Strætó bs
Encyclopedia
Strætó bs (ˈstraːitou) is a public transport
company which operates city buses
in the Iceland
ic capital, Reykjavík
and surrounding satellite towns and suburbs. The buses are bright yellow and are commonly called 'Strætó' by the locals. It is a shortened nickname for "strætisvagn", "street carriage". Strætó bs started operations on 1 July 2001 with the merger of SVR (Strætisvagnar Reykjavíkur) and AV (Almenningsvagnar). SVR previously operated in Reykjavík and nearby satellites in the northern part of the Capital region while AV covered the southern part of the area. Strætó bs is owned and run by the seven municipalities in the Capital area, i.e. Reykjavík
, Kópavogur
, Hafnarfjörður
, Garðabær
, Mosfellsbær
, Seltjarnarnes
and Álftanes
.
and the various residential neighbourhoods on the city's outskirts; these use the main traffic arteries and are thus the fastest routes available. Nine of the routes are general routes (green-routes 11-19) that also stop at Hlemmur terminal but go deeper into the different neighborhoods on slower streets. The remaining 13 routes are neighborhood routes (blue-routes 21-24, 26-28 and 33-36) that run within or between the suburbs and do not stop in downtown Reykjavík.
The buses operate from 9 terminals in the Capital area
. The main ones are Hlemmur
and Lækjartorg in downtown Reykjavik; the others are at Hamraborg in Kópavogur
, Fjörður in Hafnarfjörður
, Ásgarður in Garðabær
, Ártún, Mjódd, Spöngin in Reykjavík
and Háholt in Mosfellsbær
. All of these main bus terminals are served by at least one red (trunk) route, with the exception of Háholt that is served by green and blue routes only.
Notes:
On 5 March 2006, some refinements were made to the network in response to comments from users and drivers after the 2005 revision. The greatest change was the addition of 3 routes to better cover some neighborhoods and increase interlinking between areas.
In 2010, a new green line 16 was added to provide a bus at every 15 minutes between Hlemmur and Nauthóll. Also, the course of route 18 was changed, it now terminates at Grafarholt instead of going through to Spöngin. Transportation service is provided by the new blue line 26 by connecting Spöngin and Hraunsás. For both lines, a new stop 'Mímisbrunnur v/Úlfarsbraut' was added. In late summer, there were other changes: Lines 31/32 that used to go through the area around Spöngin (terminus of Route 6) were cancelled. Instead of theses two circular routes, line 6 now goes through Borgir, Víkur and Barðastaðir and back to Spöngin for a increased frequency in Borgir, Víkur and Barðastaðir but cutting Hamrar and Rimar from the network. During weekends and late evenings, buses drive from Barðastaðir down to Grafarholt where they serve the new extended Grafarholt area and then head back to Barðastaðir and Spöngin. Also, the route of line 22 was changed for the evenings: It now runs via Álfaskleið instead of serving Skútuhraun/Slökkviðstöð back to Fjörður terminal so a hourly service in central Hafnarfjörður can be provided.
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
company which operates city buses
Bus
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...
in the Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic capital, Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
and surrounding satellite towns and suburbs. The buses are bright yellow and are commonly called 'Strætó' by the locals. It is a shortened nickname for "strætisvagn", "street carriage". Strætó bs started operations on 1 July 2001 with the merger of SVR (Strætisvagnar Reykjavíkur) and AV (Almenningsvagnar). SVR previously operated in Reykjavík and nearby satellites in the northern part of the Capital region while AV covered the southern part of the area. Strætó bs is owned and run by the seven municipalities in the Capital area, i.e. Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, Kópavogur
Kópavogur
Kópavogur is a city and Iceland's second largest municipality, with a population of 30,779.It lies immediately south of Reykjavík and is part of the Greater Reykjavík Area. The name literally means seal pup bay...
, Hafnarfjörður
Hafnarfjörður
Hafnarfjörður is a port town and municipality located on the south-west coast of Iceland, about 10 km south of Reykjavík....
, Garðabær
Garðabær
Garðabær is a municipality in the Greater Reykjavík area of Iceland.As of January 2011, its population was 10,909....
, Mosfellsbær
Mosfellsbær
Mosfellsbær is a town in south-west Iceland, situated some east of the country's capital, Reykjavík. It has a total area of and its population as of September, 2011 was 8,886....
