StarMetro
Encyclopedia
StarMetro is the city-owned and operated bus service for Tallahassee, Florida
and was previously known as TalTran.
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 holiday
s 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.
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).
, 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 kiosk
s.
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 belt
s.
StarMetro is currently working on a complete route overhaul dubbed "Nova2010", which will reduce the current system to only 11 routes, of which only 4 will meet at the CK Steele Plaza. The routes will run at shorter intervals than the current routes while providing transfer points all over the city—no longer requiring all two-bus trips to transfer at the CK Steele Plaza. Some trips will require two transfers, but will still result in a more direct and faster trip than transferring at the Plaza. Nova2010 will not be implemented until the fall of 2010, so the route planning is still in its very early stages.
service on routes 9 and 16 due to a massive budget deficit impacting most Florida
cities and counties. 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.
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
and was previously known as TalTran.
Active Fleet
| Year | Builder and model name |
Photo | Length (feet) |
Width (inches) |
Numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Gillig Gillig Gillig Corporation, formerly Gillig Bros., is a manufacturer of heavy-duty low-floor transit buses located in Hayward, California. Prior to 1993, Gillig had also been a manufacturer of school buses.-History:... Advantage |
35 ft (10.67 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 0101-0109 | ||
| 2003 | Gillig Advantage |
35 ft (10.67 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 0301-0302 | ||
| 2005 | Gillig Advantage |
35 ft (10.67 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 0501-0509 | ||
| 2006 | Gillig BRT |
 |
31 ft (9.45 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 0601-0605 | |
| 2007 | Gillig BRT |
31 ft (9.45 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 0701 | ||
| 2007 | Gillig BRT |
 |
41 ft (12.5 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 0702-0710 | |
| 2008 | Champion Champion Bus Incorporated Champion Bus Incorporated is the brand name of buses made by Thor Industries of Imlay City, Michigan, United States.Buses made under the Champion name include:* Challenger - mid-size bus using a Ford E-series , GM GMT or C4500 truck chassis... Defender |
36.1 ft (11 m) | 95 in (2.41 m) | 0801-0804 | These vans are featured in a unique Florida State Florida State Seminoles The Florida State Seminoles are the men's and women's sports teams of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State participates in the NCAA's Division I . FSU joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1991, and competes in the Atlantic Division in any sports split into a... color scheme and shuttle passengers from and within FSU. |
|
| 2009 | Gillig BRT |
37 ft (11.28 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 0901, 0903 | Both buses are featured in a unique Florida State color scheme and shuttle passengers from and within FSU. | |
| 2009 | Gillig BRT |
41 ft (12.5 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 0905 | ||
| 2009 | Champion Challenger |
23 ft (7.01 m) | 95 in (2.41 m) | 2901-2914 | These vans are only used for StarMetro's Dial-A-Ride service, which utilizes door-to-door service designed for senior citizen Senior citizen Senior citizen is a common polite designation for an elderly person in both UK and US English, and it implies or means that the person is retired. This in turn implies or in fact means that the person is over the retirement age, which varies according to country. Synonyms include pensioner in UK... s 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 side mounted wheelchair Wheelchair A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing... lifts. |
|
| 2010 | Gillig BRT |
41 ft (12.5 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 1001-1012 | ||
| 2012 | Proterra EcoRide BE35 |
34.9 ft (10.64 m) | Unknown | 1201-1203 Proposed numbers |
These buses will be in service on April 2012. |
Promotional Fleet
| Year | Photo | Numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 |  |
0555 | The "Big Dipper" is a miniature Scale model A scale model is a physical model, a representation or copy of an object that is larger or smaller than the actual size of the object, which seeks to maintain the relative proportions of the physical size of the original object. Very often the scale model is used as a guide to making the object in... vehicle resembling a bus and operated by one StarMetro employee. Custom built by the StarMetro maintenance Maintenance, Repair and Operations Maintenance, repair, and operations or maintenance, repair, and overhaul involves fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken... shop from used bus parts, the "Big Dipper" is used in Tallahassee's parades at Winter Festival Winter Festival Winter Festival - A Celebration of Lights, Music, and the Arts is an event held for over a three week period from mid-November to early December in Tallahassee, Florida, United States.- History :... and Springtime Tallahassee Springtime Tallahassee Springtime Tallahassee is an annual event held on the first Saturday in April in Tallahassee, Florida, USA celebrating Tallahassee's history and culture.- History :... . |
Retired Fleet
| Year | Builder and model name | Length (feet) |
Width (inches) |
Numbers | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | General Motors Corporation New Look (T6H-4523A) |
35 ft (10.67 m) | 96 in (2.44 m) | 7601-7623 | ||
| 1984 | General Motors Corporation RTS-04 (T80-604) |
40 ft (12.19 m) | 96 in (2.44 m) | 8401-8404 | ||
| 1984 | General Motors Corporation RTS-04 (T70-604) |
35 ft (10.67 m) | 96 in (2.44 m) | 8405-8411 | ||
| 1992 | Transportation Manufacturing Corporation Transportation Manufacturing Corporation Transportation Manufacturing Corporation was a bus manufacturer based in Roswell, New Mexico.The company was formed in 1974 by Greyhound Bus Lines to manufacture Motor Coach Industries vehicles... RTS-06 (T70-606) |
35 ft (10.67 m) | 96 in (2.44 m) | 9201-9207 | ||
| 1993 | Orion Bus Industries Orion Bus Industries Orion International, previously Orion Bus Industries and Ontario Bus Industries in Canada and Bus Industries of America in the United States, is a bus manufacturer based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and established by the Government of Ontario in 1975... 02.501 |
25.92 ft (7.9 m) | 96 in (2.44 m) | 9301-9305 | ||
| 1994 | Transportation Manufacturing Corporation RTS-06 (T70-606) |
