South Bend TRANSPO

Transpo (South Bend Public Transportation Corporation)
Headquarters 1401 S. Lafayette Blvd
Locale South Bend, IN
Service area South Bend & Mishawaka Metropolitan Area
Service type Local bus, express bus, and paratransit
Routes 20
Hubs South Station in South Bend, Mishawaka Transfer Center in Mishawaka
Fleet 60 vehicles[1]
Annual ridership 2,514,213 (-11.26%)[1]
Fuel type Biodiesel
Chief executive David Cangany, General Manager
Website Transpo

South Bend Public Transportation Corporation (operating as Transpo), is a municipal bus system that serves the cities of South Bend and Mishawaka, as well as the nearby suburbs of Notre Dame and Roseland, in the very north of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the most recent incarnation of the South Bend Railway Company, a street railway company that was founded on May 25, 1885.[2]

Overview

TRANSPO is a hub-and-spoke system, with routes radiating from the center towards the outward corners of the metropolitan area. It is made up of 20 fixed bus routes. It also operates an on-demand paratransit service. In Mishawaka, it serves as a de facto school bus service. South Street Station serves as a system hub, linking together most of the routes.

The system runs Monday-Saturday, operating 5:00 AM – 10:00 PM on weekdays and 6:00 AM – 6:45 PM on Saturdays. It does not operate during Sundays and major holidays.[3] All non-trolley-style buses are equipped with bike racks. As of 2006, all buses run on bio-diesel fuel.

Fares

The fares were increased several times during the system's history. The most recent increase was on April 5, 2010. The fares are now the following:[4]

University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College students, faculty and staff can ride for free provided they show a valid ID. As of January 2012, Ivy Tech Students can ride with a student ID and validation sticker (sticker is available for $20 from Ivy Teach). Holy Cross students pay regular fare.

Active bus fleet

Transpo's current fleet roster: 2004–present buses

Retired fleet

Route list

Connections to other transit systems

Route 4 stops at the South Bend Regional Airport. The airport doubles as a regional transit hub. Greyhound[5] and Coach USA[6] buses stop here, and the airport terminal building incorporates the eponymous South Shore Line station. The South Shore Line links South Bend to the city of Chicago, making stops at cities, villages and other miscellaneous municipalities throughout Northern Indiana. Route 2 stops at the city's Amtrak station.[7] Route 5 connects to Niles DART Route 2 at Auten Rd/933 stop Monday-Friday.[8] Route 9 links up with the Interurban Trolley system's Bittersweet/Mishawaka Route at Twin Branch Park. The route links Mishawaka to Downtown Elkhart.[9]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "2009 Indiana Public Transit Annual Report". Indiana Department of Transportation. August 2010. pp. 139–140. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  2. "TRANSPO History". sbtranspo.com. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  3. "Routes & Times". sbtranspo.com. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  4. "Fares". sbtranspo.com. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  5. "Locations-States: Indiana". Greyhound.com. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  6. "South Bend Airport". coachusa.com. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  7. "Transportation Centers". sbtranspo.com. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  8. "Dial A Ride Transportation System". City of Niles, Michigan. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  9. "The Interurban Trolley-Bittersweet/Mishawaka Route". InterurbanTrolley.com. 16 August 2010. Retrieved 2011-06-06.

External links