The Sangamon Mass Transit District operates 17 regular routes during the day, 4 limited-service suburban routes, 4 routes at night, and 14 supplemental routes, most of which serve schools. On weekdays between 6 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., most routes run every half-hour. Eleven of the day routes begin at the downtown transfer center, at 11th and Washington Streets, with buses leaving downtown at the top and bottom of the hour. Five routes begin at a secondary transfer center on Junction Circle, on the southwest side, where most of the area's growth and new development has taken place in recent decades. These routes leave Junction Circle at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour. One special route carries passengers between both locations. The limited-service suburban routes make three hourly trips each during morning and evening rush hour. On weeknights between 6 and 10 p.m., buses leave downtown once an hour, at the top of the hour. The last buses of the night return to downtown at 11 p.m. Supplemental routes run only once per day. No service is offered on Sundays, nor on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. Prior to 2020, buses ran the Saturday schedule on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Lincoln's Birthday, Washington's Birthday/President's Day, and Veterans Day, but now run full service on those holidays. Daytime routes
Route 0 Transfer Center Express - Downtown to Junction Circle
Regular bus fare is $1.25 for anyone age five or over. Up to two children under the age of four are permitted on the busesfree of charge with an adult. More than two children under this age will cost an additional 60 cents. For senior citizens, disabled persons, or Medicare card holders, fare is 60 cents with proof of such status. Senior citizens and disabled persons enrolled in the Benefit Access program can procure a photo ID that enables them to ride without paying a fare. Transfers between connecting buses are free and available upon request of the driver when fare is initially paid. Bus passes are available at area businesses including all Walgreens stores in the city, public, private, and parochial schools, and the SMTD home office at 928 S. 9th Street. Three different kinds of passes are available, and are color-coded for easy identification.
Regular Discount Pass 20 Rides/$20.00
Senior Citizen Pass 20 Rides/$12.00
Disabled Person Pass 20 Rides/$12.00
Buses
The routes are covered with 53 buses and 22 paratransit vans. All buses are equipped with bike racks. As of July 1, 2018, the buses are
Eight 2018 New Flyer Industries Compressed natural gas buses
Nine 2018 New Flyer Industries buses
Paratransit
The SMTD operates a paratransit service named Access Sangamon for disabled people who are unable to use the regular buses. Service is available at the same times that the regular buses are operating.
Funding and employees
In 2017, the employee headcount was 143, of whom 116 were members of labor unions and 27 were administrative personnel. The annual budget was $7.2 million. Only 9% of the SMTD's 2017 operating budget was met through fares paid by riders. An additional 1% was earned through other private-sector-style income streams, such as income from placards and billboards on the buses, and the remaining 90% consisted of federal, state, and local public-sector subsidies.
On January 1, 2017, SMTD changed its operating name from Springfield Mass Transit District to Sangamon Mass Transit District. The limited-service suburban routes were added on September 17, 2018. In 2019, the city opened a new transfer center on the east edge of downtown, and at the same time, completely overhauled its routes. The redesigned routes cover a larger geographical area than before, bringing service with reach of up to 10,000 additional area residents. Longer term proposals call for the new downtown transfer center to become Springfield's new multimodal transport hub, with stops by trains and intercity buses. Improvements are currently under construction to a railroad adjacent to the new transfer center. If the rail consolidation proposal is implemented, this would become part of the Chicago Hub Network, Illinois' new high-speed rail system. Presently, Amtrak trains run on another railroad about half a mile west of the new transfer center.
