15, 2023.