Thunder Bay Transit
Encyclopedia
Thunder Bay Transit is the public transit operator in Thunder Bay
, Ontario
, Canada
. It was formed in 1970, after the amalgamation
of the cities of Port Arthur
and Fort William
and their respective transit agencies. Thunder Bay Transit is a member of the Canadian Urban Transit Association
.
Thunder Bay Transit operates 17 transit routes in the urban area
of Thunder Bay and neighbouring Fort William First Nation
, an area of 256 km² (99 sq mi). Its fleet of 49 buses run on diesel and biodiesel
fuels. Thunder Bay Transit carries 3,300,000 passengers annually, or approximately 9,000 passengers daily, and employs 140 people. The company maintains two transit terminals, one at 40 North Water Street in Port Arthur, and the other at City Hall at 500 Donald Street East in Fort William.
Thunder Bay Transit is the first transit agency in Ontario to be 100% handicapped accessible, and the first Canadian transit agency to use the NextBus
system with passenger counters, fare box integrations and passenger
information systems.
had recently ended, destroying Port Arthur's primary economic raison d'être. Compounding the matter was the Canadian Pacific Railway
's decision to build its grain elevator
s and rail yard
s in neighbouring Fort William, 6 km (4 mi) away. With businesses and population vanishing, Port Arthur decided after much debate to build a street car line to connect the town with the rail yards in neighbouring Fort William, much to that town's chagrin
.
In 1891, the town of Port Arthur was authorized to construct and operate the first municipally owned
street railway in Canada. The Port Arthur Street Railway (PASRy) commenced operations in March 1892, and in that same year, McDonald and Company commenced operations of a private street railway in neighbouring Fort William, which connected the Port Arthur Street Railway's southern terminus at Fort William's northern town limits into the downtown core of Fort William. Although Fort William wanted nothing to do with Port Arthur's municipal railway, PASRy gained control of the McDonald and Company line on June 1, 1893, and extended its operations into the town.
In 1907, Port Arthur and Fort William became cities. The Ontario Railway and Municipal Board
forced Port Arthur to sell its section of the railway in Fort William to that city on March 11, 1908, and to submit to operation by a joint commission until December 1, 1913, under the name Port Arthur and Fort William Railway. Thereafter, each city ran its own street railway—Port Arthur assumed the name Port Arthur Civic Railway in 1914, and Fort William assumed the name Fort William Street Railway. Port Arthur added two belt lines to its main line in 1913, with the first street cars running on the North Belt Line October 29, 1913.
The Port Arthur Public Utilities Commission which ran the street railway acquired its first 36-passenger bus (painted maroon and cream) in August 1946 manufactured at the Canadian Car and Foundry
plant in Fort William. It immediately phased out the Arthur Street railway line, and renamed its system as Port Arthur Transit.. Gasoline-powered buses were introduced in December 1946 to serve the intercity route. Electric trolley buses
were introduced on December 15, 1947, the same year that the Fort William Street Railway was renamed the Fort William Transit Company. The trolley buses were manufactured by J. G. Brill and Company at the Canadian Car and Foundry
plant in Fort William. The Intercity trolley coach line of each city's system opened in 1947 and was interlined, with operators' coaches serving the entire line in both cities until 1955.
Street railway operations ended in Thunder Bay in 1948. Port Arthur's last three antiquated cars made their final run over the North Belt Line on February 16, 1948 in a driving snowstorm, and Fort William's street cars ceased operations on October 16, 1948. Since January 1, 1970, when Port Arthur and Fort William were amalgamated into the City of Thunder Bay, the system has been known as Thunder Bay Transit. Electric trolley buses were discontinued on September 10, 1972, and the city has since used diesel buses.
Thunder Bay Transit purchased its first low floor buses in 1994, and by March 2007 became the first full-sized transit agency in Ontario to have a fleet that consisted entirely of accessible buses. Later that year, Thunder Bay Transit became the second Canadian transit agency to implement Grey Island Systems GPS
/AVL
and NextBus
system with passenger counters, fare box integrations and passenger information systems.
Thunder Bay Transit fares were last increased on May 1, 2009. Exact cash fare
on Thunder Bay Transit is $
2.50, and children under the age of eight ride free when accompanied by an adult. Bus tickets
can be purchased in groups of 10 for $17.50, and twenty ride punch passes can be purchased for $31.00. Tickets and twenty ride passes are transferable—they can be shared by many people at one time—and twenty ride passes do not expire. A transfer pass can be obtained when boarding with cash, tickets or a twenty ride pass, and allows passengers to change buses up to two times for the price of one fare. Transfer passes have a one hour time limit and are non-transferable—they can be used only by the person to whom they are issued.
Thunder Bay Transit offers monthly, semester and family/group passes. These passes allow unlimited rides within the time period specified on the face of the card, so that pass holders do not need to use transfers to change buses.
Monthly passes cost $67.00, and discount monthly passes can be purchased for $57.00 by high school students under 18, children between 9 and 12, seniors over 65 and persons with valid disabled ID cards. Family/Group passes can be purchased for $6.00, allow for unlimited trips for two adults and three children, one adult and four children, or two adults. Proof of age is required, and children must be under the age of 18.
