The Bus (Springfield, Missouri)

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CU Transit (The Bus)
CU Transit TheBus Logo.png
Founded1945;79 years ago (1945)
Headquarters1505 N. Boonville Avenue
Locale Springfield, Missouri
Service area Springfield, Missouri
Service type bus service, paratransit
Routes16
HubsCU Transit Center
Fleet33
Annual ridership939,575 (total, 2022)
Fuel typeDiesel and Electric
OperatorCU Transit
Chief executiveGary Gibson
Website cutransit.net

The Bus, also referred to occasionally as CU Transit, is a public transit system in Springfield, Missouri, United States. The service is provided by the transit division of the City Utilities of Springfield, who also provide paratransit under the name Access Express.

Contents

History

In 1945, Springfield City Council voted unanimously to purchase of the privately owned Springfield Gas and Electric Company, also the operator of the city transit system. This transaction created City Utilities and subsequently CU Transit. [1] Springfield's transit system remains one of the few in the United States to be operated through a city utility company. [2]

Transit centers

The bus has had 2 transit centers in its lifetime. The first was built in 1981 on McDaniel Street and Patton Avenue. It operated from 1981 until May 9, 2016, where operations moved to the new transit center on College and Main. The first transit center was then abandoned until its demolition on March 29, 2017.

Talk about a new transit center began in the early 2000s, transit officials expressed the need for a new transit center due to lack of space, preventing expansion and being too small for buses themselves. [3] [4]

Planning begun in 2006 after the Federal Transit Administration provided $1.63 million for the new facility and $1.47 million in 2008. [5] A site for the location on Collage and Main was chosen in September 2012 and bought in October of that year. [6]

The new CU Transit Center, costing $4.4 million, had a ribbon cutting ceremony in the morning of May 6, 2016. The station began bus service starting with weekend service on May 8 and full weekday service operations on May 9. [7] [8] [9] The introduction of the new transit center also brought a complete overhaul of the bus routes. [10]

On November 14, 2022, Greyhound Lines moved all operations into the CU Transit Center. [11]

Fares

The bus operates on flat rate fare system that costs an adult $1.25 for a single ride with a 10-cent surcharge for transfers. Discounted fares are offered for youth passengers and those that are senior citizens, disabled, or have Medicare. Fares are also offered in bulk ticket books as well as daily, weekly, monthly, and semester passes. Fares can be paid through several payment methods: [12]

Mobile Electronic tickets and Smart cards that could be bought at the transit center or with new Ticket-vending machines were introduced on February 23, 2018. Smart cards can only be used with 7 or 31 day passes in any fare tier, there is $1 fee for a smart card but they can be reloaded indefinitely. [13]

Proposed changes

There has been multiple proposed changes to the fare system, Now inactive advocacy group known as 'Fare Free SGF' had advocated for expanded and free public transit in the area. [14] [15] The CEO of CU Transit, Gary Gibson, spoke with administration at RideKC, the transit agency for the Kansas City metropolitan area about how their Free public transport has affected their system. According to Gary Gibson their was "mixed messages." [16] Fare free was defined as a possibility in the 2023 study 'ConnectSGF', along with a limited 'Fare free ID' program. [17]

In a 2023 study for the bus system, know as 'ConnectSGF' conducted by Olsson contracted by CU Transit, proposed a 20% fare reduction. [17] This would reduce the $1.25 base one-way fare to $1.

Routes

NameNumberColorRoute Type
Dale2  LimeDay
Division3  OrangeDay
Glenstone/National5  BlueDay
College6  BlackDay
Campbell7  RedDay
Fort9  YellowDay
National/Glenstone12  MaroonDay
Atlantic14  BrownDay
SE Loop31  AquaDay, Saturday & Evening
Industrial Express35  PurpleDay (Peak)
SE Loop36  PinkDay, Saturday & Evening
North Loop38  GreenDay, Saturday & Evening
NE22  LimeSaturday & Evening, Sunday & Holiday
SE25  BlueSaturday & Evening, Sunday & Holiday
NW26  BlackSaturday & Evening, Sunday & Holiday
SW27  RedSaturday & Evening, Sunday & Holiday

Fleet and Depot

2013 Gillig low floor diesel bus #222 in Springfield, Missouri on the 3-Division-Orange route. 2013 Gillig low floor bus in Springfield, Missouri.jpg
2013 Gillig low floor diesel bus #222 in Springfield, Missouri on the 3-Division-Orange route.

City Utilities currently owns a total of 33 buses. This consists of 31 buses in the active fleet and two buses in the contingency fleet. [18]

All buses operate out of the City Utilities Vehicle Maintenance building, once used by Springfield Traction Company streetcars. [19]

Active Fixed Route Fleet
ManufactureYearFuel TypeQuantity
Gillig 2013Diesel10
Gillig 2018Diesel11
Gillig 2019Diesel2
Gillig 2021Electric Battery2
Contingency Fixed Route Fleet
ManufactureYearFuel TypeQuantity
Gillig 2002Diesel2
Active Paratransit Fleet
ManufactureYearFuel TypeQuantity
ARBOC 2014Diesel2
ARBOC 2016Diesel4

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References

  1. ↑ "History". City Utilities of Springfield MO. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  2. ↑ Sullender, Andrew. "City Utilities to study fare-free busing, other changes to Springfield transit system". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  3. ↑ Jacobs, Dee Dee (July 17, 2008). "CU receives federal funds for downtown bus station". Springfield Business Journal. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  4. ↑ Nilsen, Dee Dee (July 24, 2005). "Downtown development creates need for new bus depot". Springfield Business Journal. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  5. ↑ Pickle, Geoff (September 26, 2012). "Committee to recommend site for CU bus station". Springfield Business Journal. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  6. ↑ Staff, S. B. J. (October 1, 2012). "CU governing board approves bus station site". Springfield Business Journal. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  7. ↑ Pickle, Geoff (April 29, 2016). "CU to cut the ribbon on downtown bus station". Springfield Business Journal. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  8. ↑ "New Transit Center to open in Springfield on May 8". Missouri Public Transit Association. April 6, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  9. ↑ "City Utilities of Springfield Opens New Transit Center". Missouri Public Transit Association. May 16, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  10. ↑ "New Bus Routes". www.cityutilities.net. City Utilities of Springfield MO. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Greyhound moving Springfield operations to downtown CU station". Springfield Business Journal. November 10, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Fares". CU Transit. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Your Ride Just Got Easier!". City Utilities of Springfield MO. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Fare Free SGF". Fare Free SGF. No Cost Public Transportation for Springfield, MO. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  15. ↑ Sullender, Andrew. "City busing comes into focus as Fare Free SGF advocates for expanded and zero fare". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  16. ↑ Sullender, Andrew. "City Utilities to study fare-free busing, other changes to Springfield transit system". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  17. 1 2 "ConnectSGF". CU Transit. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  18. ↑ "ConnectSGF-2-OpAnalysis" (PDF).
  19. ↑ History on Division St. - CUrious . Retrieved March 28, 2024– via www.youtube.com.
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