Sun Tran
Encyclopedia
Sun Tran is the public transit system serving the city of Tucson, Arizona
. Sun Tran traces its history to 1905, when the Tucson Rapid Transit Company assumed operations of the horse-drawn streetcar system in town, converting it to electric streetcars. By the 1930s, the streetcar lines were converted to buses. The city of Tucson acquired Tucson Rapid Transit in 1969. A separate company, Old Pueblo Transit, which served primarily Tucson's South Side, was acquired from Emery C. Johnson by the city of Tucson in 1978 and its operations folded into Sun Tran.
in the category of 4 to 30 million annual passenger trips.
buses. Biodiesel is a cleaner than regular diesel. Sun Tran plans to buy an additional 119 biodiesel buses over its five-year contract with bus manufacturer Gillig Corp. buses are also capable of running on regular diesel, but Sun Tran does not use petrodiesel in any of its buses. Sun Tran uses B20 and B5 biodiesel blends in its 114 biodiesel buses. It is believed that the increased use of biodiesel avoided a potential fare increase and fuel surcharge in July 2008.
in Oregon) that will travel through the downtown area, connecting the main University of Arizona
campus with the Rio Nuevo master plan area on the western edge of downtown. The approved funds are a match to an equal amount of Federal Transit Administration
(FTA) funding. In May 2009, the city of Tucson announced that Oregon-based United Streetcar
had been selected to manufacture the seven modern streetcars planned for the line, but that finalization of the order would have to wait until FTA approval for the project to proceed.
The streetcar system will be double-tracked, replacing a single-track configuration currently in use by Old Pueblo Trolley
(OPT), a volunteer-run heritage streetcar
operation mainly used by tourists and local patrons of the numerous small shops and restaurants along the line. A maintenance facility will be located just west of the present OPT car barn and yard on 8th Street west of 4th Avenue. Historic trolley operation will continue during weekends and special events, supplementing the modern streetcars. It is assumed, but not confirmed, that Sun Tran will be the operating agency of this streetcar. The official project website features computer animated video of Portland Streetcar-style vehicles traveling along the route, painted in pre-2009 Sun Tran bus livery. At the end of September 2009, the FTA gave its approval for the City of Tucson to proceed with the final design phase of the project, and construction should begin in 2010. The line is projected to open in late 2011.
) becomes Sun Van, circulator routes in outlying areas become Sun Connect, and RideShare (carpool
ing) becomes Sun RideShare. Along with this name change comes a new logo and color scheme, replacing the old red, yellow, and white with a blue, yellow, silver, and white livery that extends across not only the Sun Tran buses, but the other services as well. The new livery was introduced into service on February 16, 2009 with the addition of 47 new Sun Tran buses and 42 Sun Van (formerly Van Tran) paratransit vehicles to the fleet. Current vehicles will keep their existing liveries until they are either overhauled or replaced. Also in the works are new fare machines that allow a single "smart card" to pay fares on Sun Tran, Sun Express, Sun Connect, and the downtown streetcar; and improved signage at bus stops and transit centers.
Sun Connect service started on May 4, 2009 under the name Sun Shuttle, with routes to the north and northwest, Green Valley
, and Sahuarita
.
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. Sun Tran traces its history to 1905, when the Tucson Rapid Transit Company assumed operations of the horse-drawn streetcar system in town, converting it to electric streetcars. By the 1930s, the streetcar lines were converted to buses. The city of Tucson acquired Tucson Rapid Transit in 1969. A separate company, Old Pueblo Transit, which served primarily Tucson's South Side, was acquired from Emery C. Johnson by the city of Tucson in 1978 and its operations folded into Sun Tran.
Awards
Sun Tran won the America's Best Transit System award for 1988 and 2005 from the American Public Transportation AssociationAmerican Public Transportation Association
The American Public Transportation Association is a non-profit organization which serves as an advocate for the advancement of public transportation programs and initiatives in the United States. Since its founding in 1882, APTA has educated the public about the benefits of public transportation...
in the category of 4 to 30 million annual passenger trips.
