Sault Ste. Marie Transit Services

Last updated
Sault Ste. Marie Transit Services
New Sault Ste. Marie Transit Logo 2019.jpg
Sault Ste. Marie Transit Services buses.jpg
Buses at the Dennis Street Terminal
Founded1888 (as Sault Sainte Marie Electric Light and Transit Company)
1903 (as International Transit Company)
1942 (as Algoma Steel Corporation Transit)
1964 (as Sault Ste. Marie Transit Services)
Headquarters111 Huron Street 46°31′04″N84°20′57″W / 46.51778°N 84.34917°W / 46.51778; -84.34917
Locale Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Service type Bus service, Paratransit
Routes7 Major Bus Routes
2 Community Bus Routes
StationsDowntown terminal
160 Queen Street East 46°30′56″N84°20′16″W / 46.51556°N 84.33778°W / 46.51556; -84.33778
Fleet27 Accessible
2 Minibus
11 Para-bus
Website Transit Services

Sault Ste. Marie Transit Services is a local public transportation service serving the city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario providing seven major bus routes and two community bus routes serviced by a fleet of 27 buses and 2 minibuses. The Parabus service consists of 11 vehicles.

Contents

Old logo from 1990's to 2019 Sault Transit Services logo.png
Old logo from 1990's to 2019
New logo since July 15, 2019 New Sault Ste. Marie Transit Logo 2019.jpg
New logo since July 15, 2019

History

Early years

Sault Ste. Marie transit services since 1888: [1]

Recent history

In 2020, the City of Sault Ste. Marie announced that it was planning to relocate the main municipal bus terminal from Dennis Street to Huron Street where the current bus maintenance facility is. [2]

Routes

Current

All routes start and end at the Downtown Transit Terminal located at Queen Street and Dennis Street.

Route NumberRoute NameTerminus
1EastsideDacey Road and Trunk Road
2Great NorthernGrand Gardens North (Great Northern Road and Fourth Line East) via Northern Transfer Hub and Sault Area Hospital
3Korah RoadFourth Line East and People's Road (Transfer to Northern On-Demand)
4Sault College Algoma University via Northern Transfer Hub
5Riverside/McNabb Sault Area Hospital via Northern Transfer Hub
6ANorth StreetNorthern Transfer Hub
6BNorth Street (evenings and weekends only)Pawating Place via Northern Transfer Hub
7Steelton/Second Line Sault Area Hospital via Northern Transfer Hub
SpecialPointe des Chenes (summer weekends and holidays)Express to Pointe des Chenes Beach via Northern Transfer Hub
Community Buses
CentralCentral Community Bus (weekdays)Finnish Resthome
NorthernOn Demand ServiceMcQueen Neighbourhood

Frequencies

All regular routes operate every 30 minutes during weekdays until 7 pm. Regular routes operate every hour weekdays after 7 pm and on weekends. [3]

The Central Community Bus operates every hour, Monday-Friday from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm. [4]

The Pointe des Chenes bus operates as a pilot during the summer of 2021 on weekends and holidays from June 26, 2021 until September 5, 2021 (except Canada Day). It operates 3 trips, one in the morning, afternoon, and early evening. [3]

On-Demand Sunday Evening Service

Starting on 8 September 2019, Sunday evening service (7 pm to 11:30 pm) was switched to be on-demand. This was due to the low demand during this time. Sunday evening service was previously cut, to the disappointment of riders. Riders book a ride through the Sault Ste. Marie On-Demand app developed by Via or by calling transit dispatch. Riders are between existing stops, not curbside. [5]

Terminals

Downtown Terminal (Queen and Dennis Terminal)

All routes start and end at the Downtown Terminal. This terminal offers an indoor waiting area, washrooms, shop, and driver facilities. The terminal has 6 bays. The terminal is in poor condition and is due to be replaced. There are also ongoing safety concerns, with the terminal staffed by a security guard. The terminal is also not accessible to passengers with disabilities. [6]

Northern Transfer Hub

The Northern Transfer Hub opened on 3 May 2021. The Hub features a heated waiting shelter and 4 bus bays. The Hub is located on the Sault College campus providing service to the growing student population and area residents. The Hub is served by routes 2, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7, Point des Chenes, and the Central Community Bus. [7]