Students at Lakehead University
and Confederation College
receive a U-Pass
as part of their tuition, which allows for unlimited trips during the school year for the person to whom the pass is issued.
s) of city streets. Most bus routes are anchored on one of the city's two main terminals, and several routes have buses travelling in only one direction, which can result in unnecessarily long trips between short distances. Thunder Bay Transit operates two extra routes during rush hour, serving Sir Winston Churchill
and Dennis Franklin Cromarty
high schools in the Northwood
area, and employees of the Bombardier
and Abitibi-Bowater
plants in the city's southwest end.
. Non-peak routes run Monday to Saturday between 6:00 pm and 12:40 am, Saturday morning between 6:00 am and 9:00 am, all day Sunday and statutory holidays
. Most non-peak routes have a frequency of 40 minutes between stops.
areas within city limits
in spring 2008 as part of a pilot project funded by the city's share of provincial gas tax revenue. Ridership on both routes was well below the municipal guideline of 10 passengers per hour of service.
Service resumed in South Neebing on March 18, after being cancelled in 2004 due to low ridership. The route operated on Tuesday and Thursday, with two runs in the morning and two runs in the afternoon. The route averaged 1 passenger per hour of service, and cost $73 per passenger to operate. The trial cost $19,200, and brought in only $400 in revenue, resulting in a net cost of $18,800. Service to South Neebing ended on November 27.
Service resumed in McIntyre on June 4, after a telephone survey conducted by the city found some demand for transit service in the area, which had bus service in the 1980s and 1990s. The route operated on Wednesday and Saturday, with two runs in the morning and two in the afternoon. The route averaged 0.5 passengers per hour of service, and cost $148 per passenger to operate. The trial cost $15,600, and brought in only $200 in revenue, resulting in a net cost of $15,400. Service to McIntyre ended on November 29.
When buses on certain routes arrive at a transit terminal, they will resume travel on different routes. Interlining allows passengers to travel longer distances without having to change buses. Route 1 Mainline does not interline.
Interlining at City Hall terminal : Peak routes
2 Crosstown and 12 East End at :15 and :45
3 Airport and 3 Jumbo Gardens at :15 and :45
3 Northwood and 3 County Park at :00 and :30
Non-peak routes
3 Airport and 8 James
3 Northwood and 3 County Park
Interlining at Water Street terminal : Peak routes
2 Crosstown and 7 Hudson at :00 and :30
3 County Park and 3 Northwood at :15 and :45
3 Jumbo Gardens and 3 Airport at :00 and :30
9 Junot and 11 John at :00 and :30
Non-peak routes
2 Crosstown and 7 Hudson
9 Junot - University and 11 John - Jumbo Gardens
Interlining elsewhere: 8 James and 9 Junot interline at Intercity Shopping Centre between 6:00 am and 1:00 pm, Monday to Friday, and between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm on Saturdays.
4 Neebing becomes 6 Mission at Brown and Frederica
LFSs, 8 Orion Bus Industries
Orion VIs, 7 New Flyer
D40LFs, and 4 Orion Bus Industries Orion VIIs. Three of the buses run on biodiesel
, and all are handicapped accessible low floor models. Thunder Bay Transit is the first full-sized transit system in Ontario to have a fleet entirely of low floor buses.
Since September 2007, Thunder Bay Transit buses have been using the Grey Island Systems GPS/AVL and NextBus
real-time passenger information systems, which uses GPS
sensors and electronic maps to track bus movement and devices to measure passenger numbers. The system uses TBayTel's CDMA wireless network to relay information to the transit office and to electronic signs located at major transit stops to let riders know when their bus will arrive. These electronic signs are located at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
, Lakehead University
, Confederation College
, Intercity Shopping Centre
, and Thunder Bay Transit's two downtown transit terminals, with a seventh sign planned for the Westfort neighbourhood in the city's south end. A test of the system was released on March 17, 2008 and allowed passengers to view arrival times for routes 2 Crosstown, 3 Northwood, 8 James and 9 Junot.
accessible low-floor models. Low-floor buses are capable of kneeling to street level and have extending ramps which allow wheelchairs to board safely. Thunder Bay Transit buses had 19,175 rides by persons in wheelchairs in 2006, the most per capita in Ontario. Thunder Bay Transit offers a Night Stop service, where buses will allow passengers to disembark at locations between bus stops during night hours due to safety or security concerns.
in the north and south cores of the city. Thunder Bay Transit's head office and bus garage is located at Thunder Bay Transit and Central Maintenance, located at 570 Fort William Road.
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, Lakehead University
and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
, Confederation College
. The intersection of Brown Street and Frederica Street in Westfort is a transfer point for routes 1 Mainline, 2 Crosstown Westfort, 4 Neebing, and 6 Mission.