, Seltjarnarnes
Seltjarnarnes
Seltjarnarnes is an Icelandic township located within the Greater Reykjavík area.It took on its current political form shortly after the Second World War and was formally created as a township in 1947. It is the smallest Icelandic township by land ....
and Álftanes
Álftanes
Álftanes is a town, municipality and low-lying peninsula which extrudes from the eastern part of Reykjanes, located in Iceland's Greater Reykjavík Area....
.
Bus network
Most buses run at about 15-minute intervals (30-minute intervals during evenings and weekends). There are 28 routes, 6 of which are trunk routes (red-routes 1-6) that run between the main terminal at HlemmurHlemmur (terminal)
Hlemmur is one of the two main bus stations/terminals for Strætó bs in the capital city Reykjavík in Iceland, the other main station/terminal is Lækjartorg.All the red 'trunk' routes operate from Hlemmur, while the green general routes all stop there....
and the various residential neighbourhoods on the city's outskirts; these use the main traffic arteries and are thus the fastest routes available. Nine of the routes are general routes (green-routes 11-19) that also stop at Hlemmur terminal but go deeper into the different neighborhoods on slower streets. The remaining 13 routes are neighborhood routes (blue-routes 21-24, 26-28 and 33-36) that run within or between the suburbs and do not stop in downtown Reykjavík.
The buses operate from 9 terminals in the Capital area
Greater Reykjavík Area
The Greater Reykjavík Area is a name used collectively for Reykjavík and seven municipalities around it.. The area is the largest urban area in Iceland. Each municipality has its independent elected council. With a population of 200,852, the Greater Reykjavík Area comprises over 60% of the...
. The main ones are Hlemmur
Hlemmur (terminal)
Hlemmur is one of the two main bus stations/terminals for Strætó bs in the capital city Reykjavík in Iceland, the other main station/terminal is Lækjartorg.All the red 'trunk' routes operate from Hlemmur, while the green general routes all stop there....
and Lækjartorg in downtown Reykjavik; the others are at Hamraborg in Kópavogur
Kópavogur
Kópavogur is a city and Iceland's second largest municipality, with a population of 30,779.It lies immediately south of Reykjavík and is part of the Greater Reykjavík Area. The name literally means seal pup bay...
, Fjörður in Hafnarfjörður
Hafnarfjörður
Hafnarfjörður is a port town and municipality located on the south-west coast of Iceland, about 10 km south of Reykjavík....
, Ásgarður in Garðabær
Garðabær
Garðabær is a municipality in the Greater Reykjavík area of Iceland.As of January 2011, its population was 10,909....
, Ártún, Mjódd, Spöngin in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
and Háholt in Mosfellsbær
Mosfellsbær
Mosfellsbær is a town in south-west Iceland, situated some east of the country's capital, Reykjavík. It has a total area of and its population as of September, 2011 was 8,886....
. All of these main bus terminals are served by at least one red (trunk) route, with the exception of Háholt that is served by green and blue routes only.
Route overview
| Line number | Route Type | Route | Running Interval (Weekdays) | Serving Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red | Hlemmur - Hafnarfjörður | 15 min | Mo to Su |
| 2 | Red | Hlemmur - Salahverfi | 15/30 min | Mo to Fr |
| 3 | Red | Hlemmur - Kringlan - Fell | 15/30 min | Mo to Su |
| 4 | Red | Hlemmur - Hamraborg - Fell | 15/30 min | Mo to Su |
| 5 | Red | Hlemmur - Norðlingaholt | 30 min | Mo to Su |
| 6 | Red | Hlemmur - Spöngin - Barðastaðir | 15 min | Mo to Su |
| 11 | Green | Mjódd - Hlemmur - Nes | 15/30 min | Mo to Su |
| 12 | Green | Skerjafjörður - Hlemmur - Ártún | 15/30 min | Mo to Su |
| 13 | Green | Sléttuvegur - Hlemmur - Eiðistorg | 30 min | Mo to Su |
| 14 | Green | Grandi - Hlemmur - Verzló | 15/30 min | Mo to Su |
| 15 | Green | Vesturbær - Hlemmur - Mosfellsbær | 15/30 min | Mo to Su |
| 16 | Green | Nauthóll - Hlemmur | 30 min | Mo to Sa |
| 17 | Green | Hlemmur - Fell | 30 min | Mo to Sa |
| 18 | Green | Grafarholt - Hlemmur | 30 min | Mo to Su |
| 19 | Green | Nauthóll - Hlemmur - Norðlingaholt | 30 min | Mo to Su |
| 21 | Blue | Fjörður - IKEA | 30/60 min | Mo to Sa |
| 22 | Blue | Fjörður - Hraun | 30/60 min | Mo to Su |
| 23 | Blue | Ásgarður - Álftanes - Ás. - Vífilsstaðir | 60 min (at peak) | Mo to Fr |
| 24 | Blue | Spöngin - Mjódd - Garðabær | 30 min | Mo to Su |
| 26 | Blue | Spöngin - Árbær | 60 min | Mo to Fr |
| 27 | Blue | Háholt - Laxnes | 5 times a day | Mo to Su |
| 28 | Blue | Hamraborg - Vatnsendi - Mjódd | 30 min | Mo to Su |
| 33 | Blue | Fjörður Vesturbær | 30/60 min | Mo to Su |
| 34 | Blue | Fjörður Austurbær | 30/60 min | Mo to Su |
| 35 | Blue | Hamraborg Vesturbær | 30/60 min | Mo to Su |
| 36 | Blue | Hamraborg Austurbær | 30/60 min | Mo to Su |
Notes:
- Route intervals are reduced on weekends and in the evenings.
