Sun Tran

Not to be confused with ABQ RIDE, formerly known as SunTran.

For the public transit system in St. George, Utah, see SunTran.

A now-retired Gillig bus on route 1
Parent	City of Tucson
Founded	1969
Headquarters	3920 N. Sun Tran Blvd
Locale	Tucson, Arizona
Service type	bus service, paratransit
Routes	42 (29 regular & 13 express)
Stops	2,200+
Stations	3
Fleet	237 buses
Daily ridership	55,200 (weekdays, Q1 2023) [1]
Annual ridership	15,717,100 (2022) [2]
Fuel type	Biodiesel, Biodiesel-Urea, CNG
Operator	Fixed-Route, Sun Link: RATP Dev [3] Sun Shuttle: Total Transit, Ajo Transportation [4]
Website	suntran.com

Tucson Transit Management LLC, doing business as Sun Tran, ^[5] is the public transit system serving the city of Tucson, Arizona. In 2022, the system had 15,717,100 rides, or about 55,200 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2023. 100% of the fleet utilizes clean-burning fuels, such as compressed natural gas (CNG), biodiesel, and hybrid technologies. ^[6] In addition to more than 40 bus routes, the system also includes the Sun Link modern streetcar line.

History

Sun Tran bus

Ronstadt Transit Center

According to David Leighton, historian for the Arizona Daily Star newspaper, Sun Tran's history began in 1897 with the organization of the Tucson Street Railway, which by the following year was providing Tucsonans with regular mule-powered streetcar service. Streetcar tracks existed in parts of present-day downtown and to the University of Arizona. Within a few years, lack of profit caused the company to be sold and it was reorganized as Tucson Rapid Transit Co. (TRT). It shortly came under common ownership with Tucson Gas, Electric Light and Power Co. ^[7]

By 1906, mules were replaced by electricity as the driving force behind the streetcars in Tucson. Four years later, TRT published its intent to increase the amount of track for its electric cars but insufficient money prevented this from occurring. In 1910, TRT owner United States Light and Traction was acquired by the newly formed Federal Light and Traction. ^[8]

In October 1925, Tucson Rapid Transit Co., having realized that buses were more flexible and economical to run than streetcars and were the future of public transportation in the Old Pueblo, bought the White Star Bus Line. This small bus company would become the basis for TRT's bus service in town. Also around the same time, Roy Laos Sr., noting the lack of transit service to the south and west sides of town founded the Occidental Bus Line to serve these areas. Laos' bus service would later be called Old Pueblo Transit.

In 1930, control of Federal Light and Traction was acquired by Cities Service. ^[9] On January 1, 1931, Tucson Rapid Transit formally ended all electric streetcar service in town. From this day forward it became strictly a bus company. Five years later, Jacob M. Bingham established the Mountain View Bus Line with one bus. His goal was to provide service to outlying areas that TRT didn't serve but turning a profit or even just paying his bills was difficult and soon enough TRT bought his small enterprise.

During World War II, ridership increased to a large degree, in part due to tire and fuel rationing that was carried out to support the war effort. The secondary reason for the surge was the need for public transportation for workers in the growing defense industry.

After the passage of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, Federal Light and Traction/Cities Service was forced to sell most of their operations. TRT was sold to W. Culver White, John B. Tigrett, A.V. Lindseth and L.A. Tanner. ^[10] Tucson Gas & Electric was sold in a public offering.

In late 1951, the Hughes Missile Plant (now called Raytheon Missiles & Defense) was finished and was operating with a small number of employees. Competition for ridership to the new factory between Old Pueblo Transit and Tucson Rapid Transit became heated and OPT filed an injunction in court to prevent TRT from providing service for employees. Early the following year, the Arizona Corporation Commission decided against OPT and allowed TRT to also provide bus service to the plant. ^[11]

The 1950s and 1960s saw a steady decline in riders for Tucson Rapid Transit. Even a change in ownership in 1965 to American Transit Corp. (and a name change to Tucson Transit Corp.) and the installation of air conditioners seemed to do little for the failing bus service. As a result, in 1969, the City of Tucson acquired TTC, changing the name to the City of Tucson Transit System. ^[12]

In 1975, a contest was held to give a new name to the bus system, with Benjamin Rios, a 25-year-old University of Arizona architecture student from Mexico, submitting the winning entry: “Sun Tran.” His prize was a $150 portable television.

Three years later, Sun Tran bought its competition the Old Pueblo Transit Co. and the city had but one bus service for riders. The year 1987 saw the opening of the Roy Laos Transit Center at 205 W Irvington Road, and in 1991, the Ronstadt Transit Center opened in downtown.

In 2010, Sun Tran received shipment of its first bus using hybrid technology and two years later Sun Tran's Northwest Bus Facility located at 3920 N. Sun Tran Blvd was completed. ^{[13] [14]}

In summer of 2023, Sun Tran released their Comprehensive Operational Analysis, a psuedo bus network redesign that would increase frequency, realigning and extending routes and improving access and quality of service. ^[15]

Awards

Sun Tran won the America's Best Transit System award for 1988 and 2005 from the American Public Transportation Association in the category of 4 to 30 million annual passenger trips. Also, Sun Tran was awarded as the Arizona's Best Transit System for 2004 and 2012.