Current fleet
| Builder | Model | Year | Length | Fuel | Number(s) | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neoplan USA Neoplan USA Neoplan USA was a major transit bus manufacturing company based in Denver, Colorado, which was entirely separate from the German corporation, Neoplan, licensing its designs from the German company of the same name. The company was founded in 1981 and folded in 2006. It was originally a subsidiary... |
AN440 Neoplan AN440 The Neoplan Transliner was a series of related mass transit bus models introduced by Neoplan USA in 1981.- Models :The Transliner was available in a wide variety of body styles. Transliners could be ordered in 35', 40', and 60' lengths... |
1991 | 40' | Biodiesel | 9101-9125 | 25 | Only 4 buses of various numbers remain in the fleet and are being retired. These buses were formerly dual-fueled and could run on diesel or CNG. |
| Neoplan USA Neoplan USA Neoplan USA was a major transit bus manufacturing company based in Denver, Colorado, which was entirely separate from the German corporation, Neoplan, licensing its designs from the German company of the same name. The company was founded in 1981 and folded in 2006. It was originally a subsidiary... |
AN440 Neoplan AN440 The Neoplan Transliner was a series of related mass transit bus models introduced by Neoplan USA in 1981.- Models :The Transliner was available in a wide variety of body styles. Transliners could be ordered in 35', 40', and 60' lengths... |
1993 | 40' | Biodiesel | 9326-9340 | 15 | These buses were formerly dual-fueled and could run on diesel or CNG. They are identical to the 1991 Neoplan buses. |
| Neoplan USA Neoplan USA Neoplan USA was a major transit bus manufacturing company based in Denver, Colorado, which was entirely separate from the German corporation, Neoplan, licensing its designs from the German company of the same name. The company was founded in 1981 and folded in 2006. It was originally a subsidiary... |
AN440 Neoplan AN440 The Neoplan Transliner was a series of related mass transit bus models introduced by Neoplan USA in 1981.- Models :The Transliner was available in a wide variety of body styles. Transliners could be ordered in 35', 40', and 60' lengths... |
1994 | 40' | Biodiesel | 9441-9469 | 29 | These buses were formerly dual-fueled and could run on diesel or CNG. They have Luminator Mega:MAX flip-dot signs and a different A/C unit compared to the other Neoplan buses. |
| New Flyer | C40HF | 1996 | 40' | CNG | 9676-9694 | 19 | These buses were the first purely CNG-powered buses in the Sun Tran fleet. They also were the first buses to feature automatic stop announcements and hard seats throughout the entire bus (rather than just in the rear). |
| New Flyer | C40HF | 1997 | 40' | CNG | 9701-9725 | 25 | These buses are similar to the 1996 New Flyer buses but feature grey interior flooring and sidewalls rather than the orange interior found on the 1996 buses. |
| Nova Bus Nova Bus Nova Bus is a Canadian bus manufacturer in North America, owned by Volvo Buses, and headquartered in Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada.- History :The factory was originally a General Motors plant for building city transit buses intended for the Canadian market... |
40102CNG "RTS Rapid Transit Series The Rapid Transit Series bus is a long-running series of transit buses originally manufactured by General Motors and is currently produced by Millennium Transit Services as the RTS Legend. Millennium had produced the buses from 2006 until it shut down production in 2009, only to be bought back... -WFD" |
2000 | 40' | CNG | 2001-2045 | 45 | These buses originally featured Luminator LEDot front signs, but they were replaced with Luminator Horizon signs in 2005. Some of these buses feature advertising wraps. |
| 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:... |
Low Floor | 2005 | 40' | Biodiesel | 2501-2538 | 38 | These buses were the first low-floor buses in the Sun Tran fleet, excluding the 1994 Orion II buses. They were also the first biodiesel-powered buses in the fleet. The buses have all forward-facing seating with the exception of seats in the low-floor section of the bus on the passenger side. Buses 2537 and 2538 have the same seating configuration as the 2006 Gilligs. |