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was formed in 1970, after the amalgamation
Amalgamation (politics)
A merger or amalgamation in a political or administrative sense is the combination of two or more political or administrative entities such as municipalities , counties, districts, etc. into a single entity. This term is used when the process occurs within a sovereign entity...
of the cities of Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario which amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Port Arthur was the district seat of Thunder Bay District.- History :...
and Fort William
Fort William, Ontario
Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. It amalgamated with Port Arthur and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Ever since then it has been the largest city in Northwestern...
and their respective transit agencies. Thunder Bay Transit is a member of the Canadian Urban Transit Association
Canadian Urban Transit Association
Canadian Urban Transit Association is a trade association for the urban transit industry in Canada.-History:It was originally established in 1904 as the "Canadian Street Railway Association"...
.
Thunder Bay Transit operates 17 transit routes in the urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
of Thunder Bay and neighbouring Fort William First Nation
Fort William First Nation
Fort William First Nation is an Ojibway First Nation south of and adjacent to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. As of January 2008, the First Nation had a registered population of 1,798 people, of which their on-Reserve population was 832 people....
, an area of 256 km² (99 sq mi). Its fleet of 49 buses run on diesel and biodiesel
Biodiesel
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....
fuels. Thunder Bay Transit carries 3,300,000 passengers annually, or approximately 9,000 passengers daily, and employs 140 people. The company maintains two transit terminals, one at 40 North Water Street in Port Arthur, and the other at City Hall at 500 Donald Street East in Fort William.
Thunder Bay Transit is the first transit agency in Ontario to be 100% handicapped accessible, and the first Canadian transit agency to use the NextBus
NextBus
NextBus is a vehicle tracking system which uses global positioning satellite information to predict when the next bus will arrive at any given bus stop, thereby eliminating wait times and any need for schedules for all transit riders...
system with passenger counters, fare box integrations and passenger
information systems.
History
Public transit in Thunder Bay was first established in 1892. The silver boomSilver mining
Silver mining refers to the resource extraction of the precious metal element silver by mining.-History:Silver has been known since ancient times. It is mentioned in the Book of Genesis, and slag heaps found in Asia Minor and on the islands of the Aegean Sea indicate that silver was being separated...
had recently ended, destroying Port Arthur's primary economic raison d'être. Compounding the matter was the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
's decision to build its grain elevator
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
s and rail yard
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
s in neighbouring Fort William, 6 km (4 mi) away. With businesses and population vanishing, Port Arthur decided after much debate to build a street car line to connect the town with the rail yards in neighbouring Fort William, much to that town's chagrin
Chagrin
Chagrin may refer to:*The Chagrin River*Chagrin Falls, Ohio*Chagrin Falls Township, Cuyahoga County, Ohio*Chagrin Falls High School...
.
In 1891, the town of Port Arthur was authorized to construct and operate the first municipally owned
Municipal services
Municipal services or city services refer to basic services that residents of a city expect the city government to provide in exchange for the taxes which citizens pay. Basic city services may include sanitation , water, streets, schools, food inspection fire department, police, ambulance, and...
street railway in Canada. The Port Arthur Street Railway (PASRy) commenced operations in March 1892, and in that same year, McDonald and Company commenced operations of a private street railway in neighbouring Fort William, which connected the Port Arthur Street Railway's southern terminus at Fort William's northern town limits into the downtown core of Fort William. Although Fort William wanted nothing to do with Port Arthur's municipal railway, PASRy gained control of the McDonald and Company line on June 1, 1893, and extended its operations into the town.
In 1907, Port Arthur and Fort William became cities. The Ontario Railway and Municipal Board
Ontario Municipal Board
The Ontario Municipal Board is an independent administrative board, operated as an adjudicative tribunal, in the province of Ontario, Canada...
forced Port Arthur to sell its section of the railway in Fort William to that city on March 11, 1908, and to submit to operation by a joint commission until December 1, 1913, under the name Port Arthur and Fort William Railway. Thereafter, each city ran its own street railway—Port Arthur assumed the name Port Arthur Civic Railway in 1914, and Fort William assumed the name Fort William Street Railway. Port Arthur added two belt lines to its main line in 1913, with the first street cars running on the North Belt Line October 29, 1913.
The Port Arthur Public Utilities Commission which ran the street railway acquired its first 36-passenger bus (painted maroon and cream) in August 1946 manufactured at the Canadian Car and Foundry
Canadian Car and Foundry
Canadian Car and Foundry also variously known as "Canadian Car & Foundry," or more familiarly as "Can Car," manufactured buses, railroad rolling stock and later aircraft for the Canadian market...
plant in Fort William. It immediately phased out the Arthur Street railway line, and renamed its system as Port Arthur Transit.. Gasoline-powered buses were introduced in December 1946 to serve the intercity route. Electric trolley buses
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
were introduced on December 15, 1947, the same year that the Fort William Street Railway was renamed the Fort William Transit Company. The trolley buses were manufactured by J. G. Brill and Company at the Canadian Car and Foundry
Canadian Car and Foundry
Canadian Car and Foundry also variously known as "Canadian Car & Foundry," or more familiarly as "Can Car," manufactured buses, railroad rolling stock and later aircraft for the Canadian market...
plant in Fort William. The Intercity trolley coach line of each city's system opened in 1947 and was interlined, with operators' coaches serving the entire line in both cities until 1955.