Incidents

DateNumberRouteDescription
17 January 2005
???
North Street
Afternoon City Police attended at the intersection of Wilcox Street and Maple Street for an accident involving a city bus and a car. Stafie Ochman of 52 Kent Avenue was travelling southbound on Maple Street and stopped for the stop sign but then proceeded through. A city bus operated by Henry Tulonen of 8 Gordon Avenue was proceeding eastbound on Wilcox Avenue when the Ochman car drove in front of the bus. Mrs. Ochman has been charged under the Highway Traffic Act of Ontario with one count of fail to yield to through traffic. Mrs. Ochman received non-life-threatening injuries but did not require medical treatment at the time of the incident. None of the persons on the bus were injured. [8]
6 December 2012
128
Riverside
A bad situation happened in just about the best circumstances when a Sault Ste. Marie Transit driver passed out behind the wheel on Thursday. The female employee lost consciousness when she had a medical episode, police say. The eastbound Riverside bus she was driving, with eight passengers on board, left Queen Street East, jumped a curb, passed through driveways of two homes at civic addresses 2166 and 2172 and plowed over small trees before stopping in an empty field about 140 metres from the road. The 32-seat 1991 MVI Classic did not hit any oncoming, or parked, vehicles and missed a hydro pole and ditch about 10 feet away. “Nothing of any kind of consequence (was struck),” said Sgt. Ray Magnan, head of traffic services with Sault Ste. Marie Police Service. The driver, who was wearing a seatbelt, was taken to Sault Area Hospital. “She’s fine,” said Magnan. The passengers, none of whom were hurt, were brought home by a transit parabus. The collision outcome was “best as could be hoped,” said transit manager Don Scott at the scene on Friday morning. “Situations like this are definitely unforeseen,” he said. “We’re just lucky that nobody was hurt this time around.” All transit drivers are required to have a physical every three years. [9]
13 June 2014
146
North Street
Call it bad luck on Friday the 13th for a North Street bus Friday afternoon. Saultonline.com viewer, James Scott sent in these photos of a city dump truck and city bus not getting along at Trelawne Avenue and Wilson Street early Friday afternoon. The City Transit Bus suffered moderate to heavy damage including a cracked windshield . It is not known if there were any passengers on the bus. No injuries were reported. [10]
16 January 2015
129
Steelton
Officers from Investigation Services are continuing to work on the fatality from earlier today on Douglas Street. Investigators are looking to speak to anyone who was on the city bus that was traveling along the Steelton route today (January 16, 2015) between 8:45 am and 9:30 am while it was on Douglas Street. [11]
4 January 2019
135
Great Northern
One person received minor injuries when a Sault Ste. Marie Transit Services bus collided with another vehicle on Lukenda Drive at Sault Area Hospital on Friday morning. The personal automobile was towed, said Const. Sonny Spina of Sault Ste. Marie Police Service. A Police investigation continues. The north-east crash was followed 20 minutes later by a two-vehicle collision at Wellington Street East and Upton Road. No one was hurt. [12]
21 January 2019
131
McNabb
Shortly after 3 p.m. Sault Ste. Marie Police Service responded to a collision involving a Sault Transit bus and a pickup truck. Police say that both vehicles were heading east on Trunk Road when the pickup truck collided with the rear of the bus. No injuries were reported. Sault Ste. Marie Police Service is investigating. [13]

Other services

Sault Ste. Marie is also connected to its American neighbour by the International Bridge Bus, which crosses the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge. The state of Michigan and the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie provide the majority of the funding, along with Lake Superior State University and Sault College. In addition to serving both downtown areas, the buses serve LSSU on the Michigan side and the Station Mall on the Canadian side.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Transit Commission</span> Agency responsible for local public transit in Ontario, Canada

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is the public transport agency that operates bus, subway, streetcar, and paratransit services in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, some of which run into the Peel Region and York Region. It is the oldest and largest of the urban transit service providers in the Greater Toronto Area, with numerous connections to systems serving its surrounding municipalities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge</span> Bridge connecting Canada and the United States