| 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:... |
Low Floor | 2006 | 40' | Biodiesel | 2601-2612 | 12 | These buses have a different seating configuration compared to the 2005 Gillig buses, as seats are all arranged lengthwise (except for the last row of seats). This was done to reduce vandalism Vandalism Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable... that has been caused to bus windows and the interior. |
| 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:... |
Low Floor | 2007 | 40' | Biodiesel | 2701-2718 | 18 | These buses are similar to the 2006 Gilligs but have only one wheelchair ramp (at the front), and 8 forwards facing seats (in addition to the last row of seats) in the rear section. These buses also have a different exhaust pipe and air conditioning unit than the other Gilligs. |
| 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:... |
Low Floor | 2008 | 40' | Biodiesel | 2801-2811 | 11 | |
| 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:... |
BRT | 2008 | 40' | Biodiesel | 2901-2936 | 36 | These buses, labeled "Sun Express", are used on express routes, and occasionally as shuttles for special events. Features include low floor, head rests, reclining seats, and heat resistant windows. |
Retired Fleet
Note that this is by no means a complete listing of retired vehicles that have operated for Sun Tran and/or its predecessors.| Builder | Model | Year | Length | Fuel | Number(s) | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Coach Yellow Coach The Yellow Coach Manufacturing Company was an early manufacturer of passenger buses in the United States. It was founded in Chicago as a subsidiary of the Yellow Cab Company in 1923 by John D. Hertz... |
Model 733 | 1937 | 30' | Gasoline | 14-15 | 2 | These buses were withdrawn after World War II. The engine was located in the front and they sat 21 passengers. |
| Yellow Coach Yellow Coach The Yellow Coach Manufacturing Company was an early manufacturer of passenger buses in the United States. It was founded in Chicago as a subsidiary of the Yellow Cab Company in 1923 by John D. Hertz... |
Model 733 | 1938 | 30' | Gasoline | 16-17 | 2 | These buses were identical to the 1937 Model 733 buses. |
| Yellow Coach Yellow Coach The Yellow Coach Manufacturing Company was an early manufacturer of passenger buses in the United States. It was founded in Chicago as a subsidiary of the Yellow Cab Company in 1923 by John D. Hertz... |
Model 1204 | 1939 | 30' | Gasoline | 18-22 | 5 | These buses had a rear engine and sat 24 passengers. |
| Yellow Coach Yellow Coach The Yellow Coach Manufacturing Company was an early manufacturer of passenger buses in the United States. It was founded in Chicago as a subsidiary of the Yellow Cab Company in 1923 by John D. Hertz... |
Model 1204 | 1940 | 30' | Gasoline | 23-26 | 4 | These buses were identical to the 1939 Model 1204s. |
| Ford Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK... |
Model 69B | 1941 | 30' | Gasoline | 27-31 | 5 | These buses were built for World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... . |
| Ford Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK... |
Model 69B | 1942 | 30' | Gasoline | 32-36 | 5 | These buses were built for World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... . |
| Ford Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK... |
Model 69B | 1943 | 30' | Gasoline | 37-41 | 5 | These buses were built for World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... . |
| Ford Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK... |
Model 69B | 1944 | 30' | Gasoline | 42-46 | 5 | These buses were built for World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... . |
| Ford Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK... |
Model 69B | 1945 | 30' | Gasoline | 47-49 | 3 | These buses were built for World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... . |
| Ford Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK... |
Model 69B | 1946 | 30' | Gasoline | 50-55 | 6 | These buses were withdrawn from service in 1955. |