Street railway operations ended in Thunder Bay in 1948. Port Arthur's last three antiquated cars made their final run over the North Belt Line on February 16, 1948 in a driving snowstorm, and Fort William's street cars ceased operations on October 16, 1948. Since January 1, 1970, when Port Arthur and Fort William were amalgamated into the City of Thunder Bay, the system has been known as Thunder Bay Transit. Electric trolley buses were discontinued on September 10, 1972, and the city has since used diesel buses.
Thunder Bay Transit purchased its first low floor buses in 1994, and by March 2007 became the first full-sized transit agency in Ontario to have a fleet that consisted entirely of accessible buses. Later that year, Thunder Bay Transit became the second Canadian transit agency to implement Grey Island Systems GPS
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
/AVL
Automatic vehicle location
Automatic vehicle location is a means for automatically determining the geographic location of a vehicle and transmitting the information to a requester....
and NextBus
NextBus
NextBus is a vehicle tracking system which uses global positioning satellite information to predict when the next bus will arrive at any given bus stop, thereby eliminating wait times and any need for schedules for all transit riders...
system with passenger counters, fare box integrations and passenger information systems.
Fares and passes
| Thunder Bay Transit Fares and passes |
||
|---|---|---|
| Cash fare | $2.50 | |
| Children free with adult | ||
| Family pass | $6.00 | |
| 10 tickets | $17.50 | |
| 20 ride pass | $31.00 | |
| Monthly passes |
Regular | $67.00 |
| Discount | $57.00 | |
| Semester pass | $195.00 | |
Thunder Bay Transit fares were last increased on May 1, 2009. Exact cash fare
Fare
A fare is the fee paid by a passenger allowing him or her to make use of a public transport system: rail, bus, taxi, etc. In the case of air transport, the term airfare is often used.-Uses:...
on Thunder Bay Transit is $
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
2.50, and children under the age of eight ride free when accompanied by an adult. Bus tickets
Ticket (admission)
A ticket is a voucher that indicates that one has paid for admission to an event or establishment such as a theatre, movie theater, amusement park, zoo, museum, concert, or other attraction, or permission to travel on a vehicle such as an airliner, train, bus, or boat, typically because one has...
can be purchased in groups of 10 for $17.50, and twenty ride punch passes can be purchased for $31.00. Tickets and twenty ride passes are transferable—they can be shared by many people at one time—and twenty ride passes do not expire. A transfer pass can be obtained when boarding with cash, tickets or a twenty ride pass, and allows passengers to change buses up to two times for the price of one fare. Transfer passes have a one hour time limit and are non-transferable—they can be used only by the person to whom they are issued.
Thunder Bay Transit offers monthly, semester and family/group passes. These passes allow unlimited rides within the time period specified on the face of the card, so that pass holders do not need to use transfers to change buses.
Students at Lakehead University
Lakehead University
Lakehead University is a public research university in Thunder Bay, and Orillia, Ontario, Canada.Lakehead University, shortened to 'Lakehead U', or 'LU', is non-denominational and provincially supported. It has undergraduate and graduate programs and a medical school.The school has more than 45,000...
and Confederation College
Confederation College
Confederation College is a provincially funded college of applied arts and technology located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1967, and has area campuses in Dryden, Fort Frances, Geraldton, Kenora, Marathon, Sioux Lookout, Red Lake and Wawa. The college, with its area...
receive a U-Pass
Universal Transit Pass
In North America,Universal Transit Pass is a program that gives students enrolled in participating post-secondary institutions unlimited access to local transit. Programs are typically funded through mandatory fees that eligible students pay in each term in which they are registered. Fees are...
as part of their tuition, which allows for unlimited trips during the school year for the person to whom the pass is issued.
Routes
Thunder Bay Transit operates 17 regular transit routes covering approximately 350 kilometres (220 mileMile
A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
s) of city streets. Most bus routes are anchored on one of the city's two main terminals, and several routes have buses travelling in only one direction, which can result in unnecessarily long trips between short distances. Thunder Bay Transit operates two extra routes during rush hour, serving Sir Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate & Vocational Institute
Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate & Vocational Institute is a high school in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is part of the Lakehead District School Board system. The school was opened in 1965 and currently has between 1,100 and 1,500 students enrolled...
and Dennis Franklin Cromarty
Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School
Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School, also known as DFC High School, is a high school for aboriginal students located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and is administered by the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council . It was established in 2000 and serves 20 communities around Northwestern Ontario...
high schools in the Northwood
Northwood, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Northwood is a neighbourhood in the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is one of Thunder Bay's seven municipal wards, represented by Mark Bentz. It was developed between 1965 and 1985...
area, and employees of the Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
and Abitibi-Bowater
Bowater Forest Products
Bowater Forest Products is an AbitibiBowater owned paper mill in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It began as Great Lakes Forest Products in 1898. Investments by American entrepreneurs from Chicago and Minneapolis created one of the largest paper mills in the world on the northern shore of the Kaministiquia...
plants in the city's southwest end.