Fares

NOTE: all fares are free since late March 2020 ever since the COVID-19 outbreak until further notice.

The basic fare is $1.75. Reduced fare for low-income, persons with disabilities, seniors at least 65 and Medicare cardholders is $0.75 (with a valid SunGO ID & card). The express bus fare is $2.35. No fares apply to kids under 6 with fare-paying rider, limit 3. All fares can be paid with a SunGo card, which utilises smart card technology, and can be loaded with cash value or passes. 24-hour passes ($4) & 30-day tickets ($48) are available. The University of Arizona provides discounted passes for eligible students, faculty and staff through the UA's Parking and Transportation Services. ^[16]

Fleet

Current fleet

Sun Tran has an active fleet of 237 buses.

Builder	Model	Year	Length	Engine/ Transmission	Fuel	Number(s)	Quantity	Notes
Gillig	G20D102N4 Low Floor	2006	40'	Cummins ISC 8.3L Allison B400R5 Gen-III	B5 Biodiesel	2601-2612	12	These buses have a different seating configuration compared to the 2005 Gillig buses, as seats are all arranged lengthwise (except for the last row of seats). This was done to reduce vandalism that has been caused to bus windows and the interior.
Gillig	G20D102N4 Low Floor BRT	2008-09	40'	Caterpillar C9 ACERT 9.3L ZF Ecomat 4 6HP594C	B5 Biodiesel	2901-2936	46	These buses, labeled "Sun Express", are used on express routes 101X-312X, and occasionally as shuttles for special events. Features include low floor, head rests, reclining seats, and heat resistant windows.
Gillig	G20D102N4 Low Floor	2009	40'	Cummins ISL 8.9L Allison B400R5 Gen-IV	B5 Biodiesel	2937-2950, 3001-3010	14	The 29XX buses (known as transition buses) are Low Floor, not BRT, and feature head rests and reclining seats. The rest (3001-3010) are regular Low Floor buses.
Gillig	G20D102N4 Low Floor	2009	40'	Cummins ISB6.7 Allison EP40 Gen-IV Hybrid System	B5 Biodiesel-Electric Hybrid	3000	1	First hybrid bus introduced in 2010. It featured a promotional livery until 2014 when it was painted with the same livery as the other regular buses. This bus is run on route 5, which runs between the intersection of Sabino Canyon and Tanque Verde roads and the Pima Community College West Campus.
Gillig	G20D102N4 Low Floor	2011	40'	Cummins ISL9 Allison B400R6 Gen-IV	B5 Biodiesel-Urea	3011, 3101-3119	20	These buses run with a blend of Biodiesel-5% Urea.
Gillig	G20D102N4 Low Floor	2012	40'	Cummins ISL9 Allison B400R6 Gen-V	B5 Biodiesel-Urea	3120-3156	37	Similar to Gillig 2011 buses.
Gillig	G20D102N4 Low Floor	2012	40'	Cummins ISB6.7 Allison H 40 EP Gen-V Hybrid System	B5 Biodiesel-Electric Hybrid	4001-4010	10	New hybrid buses placed in service at the end of December 2012.
Gillig	G20D102N4 Low Floor	2014	40'	Cummins ISL G280 Allison B400R Transmission	CNG	3201-3224	24	The majority of the buses will go into service by the end of August. These new buses will eventually replace the 14-year-old Nova buses. [17]
Gillig	G20D102N4 Low Floor	2014	35'	Cummins ISL G280 Allison B400R Transmission	CNG	3225-3229	4	These new CNG buses are smaller (35-foot-long compared to the standard 40 feet) and have a total of 30 seats. These will replace the 14-year-old Nova buses.
Gillig	G20D102N4 Low Floor	2014	40'	Cummins ISL G280 Allison B400R Transmission	CNG	3230-3245	16	New CNG buses placed in service to replace the old CNG buses.
Gillig	G20D102N4 Low Floor	2018	40'	Cummins ISL L9N Allison B400R Transmission	CNG	3301-3323	23
Gillig	G20D102N4 Low Floor	2020	40'	Cummins ISL L9N Allison B400R Transmission	CNG	3401-3420	20
Gillig	G20D102N4 Low Floor	2022	40'	Cummins ISL L9N Allison B400R Transmission	CNG	3501-3518	18
Gillig	G20D102N4 Low Floor	2020	40'	Cummins ISL L9N Allison B400R Transmission	CNG	4011	1	This is a 2019 model
Gillig	G20D102N4 Low Floor	2021	40'			4012-4016	5
Gillig	G20D102N4 Low Floor	2022	40'			4017-4021	5

Retired Fleet

Note that this is by no means a complete listing of retired vehicles that have operated for Sun Tran and/or its predecessors.