| Twin Coach Twin Coach Twin Coach was an American vehicle manufacturing company from 1927 to 1955, based in Kent, Ohio, and a maker of marine engines and airplane parts until the 1960s. It was formed by brothers Frank and William Fageol when they left the Fageol Motor Company in 1927. They established the company in... |
41-S "Art Deco Art Deco Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and... " |
1946 | 35' | Gasoline | 101-106 | 6 | These buses were some of the earliest to operate in Tucson. All were withdrawn in 1968. |
| Twin Coach Twin Coach Twin Coach was an American vehicle manufacturing company from 1927 to 1955, based in Kent, Ohio, and a maker of marine engines and airplane parts until the 1960s. It was formed by brothers Frank and William Fageol when they left the Fageol Motor Company in 1927. They established the company in... |
41-S "Art Deco Art Deco Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and... " |
1947 | 35' | Gasoline | 107-112 | 6 | These buses were identical to the 1946 Twin Coach buses. |
| Twin Coach Twin Coach Twin Coach was an American vehicle manufacturing company from 1927 to 1955, based in Kent, Ohio, and a maker of marine engines and airplane parts until the 1960s. It was formed by brothers Frank and William Fageol when they left the Fageol Motor Company in 1927. They established the company in... |
34-S "Art Deco Art Deco Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and... " |
1948 | 30' | Gasoline | 113-115 | 3 | These buses were withdrawn in the late-1960s. Some were converted to school bus School bus A school bus is a type of bus designed and manufactured for student transport: carrying children and teenagers to and from school and school events... es before that. |
| GMC | TDH-4509 "Old Look" | 1951 | 35' | Diesel | 201-206 | 6 | These buses were retrofitted with A/C in the late-1950s. They were withdrawn from service in the 1970s. |
| GMC | TGH-3101 "Old Look" | 1951 | 30' | Gasoline | 121-126 | 6 | These buses were operated by the Old Pueblo Transit Company, which was the transit agency for South Tucson South Tucson, Arizona South Tucson is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States and an enclave of the much larger city of Tucson. South Tucson is known for being heavily influenced by Hispanic, and especially Mexican, culture; restaurants and shops which sell traditional Mexican foods and other goods can be found... . |
| GMC | TDH-4509 "Old Look" | 1952 | 35' | Diesel | 207-215 | 9 | These buses were similar to the 1951 TDH-4509 buses. All were withdrawn in the 1970s. |
| GMC | TGH-3101 "Old Look" | 1952 | 30' | Gasoline | 127-129 | 3 | These buses were operated by the Old Pueblo Transit Company and were withdrawn in the 1960s. |
| GMC | TDH-4512 "Old Look" | 1953 | 35' | Diesel | 216-218 | 3 | These buses were retrofitted with A/C in the late-1950s. |
| GMC | TGH-3102 "Old Look" | 1953 | 30' | Gasoline | 130 | 1 | This bus was operated by the Old Pueblo Transit Company. |
| GMC | TDH-4512 "Old Look" | 1957 | 35' | Diesel | 220-222 | 3 | These buses were retrofitted with A/C in the late-1950s. |
| GMC | TDH-4512 "Old Look" | 1959 | 35' | Diesel | 223-225 | 3 | These buses were retrofitted with A/C in the early-1960s. |
| GMC | TGH-3102 "Old Look" | 1959 | 30' | Gasoline | 131-133 | 3 | These buses were operated by the Old Pueblo Transit Company and were withdrawn in the 1970s. |
| GMC | TGH-3102 "Old Look" | 1960 | 30' | Gasoline | 134-136 | 3 | These buses were similar to the 1949 TGH-3102 buses but only had a single door. They were withdrawn from service in 1974. |
| GMC | TDH-4517 "New Look" | 1962 | 35' | Diesel | 228-231 | 4 | These buses were the first in Tucson to be built with air conditioning, and were also the first GMC "New Look" buses in service. They were withdrawn from service in the early 1980s. |
| GMC | TDH-3501 "Old Look" | 1966 | 30' | Diesel | 140 | 1 | Although this bus was built in 1966, it had the "Old Look" design. It was built for Old Pueblo Transit Company and withdrawn from service in the late-1970s. |