The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge spans the St. Marys River between the United States and Canada connecting the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The bridge is operated by the International Bridge Administration under the direction of the Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Authority, a bi-national governing body consisting of four directors appointed by the Governor of Michigan and four appointed by the Canadian government-owned Federal Bridge Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton Street Railway</span> Public transit agency in Ontario, Canada

The Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) is the public transport agency for Hamilton, Ontario. The name is a legacy of the company's early period, when public transit in Hamilton was primarily served by streetcars. Although streetcars are no longer used in the city today, the HSR operates bus and paratransit services, with a ridership of 21 million passengers a year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guelph Transit</span> Public transportation agency

The Guelph Transit Commission is a small public transportation agency that operates transit bus services in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1929 after the closure of the Guelph Radial Railway Company streetcar lines, Guelph Transit has grown to comprise over 70 buses serving 28 transit routes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Station Bus Terminal</span> Principal intercity bus terminal for Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The Union Station Bus Terminal is the central intercity bus terminal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in Downtown Toronto on the second floor of the south tower of CIBC Square, on the northeast corner of Bay Street and Lake Shore Boulevard. The terminal currently serves GO Transit regional buses as well as Coach Canada, Greyhound Lines and Ontario Northland long-distance bus services, among others. Owned by the provincial Crown agency Metrolinx, the terminal is connected by pedestrian walkways to the adjacent Union Station, Canada's busiest transportation hub.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">501 Queen</span> Streetcar route in Toronto, Canada

501 Queen is an east–west Toronto streetcar route in Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It stretches from Neville Park Loop in the east, running along Queen Street and in a reserved right-of-way within the median of the Queensway to Humber Loop in the west. In the late evenings, the 501 Queen route is extended west from Humber Loop, running on Lake Shore Boulevard to Long Branch Loop, replacing route 507 Long Branch. This route operates as part of the TTC's Blue Night Network service, operating in the early morning hours as the 301 Queen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Transit</span> Canadian public transit system

The London Transit Commission (LTC) is responsible for the operation of the public transit system on behalf of the City of London, Ontario, Canada. It operates transit bus service and para-transit service. In 2014, annual ridership totaled 24.1 million. The LTC has 28 regular bus routes, six express routes, three school-year-only routes and six community bus routes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transit Windsor</span> Public transit operator in Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Transit Windsor provides public transportation in the city of Windsor, Ontario, Canada as well as LaSalle, Essex, Kingsville, Amherstburg and Leamington and serves more than 6 million passengers each year, covering an area of 310 km2 (120 sq mi) and a population of 235,000. They operate a cross border service between the downtown areas of Windsor and Detroit, Michigan via the Tunnel Bus, and service to events at Detroit's Comerica Park, Little Caesars Arena, Huntington Place, and Ford Field. The Windsor International Transit Terminal neighbours with the Windsor International Aquatic and Training Centre.

Transportation in the Canadian city of Toronto forms the hub of the road, rail and air networks in the Greater Toronto Area and much of southern Ontario. There are many forms of transport in the city, including railways, highways, and public transit. Toronto also has an extensive network of bicycle lanes and multi-use trails and paths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ottawa Central Station</span> Closed inter-city bus station in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Ottawa Central Station was the main inter-city bus station in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It was located 1.5 km south of downtown Ottawa in the Centretown neighbourhood and served buses from Greyhound Canada, Ontario Northland and Autobus Gatineau. It closed on June 1, 2021, and the land it sat on is now owned by Brigil, a real estate developer, who plans to build a multi-use space for housing, dining, retail, and other businesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunder Bay Transit</span> Public transit operator in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Thunder Bay Transit is the public transit operator in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was formed in 1970, after the amalgamation of the cities of Port Arthur and Fort William and their respective transit agencies. Thunder Bay Transit is a member of the Canadian Urban Transit Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">502 Downtowner</span> Streetcar route in Toronto, Canada

The 502 Downtowner was a streetcar route operated by the Toronto Transit Commission in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It ran from the Bingham Loop at Victoria Park Avenue and Kingston Road in the Beaches neighbourhood to McCaul Loop in downtown Toronto. Starting in September 2019, all streetcar services along Kingston Road were consolidated into the 503 Kingston Rd route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">503 Kingston Rd</span> Streetcar route in Toronto, Canada