Builder	Model	Year	Length	Fuel	Number(s)	Quantity	Notes
Yellow Coach	Model 733	1937	30'	Gasoline	14-15	2	These buses were withdrawn after World War II. The engine was located in the front and they sat 21 passengers.
Yellow Coach	Model 733	1938	30'	Gasoline	16-17	2	These buses were identical to the 1937 Model 733 buses.
Yellow Coach	Model 1204	1939	30'	Gasoline	18-22	5	These buses had a rear engine and sat 24 passengers.
Yellow Coach	Model 1204	1940	30'	Gasoline	23-26	4	These buses were identical to the 1939 Model 1204s.
Ford	Model 69B	1941	30'	Gasoline	27-31	5	These buses were built for World War II.
Ford	Model 69B	1942	30'	Gasoline	32-36	5	These buses were built for World War II.
Ford	Model 69B	1943	30'	Gasoline	37-41	5	These buses were built for World War II.
Ford	Model 69B	1944	30'	Gasoline	42-46	5	These buses were built for World War II.
Ford	Model 69B	1945	30'	Gasoline	47-49	3	These buses were built for World War II.
Ford	Model 69B	1946	30'	Gasoline	50-55	6	These buses were withdrawn from service in 1955.
Twin Coach	41-S "Art Deco"	1946	35'	Gasoline	101-106	6	These buses were some of the earliest to operate in Tucson. All were withdrawn in 1968.
Twin Coach	41-S "Art Deco"	1947	35'	Gasoline	107-112	6	These buses were identical to the 1946 Twin Coach buses.
Twin Coach	34-S "Art Deco"	1948	30'	Gasoline	113-115	3	These buses were withdrawn in the late-1960s. Some were converted to school buses before that.
GMC	TDH-4509 "Old Look"	1951	35'	Diesel	201-206	6	These buses were retrofitted with A/C in the late-1950s. They were withdrawn from service in the 1970s.
GMC	TGH-3101 "Old Look"	1951	30'	Gasoline	121-126	6	These buses were operated by the Old Pueblo Transit Company, which was the transit agency for South Tucson.
GMC	TDH-4509 "Old Look"	1952	35'	Diesel	207-215	9	These buses were similar to the 1951 TDH-4509 buses. All were withdrawn in the 1970s.
GMC	TGH-3101 "Old Look"	1952	30'	Gasoline	127-129	3	These buses were operated by the Old Pueblo Transit Company and were withdrawn in the 1960s.
GMC	TDH-4512 "Old Look"	1953	35'	Diesel	216-218	3	These buses were retrofitted with A/C in the late-1950s.
GMC	TGH-3102 "Old Look"	1953	30'	Gasoline	130	1	This bus was operated by the Old Pueblo Transit Company.
GMC	TDH-4512 "Old Look"	1957	35'	Diesel	220-222	3	These buses were retrofitted with A/C in the late-1950s.
GMC	TDH-4512 "Old Look"	1959	35'	Diesel	223-225	3	These buses were retrofitted with A/C in the early-1960s.
GMC	TGH-3102 "Old Look"	1959	30'	Gasoline	131-133	3	These buses were operated by the Old Pueblo Transit Company and were withdrawn in the 1970s.
GMC	TGH-3102 "Old Look"	1960	30'	Gasoline	134-136	3	These buses were similar to the 1949 TGH-3102 buses but only had a single door. They were withdrawn from service in 1974.
GMC	TDH-4517 "New Look"	1962	35'	Diesel	228-231	4	These buses were the first in Tucson to be built with air conditioning, and were also the first GMC "New Look" buses in service. They were withdrawn from service in the early 1980s.
GMC	TDH-3501 "Old Look"	1966	30'	Diesel	140	1	Although this bus was built in 1966, it had the "Old Look" design. It was built for Old Pueblo Transit Company and withdrawn from service in the late-1970s.
GMC	T6H-4523A "New Look"	1972	35'	Diesel	7201-7211	11	These buses were the first to be ordered by the city of Tucson.
GMC	T6H-4523A "New Look"	1973	35'	Diesel	7312-7321	10	These buses were identical to the 1972 GMC New Looks.
Flxible	45096 "New Look"	1973	35'	Diesel	7322-7331	10	These buses were the first Flxible buses to enter service in Tucson. They were withdrawn from service in the 1990s.
GMC	T6H-4523A "New Look"	1974	35'	Diesel	7402-7403	2	These buses were ordered by an operator in Texas but ended up in service in Tucson. They were renumbered from 1402 to 1403 and were withdrawn from service in the mid-1990s.