| GMC | T6H-4523A "New Look" | 1972 | 35' | Diesel | 7201-7211 | 11 | These buses were the first to be ordered by the city of Tucson. |
| GMC | T6H-4523A "New Look" | 1973 | 35' | Diesel | 7312-7321 | 10 | These buses were identical to the 1972 GMC New Looks. |
| Flxible Flxible The Flxible Co. was a motorcycle sidecar, funeral car, ambulance, intercity coach and transit bus manufacturing company based in the United States that was founded in 1913, and which closed in 1996.-History:In 1913, Hugo H. Young and Carl F... |
45096 "New Look" | 1973 | 35' | Diesel | 7322-7331 | 10 | These buses were the first Flxible buses to enter service in Tucson. They were withdrawn from service in the 1990s. |
| GMC | T6H-4523A "New Look" | 1974 | 35' | Diesel | 7402-7403 | 2 | These buses were ordered by an operator in Texas but ended up in service in Tucson. They were renumbered from 1402-1403 and were withdrawn from service in the mid-1990s. |
| GMC | T8H-5307A "New Look" | 1974 | 40' | Diesel | 1474-1479, 1481, 1484, 1488 | 9 | These buses were delivered new to Tucson but were actually built for various transit agencies across the United States who did not take up these buses. They were temporarily operated in Tucson from 1974-1978, when they were replaced with AM General buses. 1475-1478 were sold to Phoenix Transit System Valley Metro (Phoenix) Valley Metro is the unified public brand of the regional transit system in and around the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area, responsible for public transit.-About Valley Metro:... and were withdrawn in 1989, while the rest were sent to other operators. These were the first 40 feet (12.2 m) buses in Tucson. |
| Flxible Flxible The Flxible Co. was a motorcycle sidecar, funeral car, ambulance, intercity coach and transit bus manufacturing company based in the United States that was founded in 1913, and which closed in 1996.-History:In 1913, Hugo H. Young and Carl F... |
45096 "New Look" | 1975 | 35' | Diesel | 7532-7563 | 32 | These buses were the first to be built for Sun Tran (along with the 1975 AM General 9640-8 buses) and featured a different livery from the red and yellow that is featured on buses today. All of these buses were withdrawn in the mid-1990s. |
| AM General AM General AM General is an American heavy vehicle manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. It is best known for the civilian Hummer and the military Humvee, that is assembled in Mishawaka, Indiana... |
9640-8 | 1975 | 40' | Diesel | 5501-5512 | 12 | These buses were the first to be built for Sun Tran (along with the 1975 Flxible 45096 buses), and featured a different livery from the red and yellow that is featured on buses today. All of these buses were withdrawn in the mid-1990s. |
| Flxible Flxible The Flxible Co. was a motorcycle sidecar, funeral car, ambulance, intercity coach and transit bus manufacturing company based in the United States that was founded in 1913, and which closed in 1996.-History:In 1913, Hugo H. Young and Carl F... |
35096 "New Look" | 1976 | 30' | Diesel | 7664-7684 | 21 | These buses were built for Old Pueblo Transit, which served the city of South Tucson South Tucson, Arizona South Tucson is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States and an enclave of the much larger city of Tucson. South Tucson is known for being heavily influenced by Hispanic, and especially Mexican, culture; restaurants and shops which sell traditional Mexican foods and other goods can be found... . Originally, these buses were numbered 5050-5070 but after OPT was taken over by Sun Tran in 1978, these buses were renumbered to 7664-7684. All of these buses were withdrawn in the mid-1990s. |
| AM General AM General AM General is an American heavy vehicle manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. It is best known for the civilian Hummer and the military Humvee, that is assembled in Mishawaka, Indiana... |
10235B | 1977 | 35' | Diesel | 7764-7775 | 12 | These buses were all withdrawn by 1997. |
| AM General AM General AM General is an American heavy vehicle manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. It is best known for the civilian Hummer and the military Humvee, that is assembled in Mishawaka, Indiana... |
