Sun Tran
Sun Tran is the public transit system serving the city of Tucson, Arizona. Sun Tran services about 20 million passenger trips annually to destinations in and around Tucson. A 100 percent of the fleet utilizes clean-burning fuels, such as compressed natural gas, biodiesel, and hybrid technologies.
History
According to David Leighton, historian for the Arizona Daily Star newspaper, Sun Tran's history began in 1897 with the organization of the Tucson Street Railway, which by the following year was providing Tucsonans with regular mule-powered streetcar service. Streetcar tracks existed in parts of present-day downtown and to the University of Arizona. Within a few years, lack of profit caused the company to be sold and it was reorganized as Tucson Rapid Transit Co..By 1906, mules were replaced by electricity as the driving force behind the streetcars in Tucson. Four years later, TRT published its intent to increase the amount of track for its electric cars but insufficient money prevented this from occurring.
In October 1925, Tucson Rapid Transit Co., having realized that buses were more flexible and economical to run than streetcars and were the future of public transportation in the Old Pueblo, bought the White Star Bus Line. This small bus company would become the basis for TRT's bus service in town. Also around the same time, Roy Laos Sr., noting the lack of transit service to the south and west sides of town founded the Occidental Bus Line to serve these areas. Laos' bus service would later be called Old Pueblo Transit.
On January 1, 1931, Tucson Rapid Transit formally ended all electric streetcar service in town. From this day forward it became strictly a bus company. Five years later, Jacob M. Bingham established the Mountain View Bus Line with one bus. His goal was to provide service to outlying areas that TRT didn't serve but turning a profit or even just paying his bills was difficult and soon enough TRT bought his small enterprise.
During World War II, ridership increased to a large degree, in part due to tire and fuel rationing that was carried out to support the war effort. The secondary reason for the surge was the need for public transportation for workers in the growing defense industry.
In late 1951, the Hughes Missile Plant was finished and was operating with a small number of employees. Competition for ridership to the new factory between Old Pueblo Transit and Tucson Rapid Transit became heated and OPT filed an injunction in court to prevent TRT from providing service for employees. Early the following year, the Arizona Corporation Commission decided against OPT and allowed TRT to also provide bus service to the plant.
The 1950s and 1960s saw a steady decline in riders for Tucson Rapid Transit. Even a change in ownership and the installation of air conditioners seemed to do little for the failing bus service. As a result, in 1969, the City of Tucson acquired TRT, changing the name to the City of Tucson Transit System.
In 1975, a contest was held to give a new name to the bus system, with Benjamin Rios, a 25-year-old University of Arizona architecture student from Mexico, submitting the winning entry: “Sun Tran.” His prize was a $150 portable television.
Three years later, Sun Tran bought its competition the Old Pueblo Transit Co. and the city had but one bus service for riders. The year 1987 saw the opening of the Roy Laos Transit Center at 205 W Irvington Road, and in 1991, the Ronstadt Transit Center opened in downtown.
In 2010, Sun Tran received shipment of its first bus using hybrid technology and two years later Sun Tran's Northwest Bus Facility located at 3920 N. Sun Tran Blvd was completed.
Awards
Sun Tran won the America's Best Transit System award for 1988 and 2005 from the American Public Transportation Association in the category of 4 to 30 million annual passenger trips. Also, Sun Tran was awarded as the Arizona's Best Transit System for 2004 and 2012.Fares
NOTE: all fares are free since late March 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak up to further notice.The basic fare is $1.75. Reduced fare for low-income, persons with disabilities, seniors at least 65 and Medicare cardholders is $0.75. The express bus fare is $2.35. No fares apply to kids under 6 with fare-paying rider, limit 3. All fares can be paid with a SunGo card, which utilises smart card technology, and can be loaded with cash value or passes. 24-hour passes & 30-day tickets are available. The University of Arizona provides discounted passes for eligible students, faculty and staff through the UA's Parking and Transportation Services.