GMC	T8H-5307A "New Look"	1974	40'	Diesel	1474-1479, 1481, 1484, 1488	9	These buses were delivered new to Tucson but were actually built for various transit agencies across the United States who did not take up these buses. They were temporarily operated in Tucson from 1974 to 1978, when they were replaced with AM General buses. 1475-1478 were sold to Valley Metro and were withdrawn in 1989, while the rest were sent to other operators. These were the first 40-foot-long (12 m) buses in Tucson.
Flxible	45096 "New Look"	1975	35'	Diesel	7532-7563	32	These buses were the first to be built for Sun Tran (along with the 1975 AM General 9640-8 buses) and featured a different livery from the red and yellow that is featured on buses today. All of these buses were withdrawn in the mid-1990s.
AM General	9640-8 "Metropolitan"	1975	40'	Diesel	5501-5512	12	These buses were the first to be built for Sun Tran (along with the 1975 Flxible 45096 buses), and featured a different livery from the red and yellow that is featured on buses today. All of these buses were withdrawn in the mid-1990s.
Flxible	35096 "New Look"	1976	30'	Diesel	7664-7684	21	These buses were built for Old Pueblo Transit, which served the city of South Tucson. Originally, these buses were numbered 5050-5070 but after OPT was taken over by Sun Tran in 1978, these buses were renumbered to 7664–7684. All of these buses were withdrawn in the mid-1990s.
AM General	10235B "Metropolitan"	1977	35'	Diesel	7764-7775	12	These buses were all withdrawn by 1997.
AM General	10240B "Metropolitan"	1978	40'	Diesel	5713-5724	12	These were the first buses painted in the red and yellow Sun Tran livery. All of these buses were withdrawn by 1997.
GMC	T8J-204 "RTS-04"	1981	40'	Diesel	8101-8119	19	These were Tucson's first RTS buses. They featured rollsigns and frameless windows. All were withdrawn from service in 2000.
GMC	T8J-204 "RTS-04"	1986	40'	Diesel	8601-8613	13	All of these buses were withdrawn from service in 2000.
GMC	T8J-206 "RTS-06"	1986	40'	Diesel	8614-8629	16	These buses were similar to the earlier 1986 GMC buses but were built as RTS-06 models rather than RTS-04 models. All were withdrawn from service in 2000.
Orion Bus Industries	02.501	1994	25'	CNG	9470-9475	6	These buses were powered by CNG and were withdrawn in the early 2000s.
TMC	T80-206 "RTS-06"	1989	40'	Biodiesel	8930-8984	55	Only 8 buses of various numbers remained in the fleet until May 2008 were mostly used on express routes. Most of this type was retired in the fall of 2005 with the arrival of the 2005 Gilligs. These buses were formerly powered by diesel.
Neoplan USA	AN440	1991	40'	Biodiesel	9101-9125	25	9123-9125 formerly ran on Diesel/CNG
Neoplan USA	AN440	1993	40'	Biodiesel	9326-9340	15	These buses were formerly dual-fueled and could run on diesel or CNG. They are identical to the 1991 Neoplan buses.
Neoplan USA	AN440	1994	40'	Biodiesel	9441-9469	29	These buses were formerly dual-fueled and could run on diesel or CNG. They have Luminator Mega:MAX flip-dot signs and a different A/C unit compared to the other Neoplan buses. The last ones in service were retired from the active fleet in 2012 with the arrival of the new 2012 Gilligs.
New Flyer	C40HF	1996	40'	CNG	9676-9694	19	These buses were the first purely CNG-powered buses in the Sun Tran fleet. They also were the first buses to feature automatic stop announcements and hard seats throughout the entire bus (rather than just in the rear). These were withdrawn in 2011 when the new Gillig 2011 buses arrived.
New Flyer	C40HF	1997	40'	CNG	9701-9725	25	These buses are similar to the 1996 New Flyer buses but feature grey interior flooring and sidewalls rather than the orange interior found on the 1996 buses. Retired in Fall 2012 with the arrival of the 2012 Gillig buses.
Nova Bus	40102CNG "RTS-WFD"	2000	40'	CNG	2001-2045	16	These buses originally featured Luminator LEDot front signs, but they were replaced with Luminator Horizon signs in 2005. 24 of these buses were retired from the active fleet in July 2014. The other were withdrawn in 2015.