Bus frequency
Peak routes run Monday to Friday between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm, and Saturday between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm. Most peak routes have a frequency of 30 minutes between stops. Some busy routes have a frequency of 15 minutes during rushhourRushHour
RushHour is a chain of free daily newspapers published in the Canadian cities of Calgary and Edmonton by CanWest Global Communications.The Ottawa edition was launched on November 13, 2006 as an online news update and entertainment guide but was discontinued on April 25, 2008.RushHour publishes at...
. Non-peak routes run Monday to Saturday between 6:00 pm and 12:40 am, Saturday morning between 6:00 am and 9:00 am, all day Sunday and statutory holidays
Public holidays in Canada
Public holidays in Canada known as "statutory holidays," "stats" or "stat holidays" are legislated at the national, provincial and territorial levels...
. Most non-peak routes have a frequency of 40 minutes between stops.
Rural bus service
Thunder Bay Transit resumed service to ruralRural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
areas within city limits
City limits
The terms city limits and city boundary refer to the defined boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limits is sometimes called the city proper. The terms town limits/boundary and village limits/boundary mean the same as city limits/boundary, but apply to towns and villages...
in spring 2008 as part of a pilot project funded by the city's share of provincial gas tax revenue. Ridership on both routes was well below the municipal guideline of 10 passengers per hour of service.
Service resumed in South Neebing on March 18, after being cancelled in 2004 due to low ridership. The route operated on Tuesday and Thursday, with two runs in the morning and two runs in the afternoon. The route averaged 1 passenger per hour of service, and cost $73 per passenger to operate. The trial cost $19,200, and brought in only $400 in revenue, resulting in a net cost of $18,800. Service to South Neebing ended on November 27.
Service resumed in McIntyre on June 4, after a telephone survey conducted by the city found some demand for transit service in the area, which had bus service in the 1980s and 1990s. The route operated on Wednesday and Saturday, with two runs in the morning and two in the afternoon. The route averaged 0.5 passengers per hour of service, and cost $148 per passenger to operate. The trial cost $15,600, and brought in only $200 in revenue, resulting in a net cost of $15,400. Service to McIntyre ended on November 29.
List of bus routes
| Route | Termini (north to south) |
Major streets (north to south) |
Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Mainline Schedule |
Cowan at Hodder Current River Current River, Thunder Bay, Ontario Current River is a neighbourhood located north east of Port Arthur in the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is separated from the main urban area of Thunder Bay by the Current River Greenway, a large parkland along the river after which the neighbourhood was named... Mary at Neebing Westfort |
Hodder Avenue (northbound only) Cumberland Street Fort William Road Simpson Street Frederica Street |
peak 30 minutes non-peak 40 minutes |
Northbound as Mainline-Current River Southbound as Mainline-Westfort See: 1 Mainline Extra |
| 2 Crosstown Schedule |
Water terminal Port Arthur Port Arthur, Ontario Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario which amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Port Arthur was the district seat of Thunder Bay District.- History :... City Hall terminal Fort William Fort William, Ontario Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. It amalgamated with Port Arthur and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Ever since then it has been the largest city in Northwestern... |
Court Street (southbound only) Algoma Street (northbound only) Golf Links Road Edward Street Victoria Avenue |
peak 15 minutes non-peak 40 minutes |
Northbound as 2 Crosstown-Water Street Southbound as 2 Crosstown-City Hall |
| 2 Crosstown Westfort Schedule |
Water terminal Port Arthur Brown at Frederica Westfort |
Court Street (southbound only) Algoma Street (northbound only) Golf Links Road Edward Street |
Monday to Friday 6 am to 6 pm 30 minutes |
Southbound as 2 Crosstown-Westfort Northbound as 2 Crosstown-Water Street, 2 Crosstown-College in summer Does not go to City Hall terminal |
| 3 Airport Schedule |
City Hall terminal Fort William |
Arthur Street Highway 61 Highway 61 (Ontario) King's Highway 61, commonly referred to as Highway 61 and historically known as the Scott Highway, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. It connects the Pigeon River Bridge, where it crosses into the United States and becomes Minnesota State Highway 61, with a... |
peak 30 minutes non-peak 40 minutes |
Serves Thunder Bay International Airport Thunder Bay International Airport Thunder Bay Airport or Thunder Bay International Airport, , is an airport in the Canadian city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. With 80,591 aircraft movements in 2010 it was the 7th busiest airport in Ontario and the 24th busiest airport in Canada... |
| 3 County Park Schedule |
Water terminal Port Arthur |
Wardrope Avenue County Boulevard Wardrope Avenue Market Street Red River Road |
peak 30 minutes non-peak 40 minutes |
|
| 3 Jumbo Gardens Schedule |
Water terminal Port Arthur |
Dawson Road Pioneer Drive John Street Road Red River Road |
peak 30 minutes |
See: 11 John-Jumbo Gardens |
| 3 Memorial Schedule |
Water terminal Port Arthur City Hall terminal Fort William |
Algoma Street Memorial Avenue May Street |