10240B | 1978 | 40' | Diesel | 5713-5724 | 12 | These were the first buses painted in the red and yellow Sun Tran livery. All of these buses were withdrawn by 1997. |
| GMC | T8J-204 "RTS Rapid Transit Series The Rapid Transit Series bus is a long-running series of transit buses originally manufactured by General Motors and is currently produced by Millennium Transit Services as the RTS Legend. Millennium had produced the buses from 2006 until it shut down production in 2009, only to be bought back... -04" |
1981 | 40' | Diesel | 8101-8119 | 19 | These were Tucson's first RTS buses. They featured rollsigns and frameless windows. All were withdrawn from service in 2000. |
| GMC | T8J-204 "RTS Rapid Transit Series The Rapid Transit Series bus is a long-running series of transit buses originally manufactured by General Motors and is currently produced by Millennium Transit Services as the RTS Legend. Millennium had produced the buses from 2006 until it shut down production in 2009, only to be bought back... -04" |
1986 | 40' | Diesel | 8601-8613 | 13 | All of these buses were withdrawn from service in 2000. |
| GMC | T8J-206 "RTS Rapid Transit Series The Rapid Transit Series bus is a long-running series of transit buses originally manufactured by General Motors and is currently produced by Millennium Transit Services as the RTS Legend. Millennium had produced the buses from 2006 until it shut down production in 2009, only to be bought back... -06" |
1986 | 40' | Diesel | 8614-8629 | 16 | These buses were similar to the earlier 1986 GMC buses but were built as RTS-06 models rather than RTS-04 models. All were withdrawn from service in 2000. |
| 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 | 1994 | 25' | CNG | 9470-9475 | 6 | These buses were powered by CNG and were withdrawn in the early 2000s. |
| TMC 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... |
T80-206 "RTS Rapid Transit Series The Rapid Transit Series bus is a long-running series of transit buses originally manufactured by General Motors and is currently produced by Millennium Transit Services as the RTS Legend. Millennium had produced the buses from 2006 until it shut down production in 2009, only to be bought back... -06" |
1989 | 40' | Biodiesel | 8930-8984 | 55 | Only 8 buses of various numbers remained in the fleet until May 2008 were mostly used on express routes. Most of this type was retired in the fall of 2005 with the arrival of the 2005 Gilligs. These buses were formerly powered by diesel. |
Current Routes
- 1 Glenn/Swan
- 2 Cherrybell/S. Country Club
- 3 6th Street/Wilmot
- 4 Speedway
- 5 Pima Street/W. Speedway
- 6 S. Park Avenue/N. 1st Avenue
- 7 22nd Street
- 8 Broadway/6th Avenue
- 9 Grant Road
- 10 Flowing Wells
- 11 Alvernon Way
- 15 Campbell Avenue
- 16 Oracle/12th Avenue
- 17 Country Club/29th Avenue
- 19 Stone
- 20 West Grant/Ironwood Hills
- 21 West Congress/Silverbell
- 22 Grande
- 23 Mission Road
- 24 S. 12th Avenue
- 26 Benson Highway
- 27 Midvale Park Road
- 29 Valencia
- 34 Craycroft/Ft. Lowell
- 37 Pantano
- 50 Ajo Way
- 61 La Cholla
- 101X Golf Links-Downtown Express
- 102X Northwest-UA Express
- 103X Northwest-Downtown Express
- 104X Marana-Downtown Express
- 105X Foothills-Downtown Express
- 107X Oro Valley-Downtown Express
- 108X Broadway-Downtown Express
- 109X Catalina Highway-Downtown Express
- 110X Rita Ranch-Downtown Express
- 201X Eastside-Aero Park Express
- 202X Northwest-Aero Park Express
- 203X Oro Valley-Aero Park Express
- 312X Oro Valley-Tohono Express
Alternative propulsion
For at least the next five years, Sun Tran will use more biodieselBiodiesel
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
buses. Biodiesel is a cleaner than regular diesel. Sun Tran plans to buy an additional 119 biodiesel buses over its five-year contract with bus manufacturer Gillig Corp. buses are also capable of running on regular diesel, but Sun Tran does not use petrodiesel in any of its buses. Sun Tran uses B20 and B5 biodiesel blends in its 114 biodiesel buses. It is believed that the increased use of biodiesel avoided a potential fare increase and fuel surcharge in July 2008.