Current Routes

Sun Tran operates 29 regular routes and 13 express routes, ^[18] as well as 10 Sun Shuttle routes, a neighborhood transit service. ^[19] Most regular routes provide service from 6 am to 11 pm. A few routes provide service until midnight. Sun Tran does not provide overnight service.

Regular Routes

Route No.	Route Name	Termini			Major Streets/Areas Serviced	Service Notes/History
1	Glenn/Swan	Ronstadt Transit Center, Downtown	↔	Swan Road/29th Street	Downtown, Main Gate Square, University of Arizona, Park Avenue, Glenn Street, Swan Road.	Weekday service operates every 30 minutes (60 minutes at night). Weekend service every hour. Route was restructured in 2015 and service on 29th St was eliminated.
2	Pueblo Gardens	Laos Transit Center	↔	Ronstadt Transit Center, Downtown	Irvington Road, Country Club Road, Campbell Avenue, 36th Street, Pueblo Gardens, Downtown.	Weekday service operates every 30 minutes (60 minutes at night). Weekend service every hour.
3	6th St./Wilmot	Pima Community College (PCC) East	↔	Pima Community College (PCC) West	Stella Road, Wilmot Road, 5th Street, 6th Street, University of Arizona, Downtown, St Mary's Road, Anklam Road.	Weekday service operates every 30 minutes, 60 minutes at night. 20 minutes peak-hour service during weekdays, with extra buses (plugs) available to alleviate overcrowding issues. Weekend service every hour.
4	Speedway	Broadway/Houghton Park & Ride (1st segment) Golf Links/Kolb Park & Ride (2nd segment)	↔	Ronstadt Transit Center, Downtown	Speedway Boulevard, Harrison Road, Kolb Road, University of Arizona, Downtown.	Weekday service operates every 15–30 minutes until noon and from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm; 10–20 minutes from noon – 6:00 pm. Weeknight and weekend service frequency is 30–60 minutes.
5	Pima/W. Speedway	Udall Transit Station	↔	Pima Community College (PCC) West	West Speedway Boulevard, University of Arizona, Pima Street, Tanque Verde Road, Udall Park.	Weekday service operates every 30 minutes until 7:30 pm. Weekend service every hour.
6	Euclid Ave./N. 1st Ave.	Ronstadt Transit Center, Downtown	↔	Tohono Tadai Transit Center	Downtown, Main Gate Square, University of Arizona, Euclid Avenue, 1st Avenue.	Weekday service operates every 15 minutes from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. Weeknight service every 30–60 minutes. Saturday service every 30 minutes. Sunday service runs every hour. Original Route 6 was restructured and split into Route 6 and Route 25 in 2015.
7	22nd St.	Broadway/Houghton Park & Ride	↔	Ronstadt Transit Center, Downtown	Downtown, 22nd Street	Weekday service operates every 15 minutes from 6:00 am – 6:00 pm, and every 30 minutes from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm. Weeknight service every 60 minutes until 11:30 pm. Weekend service every hour.
8	Broadway	Ronstadt Transit Center, Downtown	↔	Broadway/Houghton Park & Ride (1st segment) Udall Station at Tanque Verde/Sabino Canyon (2nd segment)	Downtown, Broadway Boulevard, Wilmot Road, Tanque Verde Road.	Weekday service operates every 15–30 minutes from the start of the service until about 11:30 am, and from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Weekday frequency increases to 10–20 minutes from 11:30 am until 4:30 pm. Weeknight service every 30 minutes until midnight (no service to Wilmot/Tanque Verde after about 7:00 pm). Saturday service every 15–30 minutes. Sunday service every 20–40 minutes. Original Route 8 was restructured in 2015 and was split into Route 8 and Route 18.
9	Grant	Udall Transit Station	↔	Pima Community College (PCC) West	Grant Road	Weekday service operates every 15 minutes from 6:30 am – 6:30 pm; every 30 minutes from 5:00 am – 6:30 am, and from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm. Weeknight service runs every hour. Weekend service every hour. Route 9 was merged with the former Route 20 in 2016, to create a continuous route on Grant Road. Its frequency was increased to 15 minutes from 6:30 am – 6:30 pm. Route 9 no longer services the University of Arizona and Downtown.
10	Ruthrauff	Davis Avenue/Ruthrauff Rd	↔	Ronstadt Transit Center, Downtown	Ruthrauff Rd, Romero Rd, River Road, Miracle Mile, Oracle Road, Downtown.	Weekday service operates every 30–60 minutes until 11:30 pm. Weekend service every hour.
11	Alvernon	Laos Transit Center (1st segment) Tucson International Airport (2nd segment)	↔	Dodge Boulevard/River Road	Alvernon Way, Palo Verde Road, Ajo Way, Corona Road, Valencia Road, Tucson Airport.	Weekday service operates every 15 minutes north of Ajo Way, and 30 minutes frequency on both south segments (Ajo Way/Laos Center and Palo Verde/Tucson Airport). Weeknight service frequency is 30–60 minutes after 7:00 pm until 12:20 am. Alternated night service to/from the Tucson airport after 7:00 pm. Service every 30–60 minutes during weekends.
12	10th/12th Avenue	Laos Transit Center	↔	Ronstadt Transit Center, Downtown	12th Avenue, 10th Avenue, South Tucson, Tucson Convention Center, Downtown.	Weekday service operates every 15 minutes between 6:00 am and 6:30 pm. Weeknight service frequency is 30 minutes. Weekend service every 30 minutes.