peak 15 minutes non-peak 40 minutes |
Northbound as 3 Memorial-Water Street Southbound as 3 Memorial-City Hall |
| 3 Northwood Schedule |
City Hall terminal Fort William |
Edward Street Redwood Avenue Churchill Drive Victoria Avenue (off-peak) Arthur Street (peak) |
peak 30 minutes non-peak 40 minutes |
Destination sign is Northwood-College during non-peak runs |
| 4 Neebing Schedule |
Brown at Frederica Westfort |
Arthur Street 20th Sideroad James Street Broadway Avenue |
Monday to Saturday 6:30 am to 10:40 pm 11 runs daily |
No service on Sundays or holidays Public holidays in Canada Public holidays in Canada known as "statutory holidays," "stats" or "stat holidays" are legislated at the national, provincial and territorial levels... . Terminates at City Hall three times on weekdays and four times on Saturday. |
| 6 Mission Schedule |
Brown at Frederica Westfort |
James Street City Road Mission Road |
Monday to Friday 7:30 am to 6:40 pm 11 runs daily |
Serves Fort William First Nation Fort William First Nation Fort William First Nation is an Ojibway First Nation south of and adjacent to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. As of January 2008, the First Nation had a registered population of 1,798 people, of which their on-Reserve population was 832 people.... |
| 7 Hudson Schedule |
Water terminal Port Arthur |
Hudson Avenue Shuniah Street Algoma Street Court Street |
peak 30 minutes non-peak 40 minutes |
|
| 8 James Schedule |
City Hall terminal Fort William Intercity Shopping Centre Intercity Shopping Centre Intercity Shopping Centre is a shopping mall in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was one of the first shopping malls in Thunder Bay and is the largest of its kind in Northwestern Ontario, with of retail space. Some of its stores include American retailers such as American Eagle Outfitters, UK... (peak) Confederation College Confederation College Confederation College is a provincially funded college of applied arts and technology located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1967, and has area campuses in Dryden, Fort Frances, Geraldton, Kenora, Marathon, Sioux Lookout, Red Lake and Wawa. The college, with its area... (off peak) Northwood Northwood, Thunder Bay, Ontario Northwood is a neighbourhood in the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is one of Thunder Bay's seven municipal wards, represented by Mark Bentz. It was developed between 1965 and 1985... |
Central Avenue (peak only) William Street James Street Walsh Street |
peak 30 minutes non-peak 40 minutes |
Outbound as 8 James-Intercity, 8 James-College during non-peak runs Inbound as 8 James-City Hall |
| 9 Junot Schedule |
Water terminal Port Arthur Intercity Shopping Centre (peak) Lakehead University Lakehead University Lakehead University is a public research university in Thunder Bay, and Orillia, Ontario, Canada.Lakehead University, shortened to 'Lakehead U', or 'LU', is non-denominational and provincially supported. It has undergraduate and graduate programs and a medical school.The school has more than 45,000... (off peak) |
River Street Junot Avenue Oliver Road Central Avenue (peak only) |
peak 30 minutes non-peak 40 minutes |
Outbound as 9 Junot-Intercity, 9 Junot-University during non-peak runs Travels to Intercity until 9:00 pm on weekdays Inbound as 9 Junot-Water Street |
| 11 John Schedule |
Water terminal Port Arthur |
John Street Oliver Road Algoma Street |
peak 30 minutes |
See: 11 John-Jumbo Gardens |
| 11 John-Jumbo Gardens Schedule |
Water terminal Port Arthur |
Pioneer Drive John Street Oliver Road Algoma Street |
non-peak 40 minutes |
Combines service of 3 Jumbo-Gardens and 11 John into one route 13 John-Jumbo Gardens on the NextBus system. See: 11 John and 3 Jumbo Gardens |
| 12 East End Schedule |
City Hall terminal Fort William |
Balmoral Street Vickers Street Pacific Avenue |
peak 30 minutes Saturday morning 40 minutes |
No service on Saturday evenings, Sundays, or holidays. Serves Alloy Drive on Saturday mornings. |
| 18 Chippewa Schedule |
Intercity Shopping Centre to Chippewa Park Chippewa Park Chippewa Park is located on the shore of Lake Superior, south of Thunder Bay, Ontario. From May Long Weekend to Labour Day Weekend the park operates a children's amusement park which features a C.W. Parker Carousel that was built between 1918 and 1920. There is also a Wildlife Park which is home... and back |
City Road Simpson Street |
Service on weekends during July and August only, or during special events held at the park. |
|
| Rush hour service | ||||
| Route | Termini (north to south) |
Major streets (north to south) |
Notes | |
| 15 AM Extra Schedule |
City Hall terminal Fort William |
Neebing Road Mary Street Victoria Avenue Pacific Avenue |
Runs on Weekday mornings to the Bombardier Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany.... and AbitibiBowater Bowater Forest Products Bowater Forest Products is an AbitibiBowater owned paper mill in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It began as Great Lakes Forest Products in 1898. Investments by American entrepreneurs from Chicago and Minneapolis created one of the largest paper mills in the world on the northern shore of the Kaministiquia... plants, then to the East End, then to Sir Winston Churchill CVI Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate & Vocational Institute Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate & Vocational Institute is a high school in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is part of the Lakehead District School Board system. The school was opened in 1965 and currently has between 1,100 and 1,500 students enrolled... and Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School, also known as DFC High School, is a high school for aboriginal students located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and is administered by the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council . It was established in 2000 and serves 20 communities around Northwestern Ontario... . |