35 ft (10.67 m) | 96 in (2.44 m) | 9401-9425 | ||
| 1994 | New Flyer Industries New Flyer Industries New Flyer Industries Inc. is a bus manufacturer in North America, headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It also has factories in Crookston and St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA.-History:... D40LF |
40 ft (12.19 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 9426-9432 | These buses were ex-Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Agency Marta Marta may refer to:* Marta or Marta Vieira da Silva , a Brazilian women's football forward* Marta Estrella, a recurring fictional character from Arrested Development... units purchased in 2005. |
|
| 1996 | NovaBus RTS-06 (T80-606) |
40 ft (12.19 m) | 96 in (2.44 m) | 9601-9609 | ||
| 2000 | Advanced Bus Industries Advanced Bus Industries Advanced Bus Industries L.L.C. is a bus manufacturer located in Worthington, Ohio, USA.-History:ABI was originally Mauck Special Vehicles , a manufacturer of futuristic bus-type vehicles. The MSVs were outfitted with leather interiors, televisions, VCRs, Global Positioning Systems, etc. In June... TSV-30 |
30 ft (9.14 m) | 96 in (2.44 m) | Unknown (4 buses) |
These buses were ex-Central Ohio Transit Authority Central Ohio Transit Authority The Central Ohio Transit Authority is a public sector transit agency serving Franklin County and the rest of the central Ohio area, which includes Columbus, as well as Bexley, Gahanna, Grandview Heights, Grove City, Hilliard, Reynoldsburg, Upper Arlington, Westerville, Whitehall, and Worthington... units. |
Routes
Holiday
A Holiday is a day designated as having special significance for which individuals, a government, or a religious group have deemed that observance is warranted. It is generally an official or unofficial observance of religious, national, or cultural significance, often accompanied by celebrations...
s 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.
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).
Regular Routes
In 2011, StarMetro changed their services for a more speedy service. Now every 3-5 minutes, there will be a bus at everystop, by giving different routes for buses. Routes now include:- Azalea Commonwealth, Tennessee St., Mahan Dr., Fallschase
- Big Bend Monroe St. from Fred George to Paul Russell Roads
- Canopy Tennessee St. between TCC and Magnolia Dr., Governor's Square Mall
- Dogwood Thomasville Rd. to Innovation Park
- Evergreen Commonwealth Area, Tharpe St. and Park Ave.
- Forest Huntington Oaks, Mission Rd., Appleyard Dr., Jackson Bluff Rd.
- Gulf Ridge Rd., Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Macon Community
- Live Oak Innovation Park, Orange Ave., Blair Stone Rd., Apalachee Pkwy.
- Moss Frenchtown, Bond Community, South City
- Red Hills Village Square, Capital Circle NE and SE, CCOC
- San Luis Commonwealth Area, Tallahassee Mall, TMH, CRMC
- Tall Timbers TCC, FSU, Downtown, Koger Center, CCOC
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 CenterDonald L. Tucker CenterDonald L. Tucker Center is a multi-purpose arena in Tallahassee, Florida, located within the Leon County Civic Center. The arena has the biggest capacity of any arena in the Florida Panhandle. The arena opened in 1981 and was built at a cost of $33.8 million, financed by the city. It has had WCW...
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 MedicaidMedicaidMedicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
, Developmental Disabilities or the Transportation Disadvantaged program for transportation. This is door-to-door service with fares charged based on the sponsoring program.
Improvements/StarMetro Renaissance Project
From 2006-2009, StarMetro began a makeover including new routesRoute assignment
Route assignment, route choice, or traffic assignment concerns the selection of routes between origins and destinations in transportation networks. It is the fourth step in the conventional transportation forecasting model, following trip generation, trip distribution, and mode choice...
, stations
Bus station
A bus station is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can stop...
, and stops
Bus stop
A bus stop is a designated place where buses stop for passengers to board or leave a bus. These are normally positioned on the highway and are distinct from off-highway facilities such as bus stations. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage...
. 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
Wireless LAN
A wireless local area network links two or more devices using some wireless distribution method , and usually providing a connection through an access point to the wider internet. This gives users the mobility to move around within a local coverage area and still be connected to the network...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in buses, GPS-enabled buses with live location maps over the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, 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 kiosk
Kiosk
Kiosk is a small, separated garden pavilion open on some or all sides. Kiosks were common in Persia, India, Pakistan, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward...
s.
The new shuttle buses seats are mostly made of padded plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
and are arranged front-facing in rows and sideways against the walls, much like subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
car layout. All models in use except the Dial-A-Ride shuttle vans exceed 4000 pounds, and therefore are not equipped with
seat belt
Seat belt
A seat belt or seatbelt, sometimes called a safety belt, is a safety harness designed to secure the occupant of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result from a collision or a sudden stop...
s.
StarMetro is currently working on a complete route overhaul dubbed "Nova2010", which will reduce the current system to only 11 routes, of which only 4 will meet at the CK Steele Plaza. The routes will run at shorter intervals than the current routes while providing transfer points all over the city—no longer requiring all two-bus trips to transfer at the CK Steele Plaza. Some trips will require two transfers, but will still result in a more direct and faster trip than transferring at the Plaza. Nova2010 will not be implemented until the fall of 2010, so the route planning is still in its very early stages.
Proposed Service Cuts
During summer of 2007 plans were announced to discontinue busBus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
service on routes 9 and 16 due to a massive budget deficit impacting most Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
cities and counties. 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
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
project.