15	Campbell	Country Club Road/22nd Street	↔	Tohono Tadai Transit Center	Roger Road, Campbell Avenue, University of Arizona, Eastland Street.	Weekday service operates every 15 minutes from the start of the service until 6:00 pm. Weeknight service frequency is 30–60 minutes after 6:00 pm until 11:30 pm. Weekend service every hour.
16	Oracle/Ina	Ronstadt Transit Center, Downtown	↔	Thornydale/Ina roads (parking lot of Lowe's at Ina)	Downtown, Oracle Road, Ina Road.	Weekday service operates every 10 minutes between Ronstadt and Tohono (TTC) transit centers. Frequency increased to 7.5 minutes during the afternoon peak hours. Weekday frequency every 30 minutes north of Tohono Center, increased to every 15–20 minutes in the afternoon peak hours. Weeknight service every 30–60 minutes until midnight. Service frequency during weekends is 15 minutes (60 minutes north of TTC) on Saturdays, and 20 minutes (60 minutes north of TTC) on Sundays. Original Route 16 was restructured in 2015, and it was split into Route 12 and Route 16.
17	Country Club/29th St.	Broadway/Houghton Park & Ride	↔	Tohono Transit Center	Harrison Road, Golf Links Road, 29th Street, Country Club Road, Prince Road, Flowing Wells Rd	Weekday service operates every 30–60 minutes until 11:00 pm. Weekend service every hour.
18	S. 6th Avenue	Laos Transit Center	↔	Ronstadt Transit Center, Downtown	Downtown, South Tucson, 6th Avenue.	Weekday service operates every 15 minutes before 8:00 am and from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Weekday frequency increased to 7–10 minutes from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Weeknight service frequency is 30 minutes after 7:00 pm until 12:30 am. Weekend service operates every 15 minutes on Saturdays and 20 minutes on Sundays.
19	Stone	Ronstadt Transit Center, Downtown	↔	Tohono Tadai Transit Center	Stone Avenue, Downtown	Weekday service operates every 30–60 minutes until 11:00 pm. Saturday service every 30 minutes. Sunday service every hour.
21	W. Congress/Silverbell	Ronstadt Transit Center, Downtown	↔	West Goret Road/Dales Crossing Drive	Silverbell Road, Congress Street, Downtown.	Weekday service operates every 30–60 minutes until 11:00 pm. Weekend service every 30 minutes.
22	Grande	Ronstadt Transit Center, Downtown	↔	Grant/Silverbell roads	Downtown, Congress Street, Bonita Avenue, Commerce Park Loop, Grande Avenue, Riverview Boulevard, El Rio Drive.	Weekday service operates every 30–60 minutes until 11:00 pm. Weekend service every hour.
23	Mission	Laos Transit Center	↔	Ronstadt Transit Center, Downtown	Irvington Road, Mission Road, 36th Street, Silverlake Road/29th Street, 4th Avenue, South Tucson, Downtown.	Weekday service operates every 30–60 minutes until 11:00 pm. Weekend service every hour.
24	12th Avenue	Laos Transit Center	↔	Laos Transit Center	12th Avenue, Los Reales Road.	Weekday service operates every 30–60 minutes until 9:20 pm. Weekend service every hour.
25	S. Park Avenue	Tucson International Airport	↔	Ronstadt Transit Center, Downtown	Downtown, Park Avenue, Irvington Road, Tucson Airport.	Weekday service operates every 30 minutes. Weeknight service frequency is 60 minutes until 11:55 pm. Weekend service: every 30 minutes on Saturdays (60 minutes south of Laos Center), and every 60 minutes on Sundays.
26	Benson Highway	Craycroft Road/Benson Highway	↔	Laos Transit Center	Valencia Road, Benson Highway, Drexel Road, Campbell Avenue, Irvington Road.	Weekday service operates every 30–60 minutes until 11:30 pm. Weekend service every hour.
27	Midvale Park	Casino del Sol, AVA Amphitheater Park & Ride	↔	Laos Transit Center	Valencia Road, Cardinal Avenue, Drexel Road, Midvale Park Road, Santa Clara Avenue, 12th Avenue.	Weekday service operates every 30–60 minutes until 11:00 pm. Weekend service every hour. Route 27 frequency during peak hours was reduced to every 30 minutes in 2016.
29	Valencia	Laos Transit Center	↔	Casino del Sol, AVA Amphitheater Park & Ride	6th Avenue, Valencia Road, Los Reales Road, Tetakusim Road, Pasqua Yaqui Pueblo.	Weekday service operates every 30–60 minutes until 11:30 pm. Weekend service every hour.
34	Craycroft/Ft. Lowell	Davis Monthan Air Force Base Visitor Center	↔	Tohono Tadai Transit Center	Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Craycroft Road, East Fort Lowell Road, North Stone Avenue.	Weekday service operates every 15 minutes from 6:00 am – 6:00 pm. Service every 30–60 minutes until 11:30 pm. Weekend service every hour.
37	Pantano	Pima College (PCC) East	↔	Udall Transit Station	Pantano Road, Tanque Verde Road.	Route 37 buses do not stop on the 22nd Street segment. Weekday service operates every 30 minutes until 7:45 pm. Weekend service every hour. Route 37 was restructured in 2016 to eliminate the segment north of Tanque Verde due to low demand.
50	Ajo Way	Laos Transit Center	↔	Ajo Way/Mission Road	Ajo Way, 6th Avenue.	Weekday service operates every 30–60 minutes until 9:30 pm. Weekend service every hour.
61	La Cholla	Tohono Tadai Transit Center	↔	Foothills Mall Drive at La Cholla (in front of Walmart)	Wetmore Road, Auto Mall Drive, La Cholla Boulevard, Ina Road, Shannon Road.	Weekday service operates every 30 minutes until 8:00 pm. Weekend service every hour.