The 503 Kingston Rd is an east–west Toronto streetcar route in Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission. The 503 Kingston Rd travels on a route to the downtown financial district from the Bingham Loop along Kingston Road and shares much of its track with the 501 Queen and 504 King. Originally a rush-hour service, the route was upgraded in September 2019 to run weekdays excluding evenings after the consolidation of 502 Downtowner service into this route. Effective July 30, 2023, route 503 started running all day and all evening, seven days per week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saskatoon Transit</span> Public transport system in Saskatchewan, Canada

Saskatoon Transit is the public transport arm of the City of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It operates a fleet of diesel buses. A total of 23 bus routes serve every area of the city, carrying approximately 11 million passengers in 2008. Saskatoon Transit is a member of the Canadian Urban Transit Association. The major bus terminal is located Downtown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peterborough Transit</span> Public transport operator

Peterborough Transit is the public transport operator for the City of Peterborough, Ontario, & Township of Selwyn, Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingston Transit</span>

Kingston Transit operates the transit service in Kingston, Ontario, Canada as well as to the neighbouring community of Amherstview, in Loyalist Township. Major transfer points are at the Kingston Centre, Downtown Kingston, Cataraqui Town Centre, and Gardiners Town Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transportation in Thunder Bay, Ontario</span> Overview of transportation in Thunder Bay, Ontario

Transport in Thunder Bay is essential to trade, which has always been the backbone of the economy, beginning with Fort Kaministiquia in 1717. When the area was first settled its many waterways were used by the voyagers and Coureur des bois to trade their goods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario</span> City in Ontario, Canada

Sault Ste. Marie is a city in Ontario, Canada. The third-largest city in Northern Ontario after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, it is located on the St. Mary's River on the Canada–US border. To the southwest, across the river, is the United States and the Michigan city of the same name. The two cities are joined by the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, which connects Interstate 75 on the Michigan side to Huron Street on the Ontario side. Shipping traffic in the Great Lakes system bypasses the Saint Mary's Rapids via the American Soo Locks, the world's busiest canal in terms of tonnage that passes through it, while smaller recreational and tour boats use the Canadian Sault Ste. Marie Canal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public transportation in Toronto</span>

Public transportation in the Canadian city of Toronto dates back to 1849 with the creation of a horse-drawn stagecoach company. Today, Toronto's mass transit is primarily made up of a system of subways, buses, and streetcars, covering approximately 1,200 km (750 mi) of routes operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and inter-regional commuter rail and bus service provided by GO Transit.

The Sudbury Ontario Northland Bus Terminal is a bus station and depot in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. It is operated by the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC) and is a stop on a number of Ontario Northland intercity bus routes. The terminal consists of a single-storey structure situated at the intersection between the Kingsway, a major east-west arterial road in Sudbury, 2nd Avenue North, which leads south toward the residential neighbourhood of Minnow Lake, and Falconbridge Road, which leads northeast toward Garson. It lies to the east of Downtown Sudbury, close to the Southeast Bypass.

References

  1. Wyatt, David A. (11 September 2017). "Canadian Transit Systems: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario" . Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  2. Della-Mattia, Elaine (30 June 2020). "Sault Transit terminal to be relocated to Huron Street". The Sault Star . Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Bus Routes and Schedules - City of Sault Ste. Marie". saultstemarie.ca.
  4. "Community Bus - City of Sault Ste. Marie". saultstemarie.ca.
  5. "On Demand Transit begins September 8 - City of Sault Ste. Marie". saultstemarie.ca.
  6. "Downtown Bus Terminal Relocation - City of Sault Ste. Marie". saultstemarie.ca.
  7. "Transit Route Optimization – Northern transfer point completed - City of Sault Ste. Marie". saultstemarie.ca.
  8. "No injuries reported in Sault Transit bus crash". SooToday.com. January 18, 2005.
  9. "City bus crash could have been worse | Sault Star".
  10. "Sault Online Friday 13th crunch". Archived from the original on 2023-06-09.
  11. "Was City Bus Involved in Fatality?". Archived from the original on 2023-05-31.
  12. "City bus, Chevy collide at hospital | Sudbury Star".
  13. "Truck smacks city bus on Trunk Road (4 photos)". SooToday.com. January 21, 2019.