Fleet
Current fleet
Sun Tran has an active fleet of 237 buses.| Builder | Model | Year | Length | Engine/ Transmission | Fuel | Number | Quantity | Notes |
| Gillig | G20D102N4 Low Floor | 2005 | 40' |
| B5 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 Gillig 2006 buses. |
| Gillig | G20D102N4Low Floor | 2006 | 40' |
| B5 Biodiesel | 2601-2612 | 12 | These buses have a different seating configuration compared to the 2005 Gillig buses, as seats are all arranged lengthwise. This was done to reduce vandalism that has been caused to bus windows and the interior. |
| Gillig | G20D102N4Low Floor | 2007 | 40' |
| B5 Biodiesel | 2701-2718 | 18 | These buses are similar to the 2006 Gillig buses but have only one wheelchair ramp, and 8 forwards facing seats in the rear section. These buses also have a different exhaust pipe and air conditioning unit than the other Gillig buses. |
| Gillig | G20D102N4Low Floor | 2008 | 40' |
| B5 Biodiesel | 2801-2811 | 11 | Similar to the Gillig 2007 buses, except for the upper windows. |
| Gillig | G20D102N4Low Floor BRT | 2008-09 | 40' |
| B5 Biodiesel | 2901-2946 | 46 | These buses, labeled "Sun Express", are used on express routes 101X-312X, and occasionally as shuttles for special events. Features include low floor, head rests, reclining seats, and heat resistant windows. |
| Gillig | G20D102N4Low Floor | 2009 | 40' |
| B5 Biodiesel | 2947-2950, 3001-3010 | 14 | The 29XX buses are Low Floor, not BRT, and feature head rests and reclining seats. The rest are regular Low Floor buses. |
| Gillig | G20D102N4Low Floor | 2009 | 40' |
| B5 Biodiesel-Electric Hybrid | 3000 | 1 | First hybrid bus introduced in 2010. It featured a promotional livery until 2014 when it was painted with the same livery as the other regular buses. This bus is run on route 5, which runs between the intersection of Sabino Canyon and Tanque Verde roads and the Pima Community College West Campus. |
| Gillig | G20D102N4Low Floor | 2011 | 40' |
| B5 Biodiesel-Urea | 3011, 3101-3119 | 20 | These buses run with a blend of Biodiesel-5% Urea. |
| Gillig | G20D102N4Low Floor | 2012 | 40' |
| B5 Biodiesel-Urea | 3120-3156 | 37 | Similar to Gillig 2011 buses. |
| Gillig | G20D102N4Low Floor | 2012 | 40' |
| B5 Biodiesel-Electric Hybrid | 4001-4010 | 10 | New hybrid buses placed in service at the end of December 2012. |
| Gillig | G20D102N4Low Floor | 2014 | 40' |
| CNG | 3201-3224 | 24 | The majority of the buses will go into service by the end of August. These new buses will eventually replace the 14-year-old Nova buses. |
| Gillig | G20D102N4Low Floor | 2014 | 35' |
| CNG | 3225-3229 | 4 | These new CNG buses are smaller and have a total of 30 seats. These will replace the 14-year-old Nova buses. |
| Gillig | G20D102N4Low Floor | 2014 | 40' |
| CNG | 3230-3245 | 16 | New CNG buses placed in service to replace the old CNG buses. |
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 | Quantity | Notes |
| Yellow Coach | 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 | Model 733 | 1938 | 30' | Gasoline | 16-17 | 2 | These buses were identical to the 1937 Model 733 buses. |
| Yellow Coach | Model 1204 | 1939 | 30' | Gasoline | 18-22 | 5 | These buses had a rear engine and sat 24 passengers. |
| Yellow Coach | Model 1204 | 1940 | 30' | Gasoline | 23-26 | 4 | These buses were identical to the 1939 Model 1204s. |
| Ford | Model 69B | 1941 | 30' | Gasoline | 27-31 | 5 | These buses were built for World War II. |
| Ford | Model 69B | 1942 | 30' | Gasoline | 32-36 | 5 | These buses were built for World War II. |
| Ford | Model 69B | 1943 | 30' | Gasoline | 37-41 | 5 | These buses were built for World War II. |
| Ford | Model 69B | 1944 | 30' | Gasoline | 42-46 | 5 | These buses were built for World War II. |
| Ford | Model 69B | 1945 | 30' | Gasoline | 47-49 | 3 | These buses were built for World War II. |
| Ford | Model 69B | 1946 | 30' | Gasoline | 50-55 | 6 | These buses were withdrawn from service in 1955. |
| Twin Coach | 41-S "Art Deco" | 1946 | 35' | Gasoline | 101-106 | 6 | These buses were some of the earliest to operate in Tucson. All were withdrawn in 1968. |
| Twin Coach | 41-S "Art Deco" | 1947 | 35' | Gasoline | 107-112 | 6 | These buses were identical to the 1946 Twin Coach buses. |
| Twin Coach | 34-S "Art Deco" | 1948 | 30' | Gasoline | 113-115 | 3 | These buses were withdrawn in the late-1960s. Some were converted to school buses 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. |
| 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 | 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 Valley Metro and were withdrawn in 1989, while the rest were sent to other operators. These were the first buses in Tucson. |
| Flxible | 45096 "New Look" | 1975 | 35' | Diesel | 7532-7563 | 32 | These buses were the first to be built for Sun Tran 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 | 9640-8 | 1975 | 40' | Diesel | 5501-5512 | 12 | These buses were the first to be built for Sun Tran, 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 | 35096 "New Look" | 1976 | 30' | Diesel | 7664-7684 | 21 | These buses were built for Old Pueblo Transit, which served the city of South Tucson. 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 | 10235B | 1977 | 35' | Diesel | 7764-7775 | 12 | These buses were all withdrawn by 1997. |