- Route 4: Only between Hamraborg and Fell during weekends.
- Route 6: After arriving at Spöngin, Route 6 take a circular route through Borgir, Víkur and Staðir. During weekends and late evenings during weekdays buses go through to Grafarholt and then back to Staðir/Víkur/Borgir.
- Route 21: In the evenings (between 6:52 pm and 23:22 pm) this route doesn't go through to Skútuhraun v/Slökkviðstöð but takes the Álfaskleið route to Fjörður again so it forms a circular route within Hafnarfjörður, replacing Route 21.
- Route 23: Only runs at peak hours.
- Route 33/34 and 35/36 are circle lines. For example, Bus 35 leaves Hamraborg heading to the west and Bus 36 leaves Hamraborg to the east.
- Route 27: Taxi service on this route: The bus has to be called at least 60 min before departure.
- There are two routes that run to bigger cities further away, Route 51 (Reykjavík Mjódd - Hverager∂i - Selfoss) and Route 57 (Mosfellsbær Háhólt - Akranes).
Tickets and fares
The basic fare for a single ride currently is ISK 350 for adults but discounts are available for children, senior citizens and disabled people. Students in secondary schools or universities can buy a 9-month card with 50% discount. Prepaid cards that allow unlimited rides for a set period of time are also available, such as the green card which is valid for 1 month and costs ISK 5600.Network renewal
On 23 July 2005, a new route network was instituted to replace the previous network, which had been used practically unchanged for decades. New routes had been added in new-developing areas, but the core routes were largely untouched until 2005. Planning for the revised network began in 2001. Its greatest change was introduction of the 'trunk routes' and their increased frequency during peak hours. Unfortunately, the introduction of the new network caused a great deal of controversy and confusion as people (especially senior citizens, who make up a large percentage of those who actually use the service) had gotten used to the old routes. Additionally, some smaller neighbourhoods were entirely cut out of the routes, resulting in long walks to the nearest bus station. The controversy seems to have died down, and in fact complaints have arisen every time the system has been changed in the past.On 5 March 2006, some refinements were made to the network in response to comments from users and drivers after the 2005 revision. The greatest change was the addition of 3 routes to better cover some neighborhoods and increase interlinking between areas.
In 2010, a new green line 16 was added to provide a bus at every 15 minutes between Hlemmur and Nauthóll. Also, the course of route 18 was changed, it now terminates at Grafarholt instead of going through to Spöngin. Transportation service is provided by the new blue line 26 by connecting Spöngin and Hraunsás. For both lines, a new stop 'Mímisbrunnur v/Úlfarsbraut' was added. In late summer, there were other changes: Lines 31/32 that used to go through the area around Spöngin (terminus of Route 6) were cancelled. Instead of theses two circular routes, line 6 now goes through Borgir, Víkur and Barðastaðir and back to Spöngin for a increased frequency in Borgir, Víkur and Barðastaðir but cutting Hamrar and Rimar from the network. During weekends and late evenings, buses drive from Barðastaðir down to Grafarholt where they serve the new extended Grafarholt area and then head back to Barðastaðir and Spöngin. Also, the route of line 22 was changed for the evenings: It now runs via Álfaskleið instead of serving Skútuhraun/Slökkviðstöð back to Fjörður terminal so a hourly service in central Hafnarfjörður can be provided.