StarMetro
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 BRT Low Floor in StarMetro colors |
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| Headquarters | Tallahassee, Florida |
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| Service area | Tallahassee, Florida |
| Service type | Bus |
| Hubs | 1 |
| Operator | City of Tallahassee |
| Web site | http://www.talgov.com/ |
StarMetro is the city-owned and operated bus service for Tallahassee, Florida and was previously known as TalTran.
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[edit] StarMetro Fleet
The StarMetro fleet's first choice in bus manufacturer is the Gillig Corporation from which Tallahassee/StarMetro has purchased 30 buses. StarMetro's 2nd leading provider of buses is the NovaBus Corporation with 25 buses. Since 2005, StarMetro has purchased a small number of buses from the obscure Advanced Bus Industries for a specific route. StarMetro maintains several TMC buses which will be replaced.
[edit] Advanced Bus Industries
From Advanced Bus Industries of Worthington, Ohio, a manufacturer of unique low floor buses StarMetro acquired four buses. ABI has a unique styling with raking nose. It has lightweight stainless steel construction and extremely low-floor.
- 4 - TSV-30 buses (model year 2000) measuring 30 feet (9 m) in length. These buses were obtained from Central Ohio Transit Authority, and manufactured in Ohio. These buses run Route 80X to the Southwood development.
[edit] Gillig Corporation
From the Gillig Corporation of Hayward, California, StarMetro has purchased 30 low floor buses. All Gillig BRT buses share suspensions, steering, propulsion, and other chassis systems to lower maintenance costs. This allows most parts, training, preventative maintenance, usage, as well as vehicle dependability to be common with the rest of the Gillig Low Floor bus fleet.
- 5 - Gillig 30' BRT Low Floor Buses (model year 2006). The first of the buses has the standard StarMetro livery. The last four feature the unique Florida State color scheme and shuttle passengers from and within FSU. Overall length is 31 feet (9.4 m) and overall height is 10.5 feet (3.2 m).
- 1 - Gillig 30' BRT Low Floor Bus (model year 2007) with the unique Florida State color scheme. Overall length is 31 feet (9.4 m) and overall height is 10.5 feet (3.2 m).
- 20 - Gillig 35' BRT Low Floor Buses (model years 2000-2005). Overall length 37 feet (11.2 m) and overall height is 10.5 feet (3.2 m).
- 5 - Gillig 40' BRT Low Floor Buses (model year 2007) seating 36 passengers. Overall length is 41 feet (12.4 m) and overall heigh is 10.5 feet (3.2 m).
[edit] NovaBus
From NovaBus of Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada, StarMetro purchased the RTS 35.
- 25 - RTS 35 standard floor buses measuring 35 feet (10 m) in length.
[edit] TMC
- 9 - TMC RTS 40 (1996) measuring 40 feet in length with standard floors.
[edit] Shuttle vans
- Shuttle vans - StarMetro's Dial-A-Ride utilizes door-to-door service designed with mature or senior citizens and the disabled, who may not be able to get to a standard bus stop. Dial-A-Ride features separate, smaller, multi-passenger vans equipped with handicap access and a side mounted wheelchair lifts.
[edit] Big Dipper
The "Big Dipper" is a miniature vehicle resembling a bus and operated by one StarMetro employee. Custom built by the StarMetro maintenance shop from used bus parts, the "Big Dipper" is used in Tallahassee's parades at Winter Festival of Springtime Tallahassee.
[edit] Retiring manufacturers
StarMetro has retired New Flyer as a supplier of buses. The TMC will also eventually be replaced.
[edit] Routes
The StarMetro System map to the left shows the major streets and stops in Tallahassee that are commonly serviced by StarMetro. Routes and schedules change on holidays and weekends.
A "Saturday" schedule consists of most (not all) of the weekday routes, typically with the earliest trip eliminated and/or the headway reduced. There is one Saturday-only route that serves the area of two weekday routes.
A "Sunday" schedule consists of a completely separate system of 7 routes that is not as extensive as the weekday/Saturday routes. This Sunday route system is also run on weekday and Saturday nights (1900 to 2200).
[edit] Enhanced services
- Bike-On-Bus is a free bike rack system which allows up to two people on a first come, first serve basis, to load their bikes onto bike racks fixed to front of the buses
- Spirit Express transports sports fans from the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center to Doak Campbell Stadium and back. Children under 12 ride for free.
- Bus charters are available with StarMetro.
- Community Transportation Coordinator. Transportation services for citizens throughout Leon County are available. Riders must qualify through Medicaid, Developmental Disabilities or the Transportation Disadvantaged program for transportation. This is door-to-door service with fares charged based on the sponsoring program.
[edit] Improvements/StarMetro Renaissance Project
From 2006-2009, StarMetro began a makeover including new routes, stations, and stops. One planned change is the addition of two new transfer stops. These stops will make it possible to travel across Tallahassee without changing buses at the downtown hub station. In addition, StarMetro is planning wireless internet and television in buses, GPS-enabled buses with live location maps over the Internet, solar-lighted stops with live location maps, and blinking lights at stops to let drivers know of waiting passengers. The C.K. Steele station includes renovation and installation of information kiosks. The new shuttle buses seats are mostly made of padded plastic and are arranged front-facing in rows and sideways against the walls, much like subway car layout. All models in use except the Dial-A-Ride shuttle vans exceed 4000 pounds, and therefore are not equipped with seat belts.
[edit] Proposed Service Cuts
During summer of 2007 plans were announced to discontinue bus service on routes 9 and 16 due to a massive budget deficit impacting most Florida cities and counties.[citation needed] The cuts were proposed to take place sometime in the fall of 2007, but never happened. These service cuts would have jeopardized the possibility of StarMetro being able to achieve the plans for expanded service outlined in the StarMetro Renaissance project.