| AM General | 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-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-04" | 1986 | 40' | Diesel | 8601-8613 | 13 | All of these buses were withdrawn from service in 2000. |
| GMC | T8J-206 "RTS-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 | 02.501 | 1994 | 25' | CNG | 9470-9475 | 6 | These buses were powered by CNG and were withdrawn in the early 2000s. |
| TMC | T80-206 "RTS-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. |
| Neoplan USA | AN440 | 1991 | 40' | Biodiesel | 9101-9125 | 25 | 9123-9125 formerly ran on Diesel/CNG |
| Neoplan USA | AN440 | 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 | AN440 | 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. The last ones in service were retired from the active fleet in 2012 with the arrival of the new 2012 Gilligs. |
| 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. These were withdrawn in 2011 when the new Gillig 2011 buses arrived. |
| 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. Retired in Fall 2012 with the arrival of the 2012 Gillig buses. |
| Nova Bus | 40102CNG "RTS-WFD" | 2000 | 40' | CNG | 2001-2045 | 16 | These buses originally featured Luminator LEDot front signs, but they were replaced with Luminator Horizon signs in 2005. 24 of these buses were retired from the active fleet in July 2014. The other were withdrawn in 2015. |
Current Routes
Sun Tran operates 29 regular routes and 13 express routes, as well as 10 Sun Shuttle routes, a neighborhood transit service. Most regular routes provide service from 6am to 11pm. A few routes provide service until midnight. Sun Tran does not provide overnight service.Regular Routes
Express Routes
Alternative propulsion
For at least the next five years, Sun Tran will use more biodiesel 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.Customer service
Sun Tran publishes a transit book, known as the Ride Guide, and it is updated twice yearly, on February and on August. It contains maps and schedules for all regular and express routes. Copies are available at multiple locations around town, including the Sun Tran offices, many public libraries, community colleges, major malls, pass sales outlets, at other civic facilities around the metropolitan area, and on the buses themselves. The Ride Guide is also available online at the Sun Tran website. Additionally, route schedules are posted at the transit centers in the City of Tucson.A customer service call center is operated for passengers to plan their bus trips with the assistance of a live customer service representative, information for Sun Tran, Sun Express, Sun Shuttle and Sun Link, fares and SunGO information, detours, comments and questions. The Sun Tran website also has an online trip planning function, and includes all schedules and maps featured in the Ride Guide.
Regional Transportation Plan and streetcar system
In May 2006, voters in Tucson approved a Regional Transportation Plan, and its funding via a new 20-year half-cent sales tax increment. The centerpiece of the Regional Transportation Plan is Sun Link, a modern streetcar system that travels through the downtown area, connecting the main University of Arizona campus with the Mercado District master plan area on the western edge of downtown.In December 2010, a $63 million federal TIGER grant was awarded to the City of Tucson, meeting most of a remaining funding gap and allowing the modern streetcar project to move forward. An additional $6 million of federal funding was obtained through the Federal Transit Administration's New Starts program. Funding also came from utilities for relocation and improvements along the streetcar route, most significantly $10.6 million from Tucson Water.
The Sun Link name was officially announced in the spring of 2012. Construction began in April 2012, with revenue service beginning in July 2014.
Oregon-based United Streetcar manufactured the Sun Link vehicles. Sun Link maintains a fleet of eight vehicles, using up to six cars at once. Tucson placed an initial $26 million order for seven cars in June 2010. The eighth car was ordered for an additional $3.6 million in July 2012 in order to satisfy FTA requirements for a second spare. United's first model 200 car arrived in Tucson by flatbed truck on August 30, 2013.
Sun Link is double-tracked, replacing a single-track configuration previously used by Old Pueblo Trolley, a volunteer-run heritage streetcar operation, begun in 1993, mainly used by tourists and local patrons of the numerous small shops, bars and restaurants along the line. The maintenance facility is located just west of the OPT car barn and yard on 8th Street west of 4th Avenue. OPT last ran on October 31, 2011, when service was suspended for Sun Link construction; the plan was for Old Pueblo Trolley to share operations, trackage and stations with Sun Link, but no date has yet been set for OPT service to resume.
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 becomes Sun Van, circulator routes in outlying areas become Sun Connect, and RideShare 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 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.