|
| 17 PM Extra Schedule |
City Hall terminal Fort William |
Neebing Road Mary Street Victoria Avenue Pacific Avenue Fort William Road |
Runs on Weekday mornings to Sir Winston Churchill CVI Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate & Vocational Institute Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate & Vocational Institute is a high school in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is part of the Lakehead District School Board system. The school was opened in 1965 and currently has between 1,100 and 1,500 students enrolled... and Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School, also known as DFC High School, is a high school for aboriginal students located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and is administered by the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council . It was established in 2000 and serves 20 communities around Northwestern Ontario... , then to the East End, then to Bombardier Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany.... and AbitibiBowater Bowater Forest Products Bowater Forest Products is an AbitibiBowater owned paper mill in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It began as Great Lakes Forest Products in 1898. Investments by American entrepreneurs from Chicago and Minneapolis created one of the largest paper mills in the world on the northern shore of the Kaministiquia... plants, then operates as 1 Mainline Extra between the two main terminals. |
|
Interlining
Interlining at City Hall terminal : Peak routes
2 Crosstown and 12 East End at :15 and :45
3 Airport and 3 Jumbo Gardens at :15 and :45
3 Northwood and 3 County Park at :00 and :30
Non-peak routes
3 Airport and 8 James
3 Northwood and 3 County Park
Interlining at Water Street terminal : Peak routes
2 Crosstown and 7 Hudson at :00 and :30
3 County Park and 3 Northwood at :15 and :45
3 Jumbo Gardens and 3 Airport at :00 and :30
9 Junot and 11 John at :00 and :30
Non-peak routes
2 Crosstown and 7 Hudson
9 Junot - University and 11 John - Jumbo Gardens
Interlining elsewhere: 8 James and 9 Junot interline at Intercity Shopping Centre between 6:00 am and 1:00 pm, Monday to Friday, and between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm on Saturdays.
4 Neebing becomes 6 Mission at Brown and Frederica
Fleet
Thunder Bay Transit owns a fleet of 49 buses, which consists of 30 Nova BusNova 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...
LFSs, 8 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...
Orion VIs, 7 New Flyer
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:...
D40LFs, and 4 Orion Bus Industries Orion VIIs. Three of the buses run on biodiesel
Biodiesel
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....
, and all are handicapped accessible low floor models. Thunder Bay Transit is the first full-sized transit system in Ontario to have a fleet entirely of low floor buses.
| Make and model | Description | Fleet numbers | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Flyer Industries D40LF | 40' Diesel bus | 111–125 | 1994 | 112, 114–115, 118–124 retired |
| Nova Bus LFS | 40' Diesel bus | 126–129 | 1997 | |
| Nova Bus LFS | 40' Diesel bus | 130–134 | 1999 | 133 Bio-diesel |
| Nova Bus LFS | 40' Diesel bus | 135, 136 | 2001 | |
| Nova Bus LFS | 40' Diesel bus | 137–141 | 2004 | |
| Nova Bus LFS | 40' Diesel bus | 142–144 | 2006 | |
| Nova Bus LFS | 40' Diesel bus | 145–147 | 2007 | |
| Nova Bus LFS | 40' Diesel bus | 148–150, 152, 156, 157, 159, 160 |
2008 | |
| Nova Bus LFS | 40' Diesel bus | 161, 163, 164 | 2009 | |
| Orion Bus Industries 06.501 | 40' Diesel bus | 210–217 | 1999 | 210 Bio-diesel |
| Orion Bus Industries 07.501 | 40' Diesel bus | 218–221 | 2004 | 218 Bio-diesel |
Technology
NextBus
NextBus is a vehicle tracking system which uses global positioning satellite information to predict when the next bus will arrive at any given bus stop, thereby eliminating wait times and any need for schedules for all transit riders...
real-time passenger information systems, which uses GPS
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
sensors and electronic maps to track bus movement and devices to measure passenger numbers. The system uses TBayTel's CDMA wireless network to relay information to the transit office and to electronic signs located at major transit stops to let riders know when their bus will arrive. These electronic signs are located at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is an acute care facility serving Thunder Bay and much of Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The hospital has 375 acute care beds. All of its patient rooms are handicapped accessible and the facility is air-conditioned with "negative pressure" rooms to...
, Lakehead University
Lakehead University
Lakehead University is a public research university in Thunder Bay, and Orillia, Ontario, Canada.Lakehead University, shortened to 'Lakehead U', or 'LU', is non-denominational and provincially supported. It has undergraduate and graduate programs and a medical school.The school has more than 45,000...
, Confederation College
Confederation College
Confederation College is a provincially funded college of applied arts and technology located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1967, and has area campuses in Dryden, Fort Frances, Geraldton, Kenora, Marathon, Sioux Lookout, Red Lake and Wawa. The college, with its area...