Express Routes

Route No.	Route Name	Termini			Areas/corridors served
Express Routes to and from Downtown
101X	Golf Links-Downtown Express	22nd Street/Harrison Road	→ AM ---- ← PM	Downtown Tucson	Golf Links Road, Downtown Tucson
102X	Northwest-UA Express	CDO Riverfront Park at Lambert Lane	→ AM ---- ← PM	Banner-University Medical Center	La Canada Drive, Ina Road, Downtown Tucson, Speedway Boulevard, University of Arizona.
103X	Northwest-Downtown Express	Ina Road/Camino de las Capas	→ AM ---- ← PM	Downtown Tucson	Ina Road, Oracle Road, River Road, Campbell Avenue, Speedway Boulevard, University of Arizona, Downtown Tucson.
104X	Marana-Downtown Express	Crossroads Park at Silverbell Road	→ AM ---- ← PM	Downtown Tucson	Marana, Downtown Tucson.
105X	Foothills-Downtown Express	Sunrise/Kolb Roads	→ AM ---- ← PM	Downtown Tucson	Catalina Foothills, Swan Road, Speedway Boulevard, University of Arizona, Downtown Tucson.
107X	Oro Valley-Downtown Express	Rancho Vistoso Park & Ride	↔	Downtown Tucson	Oro Valley, Oracle Road, Downtown Tucson.
108X	Broadway-Downtown Express	Broadway/Houghton Park & Ride	→ AM ---- ← PM	Downtown Tucson	Broadway Boulevard, Downtown Tucson.
109X	Catalina Highway-Downtown Express	Catalina Highway/Tanque Verde Road	→ AM ---- ← PM	Downtown Tucson	Tanque Verde Road, 5th Street, University of Arizona, Downtown Tucson.
110X	Rita Ranch-Downtown Express	Downtown Tucson	↔	Old Vail Road Park & Ride	Downtown Tucson, University of Arizona Science & Technology Park, Rita Ranch.
Express Routes to and from Aero Park
201X	Eastside-Aero Park Express	Harrison/Golf Links Roads	→ AM ---- ← PM	Aero Park, Raytheon	Tucson East side, Harrison Road, Speedway Boulevard, Alvernon Way, Palo Verde Road, Aero Park Area, Raytheon.
203X	Oro Valley-Aero Park Express	Rancho Vistoso Park & Ride	→ AM ---- ← PM	Aero Park, Raytheon	Oro Valley, Laos Transit Center, Aero Park Area, Raytheon.
204X	Northwest-Aero Park Express	Crossroads Park at Silverbell Road	→ AM ---- ← PM	Aero Park, Raytheon	Marana, Laos Transit Center, Aero Park Area, Raytheon.

Alternative propulsion

For at least the next five years, Sun Tran will use more biodiesel buses. Biodiesel is a cleaner than regular diesel. Sun Tran plans to buy an additional 119 biodiesel buses over its five-year contract with bus manufacturer Gillig Corp. buses are also capable of running on regular diesel, but Sun Tran does not use petrodiesel in any of its buses. Sun Tran uses B20 and B5 biodiesel blends in its 114 biodiesel buses. It is believed that the increased use of biodiesel avoided a potential fare increase and fuel surcharge in July 2008. ^[20]

Customer service

Sun Tran publishes a transit book, known as the Ride Guide, and it is updated twice yearly, on February and on August. It contains maps and schedules for all regular and express routes. Copies are available at multiple locations around town, including the Sun Tran offices, many public libraries, community colleges, major malls, pass sales outlets, at other civic facilities around the metropolitan area, and on the buses themselves. The Ride Guide is also available online at the Sun Tran website. Additionally, route schedules are posted at the transit centers in the City of Tucson.

A customer service call center is operated for passengers to plan their bus trips with the assistance of a live customer service representative, information for Sun Tran, Sun Express, Sun Shuttle and Sun Link, fares and SunGO information, detours, comments and questions. The Sun Tran website also has an online trip planning function, and includes all schedules and maps featured in the Ride Guide.

Regional Transportation Plan and streetcar system

Further information: Sun Link

In May 2006, voters in Tucson approved a Regional Transportation Plan (a comprehensive bus transit/streetcar/roadway improvement program), and its funding via a new 20-year half-cent sales tax increment. ^[21] The centerpiece of the Regional Transportation Plan is Sun Link, a 3.9 mi (6.28 km) modern streetcar system (inspired by the successful Portland Streetcar in Oregon) that travels through the downtown area, connecting the main University of Arizona campus with the Mercado District master plan area (known at that time as Rio Nuevo) on the western edge of downtown.

In December 2010, a $63 million federal TIGER grant was awarded to the City of Tucson, meeting most of a remaining funding gap and allowing the modern streetcar project to move forward. An additional $6 million of federal funding was obtained through the Federal Transit Administration's New Starts program. Funding also came from utilities for relocation and improvements along the streetcar route, most significantly $10.6 million from Tucson Water. ^{[22] [23]}

The Sun Link name was officially announced in the spring of 2012. Construction began in April 2012, with revenue service beginning in July 2014. ^{[24] [25]}

A Tucson Sun Link streetcar on Congress Street at Fifth Avenue in September 2014

Oregon-based United Streetcar manufactured the Sun Link vehicles. ^[26] Sun Link maintains a fleet of eight vehicles, using up to six cars at once. Tucson placed an initial $26 million order for seven cars in June 2010. ^[27] The eighth car was ordered for an additional $3.6 million in July 2012 in order to satisfy FTA requirements for a second spare. ^[28] United's first model 200 car arrived in Tucson by flatbed truck on August 30, 2013. ^[29]