Regional Transportation Plan and streetcar system
In May 2006, voters in Tucson approved a Regional Transportation Plan (a comprehensive bus transit/streetcar/roadway improvement program), and its funding via a new 20-year half-cent sales tax increment. The centerpiece of the plan is a 3.9-mile modern streetcar system (inspired by the successful Portland StreetcarPortland Streetcar
The Portland Streetcar is a streetcar system in Portland, Oregon, that opened in 2001 and serves areas surrounding downtown Portland. It is currently a single line that is almost long and serves some 12,000 daily riders, but a second line is expected to open in 2012.As with the heavier-duty MAX...
in Oregon) that will travel through the downtown area, connecting the main University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
campus with the Rio Nuevo master plan area on the western edge of downtown. The approved funds are a match to an equal amount of Federal Transit Administration
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
(FTA) funding. In May 2009, the city of Tucson announced that Oregon-based United Streetcar
United Streetcar
United Streetcar, LLC, is a manufacturer of streetcars, located in the Clackamas area in the southeastern suburbs of Portland, Oregon, United States. It is the only U.S. company building modern streetcars, as distinct from light rail cars or new replicas of historic streetcars. United Streetcar is...
had been selected to manufacture the seven modern streetcars planned for the line, but that finalization of the order would have to wait until FTA approval for the project to proceed.
The streetcar system will be double-tracked, replacing a single-track configuration currently in use by Old Pueblo Trolley
Old Pueblo Trolley
The Old Pueblo Trolley is a heritage streetcar system operating in Tucson in the U.S. state of Arizona.Service is provided Friday evenings, Saturday afternoons and evenings, and Sunday afternoons on over a mile of line recovered from Tucson's original street railway...
(OPT), a volunteer-run heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcars or heritage trams are a development of the heritage railways that are becoming popular across the world. As with modern streetcar systems, the vehicles are referred to as trams or tramcars in the United Kingdom, Australasia and certain other places , but as streetcars or...
operation mainly used by tourists and local patrons of the numerous small shops and restaurants along the line. A maintenance facility will be located just west of the present OPT car barn and yard on 8th Street west of 4th Avenue. Historic trolley operation will continue during weekends and special events, supplementing the modern streetcars. It is assumed, but not confirmed, that Sun Tran will be the operating agency of this streetcar. The official project website features computer animated video of Portland Streetcar-style vehicles traveling along the route, painted in pre-2009 Sun Tran bus livery. At the end of September 2009, the FTA gave its approval for the City of Tucson to proceed with the final design phase of the project, and construction should begin in 2010. The line is projected to open in late 2011.
Regional seamless transit system
On January 22, 2009, a regional seamless transit system was unveiled that helps to better unify the various public transit services in and around the Tucson metropolitan area. One change was the renaming of several of the services under the "Sun" moniker: the Sun Tran express bus routes become Sun Express; Van Tran (paratransitParatransit
Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....
) becomes Sun Van, circulator routes in outlying areas become Sun Connect, and RideShare (carpool
Carpool
Carpooling , is the sharing of car journeys so that more than one person travels in a car....
ing) becomes Sun RideShare. Along with this name change comes a new logo and color scheme, replacing the old red, yellow, and white with a blue, yellow, silver, and white livery that extends across not only the Sun Tran buses, but the other services as well. The new livery was introduced into service on February 16, 2009 with the addition of 47 new Sun Tran buses and 42 Sun Van (formerly Van Tran) paratransit vehicles to the fleet. Current vehicles will keep their existing liveries until they are either overhauled or replaced. Also in the works are new fare machines that allow a single "smart card" to pay fares on Sun Tran, Sun Express, Sun Connect, and the downtown streetcar; and improved signage at bus stops and transit centers.
Sun Connect service started on May 4, 2009 under the name Sun Shuttle, with routes to the north and northwest, Green Valley
Green Valley, Arizona
Green Valley is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 17,283 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Green Valley is located at ....
, and Sahuarita
Sahuarita, Arizona
Sahuarita is a town in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Sahuarita is located south of the Tohono O'odham Nation and abuts the north end of Green Valley, 15 miles south of Tucson...
.