, Intercity Shopping Centre
Intercity Shopping Centre
Intercity Shopping Centre is a shopping mall in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was one of the first shopping malls in Thunder Bay and is the largest of its kind in Northwestern Ontario, with of retail space. Some of its stores include American retailers such as American Eagle Outfitters, UK...
, and Thunder Bay Transit's two downtown transit terminals, with a seventh sign planned for the Westfort neighbourhood in the city's south end. A test of the system was released on March 17, 2008 and allowed passengers to view arrival times for routes 2 Crosstown, 3 Northwood, 8 James and 9 Junot.
Accessibility
To accommodate disabled passengers, Thunder Bay Transit buses are wheelchairWheelchair
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...
accessible low-floor models. Low-floor buses are capable of kneeling to street level and have extending ramps which allow wheelchairs to board safely. Thunder Bay Transit buses had 19,175 rides by persons in wheelchairs in 2006, the most per capita in Ontario. Thunder Bay Transit offers a Night Stop service, where buses will allow passengers to disembark at locations between bus stops during night hours due to safety or security concerns.
Facilities
Thunder Bay Transit operates two bus terminalsBus terminus
A bus terminus is a designated place where a bus or coach starts or ends its scheduled route. The terminus is the designated place that a timetable is timed from. Termini can be located at bus stations, interchanges, bus garages or simple bus stops. Termini can both start and stop at the same...
in the north and south cores of the city. Thunder Bay Transit's head office and bus garage is located at Thunder Bay Transit and Central Maintenance, located at 570 Fort William Road.
City Hall Terminal Terminal
- Address: 500 Donald Street East, Fort WilliamFort William, OntarioFort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. It amalgamated with Port Arthur and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Ever since then it has been the largest city in Northwestern...
- Functions: downtown south coreDowntown Fort William, OntarioDowntown Fort William, also known as Downtown Thunder Bay South or the South Core, is the urban core of the former city of Fort William, the southern half of Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is centred on Victoriaville Civic Centre, an indoor shopping mall and civic centre built as part of an urban renewal...
bus terminal; heated waiting area (City Hall lobby). - Platforms: street level on Brodie Street, Donald Street and May Street around the plaza in front of city hall.
- Routes: 1 Mainline, 2 Crosstown-Water Street, 3 Memorial, 4 Neebing, 8 James, 12 East End, 15 Extra, 17 Extra, 18 Chippewa
Water Street Terminal
- Address: 40 North Water Street, Port ArthurPort Arthur, OntarioPort Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario which amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Port Arthur was the district seat of Thunder Bay District.- History :...
- Coordinates: 48°26′08.7"N 89°13′01"W
- Functions: downtown north core bus terminal; heated waiting area
- Platforms: 1
- Routes: 1 Mainline, 2 Crosstown, 3 Memorial, 7 Hudson, 9 Junot, 11 John, 17 Extra
Transit Garage
- Thunder Bay Transit and Central Maintenance
- Address: 570 Fort William Road
- Coordinates: 48°25′02"N 89°14′11"W
- Functions: main office and vehicle maintenance
Greyhound Bus Depot
- Address: 815 Fort William Road
- Coordinates: 48°24′28.6"N 89°14′22.3"W
- Functions: privately owned bus depot providing intercity Greyhound bus and courier service.
- Routes: accessible by route 1 Mainline
Other transfer points
Other terminals, serving two or more routes, are located at Intercity Shopping CentreIntercity Shopping Centre
Intercity Shopping Centre is a shopping mall in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was one of the first shopping malls in Thunder Bay and is the largest of its kind in Northwestern Ontario, with of retail space. Some of its stores include American retailers such as American Eagle Outfitters, UK...
, Lakehead University
Lakehead University
Lakehead University is a public research university in Thunder Bay, and Orillia, Ontario, Canada.Lakehead University, shortened to 'Lakehead U', or 'LU', is non-denominational and provincially supported. It has undergraduate and graduate programs and a medical school.The school has more than 45,000...
and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is an acute care facility serving Thunder Bay and much of Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The hospital has 375 acute care beds. All of its patient rooms are handicapped accessible and the facility is air-conditioned with "negative pressure" rooms to...
, Confederation College
Confederation College
Confederation College is a provincially funded college of applied arts and technology located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1967, and has area campuses in Dryden, Fort Frances, Geraldton, Kenora, Marathon, Sioux Lookout, Red Lake and Wawa. The college, with its area...
. The intersection of Brown Street and Frederica Street in Westfort is a transfer point for routes 1 Mainline, 2 Crosstown Westfort, 4 Neebing, and 6 Mission.
Further reading
- Scollie, F. Brent (1990). The Creation of the Port Arthur Street Railway 1890–95: Canada's First Municipally-owned Street Railway. Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society, Papers and Records, XVIII
- Andreas, Wesley, MA (2007). Moving Forward: Public Transit in Canadian Mid-sized Cities. University of CalgaryUniversity of CalgaryThe University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
Department of Geography