Sun Link is double-tracked, replacing a single-track configuration previously used by Old Pueblo Trolley (OPT), a volunteer-run heritage streetcar operation, begun in 1993, mainly used by tourists and local patrons (including University of Arizona students) of the numerous small shops, bars and restaurants along the line. The maintenance facility is located just west of the OPT car barn and yard on 8th Street west of 4th Avenue. OPT last ran on October 31, 2011, when service was suspended for Sun Link construction; the plan was for Old Pueblo Trolley to share operations, trackage and stations with Sun Link, but no date has yet been set for OPT service to resume. ^[30]

Regional seamless transit system

On January 22, 2009, a regional seamless transit system was unveiled ^[31] that helps to better unify the various public transit services in and around the Tucson metropolitan area. One change was the renaming of several of the services under the "Sun" moniker: the Sun Tran express bus routes become Sun Express; Van Tran (paratransit) becomes Sun Van, circulator routes in outlying areas become Sun Connect, and RideShare (carpooling) becomes Sun RideShare. Along with this name change comes a new logo and color scheme, replacing the old red, yellow, and white with a blue, yellow, silver, and white livery that extends across not only the Sun Tran buses, but the other services as well (even the renderings and computer animations of the then-under-development Sun Link streetcar were converted to the new design). The new livery was introduced into service on February 16, 2009, with the addition of 47 new Sun Tran buses and 42 Sun Van (formerly Van Tran) paratransit vehicles to the fleet. Current vehicles will keep their existing liveries until they are either overhauled or replaced. Also in the works are new fare machines that allow a single "smart card" to pay fares on Sun Tran, Sun Express, Sun Connect, and the downtown streetcar; and improved signage at bus stops and transit centers.

Sun Connect service started on May 4, 2009, under the name Sun Shuttle, with routes to the north and northwest, Green Valley, and Sahuarita.

References

1. "Transit Ridership Report First Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. May 30, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
2. "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2022" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
3. "RATP Dev USA Renews Contract with the City of Tucson".
4. "Regional Transit": 34.
5. "Invitation for Bid Number: 23-24-01" (PDF). Sun Tran. 15 June 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
6. History of Sun Tran from their website
7. Brown's Directory of American Gas Companies ...: Statistics of Gas Companies in the United States and Canada, ... 1907. p. 270 – via Google Books.
8. "ELECTRIC CONCERNS MERGE.; Eleven Properties in Six Western States Consolidate". The New York Times. 1910-06-10. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-11-21.
9. "CITIES SERVICE GETS FEDERAL LIGHT CO.; Control of $54,000,000 Concern Is Obtained by $1,000,000,000 Doherty Firm.22 SUBSIDIARIES INVOLVED Operate in Missouri, New Mexico, Colorado, Arkansas, Washington and New Brunswick". The New York Times. 1930-03-13. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-11-21.
10. http://www.arizonahistoricalsociety.org/wp-content/upLoads/library_Tucson-Electric-Power-Company.pdf ^{[ bare URL PDF ]}
11. David Leighton, The History of the Hughes Missile Plant in Tucson, 1947-1960. Private Publication, 2015
12. Elms, Paul S. (November 1987). "Public Transportation in Tucson, Arizona". The Fare Box. Vol. 41, no. 11. American Vecturist Association. pp. 117–119 – via Internet Archive.
13. David Leighton, "Street Smarts: Tucson transit took long, winding road," Arizona Daily Star, July 5, 2016
14. History of Sun Tran
15. "Draft Plan: Comprehensive Operational Analysis". Sun Tran. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
16. Sun Tran Fares and Passes
17. New CNG buses for Sun Tran fleet - Tucson News Now
18. Sun Tran Routes & Times
19. Sun Shuttle
20. Biodiesel powers Sun Tran | www.azstarnet.com
21. Kelly, Andrea; Meltzer, Erica (May 17, 2006). "Voters greenlight $2.1 billion road plan". Arizona Daily Star . Retrieved 2009-11-20.
22. Vitu, Teya. "Streetcar Construction Will Start in Late April", Downtown Tucsonan, March, 2012. Retrieved on April 30, 2012.
23. O'Dell, Rob (December 29, 2010). "US grants Tucson $63M for streetcar". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
24. "SunLink revealed as name for streetcar". KVOA. April 12, 2012.
25. "Streetcar a symbol of public/private teamwork", Arizona Daily Star, November 12, 2006.
26. "City of Tucson Announces Contractor to Build Modern Streetcars" (Press release). Tucson Department of Transportation. May 27, 2009. Archived from the original on May 29, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
27. "Tucson to United Streetcar: Build seven". Railway Age . June 8, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
28. DaRonco, Darren (July 13, 2012). "Backup streetcar to cost Tucson $3.6M". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
29. "Truck delivers first new streetcar to Tucson from Ore. manufacturing plant; total of 8 planned". The Republic. Associated Press. August 30, 2013. Archived from the original on September 5, 2013.
30. Younger, Jamar (October 11, 2011). "Tucson's historic trolleys will suspend operations until 2013". Arizona Daily Star.
31. RTA unveils plans for regional seamless transit system

External links

• Sun Tran home page
• City of Tucson Transit Services
• Regional Transportation Authority website