Sangamon Mass Transit District

Last updated
Sangamon Mass Transit District
2013 New Flyer CNG.jpg
Founded1968
Headquarters928 South Ninth Street
Locale Springfield, Illinois
Service type bus service, paratransit
Routes18 regular day routes
9 night routes
9 supplemental routes
Fleet57 buses
22 paratransit vans
Daily ridership5,500 (weekdays, Q3 2024) [1]
Annual ridership1,406,900 (2023) [2]
Fuel type Compressed natural gas
Diesel
Website Official website OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The Sangamon Mass Transit District (SMTD) is a regional mass transit district that mostly serves Springfield, Illinois along with a few neighboring communities. It is governed by a seven-member board of trustees, who are all appointed by the Sangamon County Board of Supervisors. [3] In 2023, the system had a ridership of 1,406,900, or about 5,500 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.

Contents

Routes

Low Floor Gillig 2011 series. 35 ft. On former Route 1 N. Fifth before turning into former Route 18 Lawrence/Knox Knolls Low Floor Gillig.jpg
Low Floor Gillig 2011 series. 35 ft. On former Route 1 N. Fifth before turning into former Route 18 Lawrence/Knox Knolls

The Sangamon Mass Transit District operates 18 regular routes during the day, 9 routes at night, and 9 supplemental routes which serve schools. [4] [5] [6] On weekdays between 6 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., most routes run every half-hour. Eleven of the day routes begin at the downtown transfer center, at 11th and Washington Streets, with buses leaving downtown at the top and bottom of the hour. Five routes begin at a secondary transfer center on Junction Circle, on the southwest side, where most of the area's growth and new development has taken place in recent decades. These routes leave Junction Circle at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour. One special route carries passengers between both locations, and one special route serves the colleges and nearby areas. On weeknights between 6 and 10 p.m., seven routes leave downtown once an hour, at the top of the hour, [7] and two others begin and end at the University of Illinois at Springfield. The last buses of the night return to downtown at 11 p.m. Supplemental routes run only once per day. No service is offered on Sundays, nor on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. [8]

Daytime routes

Evening Routes

Supplemental routes

Cash fare, transfers and passes

Regular bus fare is $1.25 for anyone age five or over. Up to two children under the age of four are permitted on the buses free of charge with an adult. More than two children under this age will cost an additional 60 cents. For senior citizens, disabled persons, or Medicare card holders, fare is 60 cents with proof of such status. Senior citizens and disabled persons enrolled in the Benefit Access program can procure a photo ID that enables them to ride without paying a fare. [9] [10] Transfers between connecting buses are free and available upon request of the driver when fare is initially paid. [11]

Discount bus passes for students, senior citizens, and disabled people are available at public, private, and parochial schools, Lincoln Library, the local Hy-Vee, and the SMTD home office at 928 S. 9th Street. Reloadable fare cards are available at the main office.

Buses

2017 Diesel New Flyer Sangamon Mass Transit District Bus 1701.jpg
2017 Diesel New Flyer

The routes are covered with 53 buses (15 fueled with Compressed natural gas, 34 fueled with diesel) and 22 paratransit vans. All buses are equipped with bike racks. As of July 1, 2018, the buses are

Paratransit

The SMTD operates a paratransit service named Access Sangamon for disabled people who are unable to use the regular buses. Service is available at the same times that the regular buses are operating. [12]

Funding and employees

In 2017, the employee headcount was 143, of whom 116 were members of labor unions and 27 were administrative personnel. The annual budget was $7.2 million.

In the SMTD's 2017 operating budget, 9% was met through fares paid by riders. An additional 1% was earned through other private-sector-style income streams, such as income from placards and billboards on the buses, and the remaining 90% consisted of federal, state, and local public-sector funding. [13]

Recent developments

On January 1, 2017, SMTD changed its operating name from Springfield Mass Transit District to Sangamon Mass Transit District. [14] Limited-service suburban routes ran from 2018 to 2022.

In 2019, the city opened a new transfer center on the east edge of downtown, and at the same time, completely overhauled its routes. [15] The redesigned routes cover a larger geographical area than before, bringing service with reach of up to 10,000 additional area residents. [16] Construction of the Springfield-Sangamon Transportation Center at the downtown transfer center began in 2021, [17] and improvements are under construction to an adjacent railroad. When complete, the new facility is expected to become part of the Chicago Hub Network, Illinois' new high-speed rail system, [18] with stops by trains and intercity buses. [19] Greyhound buses began using the new transfer point in November 2022. [20] Presently, Amtrak trains run on another railroad about half a mile west of the new transfer center.

In 2022, the SMTD board approved a Zero Emissions Transition Plan, which would see the removal of all diesel buses by 2035 in favor of a combination of hybrid and zero-emission buses, with all buses being zero-emission by 2048. As of 2022, 60% of buses in the fleet were diesel powered, with the remainder being powered by compressed natural gas. [21]

Fixed Route Ridership

The ridership statistics shown here are of fixed route services only and do not include demand response. [22]

500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Board of Trustees". Sangamon Mass Transit District. Retrieved 2020-01-29. A seven member Board of Trustees is appointed by the Sangamon County Board of Supervisors to oversee the policies and operations of the District.
  4. ↑ "Routes". SMTD.
  5. ↑ "2018 System Redesign". Archived from the original on 2019-03-24.
  6. ↑ "Full System Brochure" (PDF).
  7. ↑ "Fall 2019 Schedule Changes — SMTD".
  8. ↑ "General Info". SMTD.
  9. ↑ "Illinois Benefit Access Benefits". SMTD.
  10. ↑ "Free Fare ID". SMTD.
  11. ↑ "Basic Fare Information". SMTD.
  12. ↑ "Eligibility". SMTD.
  13. ↑ "Stats & Docs". SMTD.
  14. ↑ "SMTD changing name to Sangamon Mass Transit District". State-Journal Register.
  15. ↑ "Demolition project is 1st phase for transit hub". State Journal Register. 2017-02-03.
  16. ↑ "SMTD overhaul includes new transfer center". State Journal Register. 2019-01-04. p. 1.
  17. ↑ Riley Eubanks (2021-10-12). "Ground broken for $86 million transportation center in Springfield". State Journal-Register. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  18. ↑ "Illinois' $2 billion, high-speed rail project in final phase". State Journal Register. 2017-12-06.
  19. ↑ "Off street bus terminal expected to open in 2017". State Journal Register. 2016-10-11. p. 5.
  20. ↑ "Greyhound to serve Springfield hub". WAND-TV. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  21. ↑ "Zero Emissions Transition Plan" (PDF). Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  22. ↑ "The National Transit Database (NTD)" . Retrieved January 15, 2023.

39°47′31.1″N89°38′36.4″W / 39.791972°N 89.643444°W / 39.791972; -89.643444

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