South Bend Transpo

The South Bend Public Transportation Corporation (commonly known as Transpo) is a municipal bus system that serves the cities of South Bend and Mishawaka, as well as the nearby suburbs of Notre Dame and Roseland, in the very north of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the most recent incarnation of the South Bend Railway Company, a street railway company that was founded on May 25, 1885.[2]

Transpo (South Bend Public Transportation Corporation)
South Bend Transpo bus in 2015
Headquarters1401 S. Lafayette Blvd
LocaleSouth Bend, IN
Service areaSouth Bend & Mishawaka Metropolitan Area
Service typeLocal bus, express bus, and paratransit
Routes20
HubsSouth Street Station in South Bend, Mishawaka Transfer Center in Mishawaka
Fleet60 vehicles[1]
Annual ridership2,514,213 (-11.26%)[1]
Fuel typeBiodiesel and Natural Gas
Chief executiveDavid Cangany, General Manager
WebsiteTranspo

Overview

TRANSPO is a hub-and-spoke system, with routes radiating from the center towards the outward corners of the metropolitan area. It is made up of 18 fixed bus routes. It also operates an on-demand paratransit service. In Mishawaka, it serves as a de facto school bus service. South Street Station serves as a system hub, linking together most of the routes.

The system runs Monday-Saturday, operating 5:50 AM – 10:00 PM on weekdays and 6:00 AM – 6:45 PM on Saturdays. It does not operate on Sundays or major holidays.[3] All buses are equipped with bike racks. In 2014, Transpo began converting the aging fleet to compressed natural gas (CNG) with the arrival of 14 New Flyer buses.

Fares

The fares have been increased several times during the system's history. The most recent increase was on April 5, 2010. The fares are now the following:[4]

  • Base Fare: $1.00
  • Reduced Fare: $0.50
  • Day Pass: $3.00
  • 2 Week Pass: $18.00
  • Adult 31 Day Pass $35.00
  • Student 31 Day Pass: $30.00
  • Access Fare: $2.00
  • Access Two Ride Card: $4.00
  • Access Ten Ride Card: $20.00

University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College students, faculty and staff can ride for free provided they show a valid ID. As of January 2012, Ivy Tech Students can ride with a student ID and validation sticker (sticker is available for $20 from Ivy Tech). Holy Cross students pay regular fare.

Active bus fleet

Transpo's current fleet roster: 2017–present buses

  • 2002 Gillig Low-Floor: 201-210 (Retirement In Progress)
  • 2003 Gillig Low-Floor: 301-310 (Retirement In Progress)
  • 2004 Gillig Low-Floor: 401-421
  • 2014 New Flyer Xcelsior XN35: 1401-1416
  • 2015 New Flyer Xcelsior XN35: 1501-1503
  • 2017 New Flyer Xcelsior XN35: 1701-1703

Retired fleet

Route list
  • 1 Madison/Mishawaka
  • 3A Portage Elwood/Wal-Mart
  • 3B Portage Woodlawn/Meijer
  • 4 Lincoln Way West/Airport
  • 5 North Michigan/Roseland
  • 6 South Michigan/Erskine Village
  • 7 Notre Dame/University Park Mall
  • 8 Miami/Irish Hills
  • 9 Northside Mishawaka
  • 10 Western Avenue/Belleville
  • 11 Southside Mishawaka
  • 12 Rum Village
  • 12/14 Rum Village/Sample
  • 13 Corby/Town & Country
  • 14 Sample/Mayflower
  • 15A University Park Mall/Mishawaka via Main
  • 15B University Park Mall/Mishawaka via Grape
  • 16 Blackthorn Express service from downtown South Bend to Blackthorn Industrial Park (rush hours only)
  • 17 SWEEP express loop linking Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College.
  • YL Yellow Line

Connections to other transit systems

Route 4 stops at the South Bend Regional Airport. The airport doubles as a regional transit hub. Coach USA[5] buses stop there (and formerly, so did Greyhound Lines buses[6]), and the airport terminal building incorporates the eponymous South Shore Line station The South Shore Line links South Bend to the city of Chicago, making stops at cities, villages and other miscellaneous municipalities throughout Northern Indiana. Route 2 stops at the city's Amtrak station.[7] Route 5 connects to Niles DART Route 2 at Auten Rd/933 stop Monday-Friday.[8] Route 9 links up with the Interurban Trolley system's Bittersweet/Mishawaka Route at Twin Branch Park. The route links Mishawaka to Downtown Elkhart.[9]

Hubs

South Street Station
South Street Station in 2006

South Street Station is the primary hub of the system. It is located in Downtown South Bend.

Efforts planning this station date back to 1992.[10] It was envisioned to be an intermodal transit hub, which would feature a new station for Amtrak (replacing South Bend's existing Amtrak station) as well as a btransit center for South Bend Transpo.[11][10][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] It was also envisioned that the station would house intercity bus services, and a bus transit link to South Bend's airport.[13] It was envisioned that in addition to larger buses, smaller electric-powered shuttle buses would also be serving the transit center.[20] A parking garage was planned to be attached to the station.[12][20] A feasibility study for the project was finished in February 1993.[13] In November 1993, the city of South Bend purchased land for the transit center.[13] The $20.5 million facility received more than $13 million in federal funding by the start of 1997.[20] With the new facility approved, on December 20, 1996, the South Bend Redvelopment Commission approved Memorial Health Systems Inc. proposal to build a 75,000 square foot complex on the previous lot that was used as a transfer center.[20] The station, during its planning, received criticism from some as an example of "pork barrel spending", receiving the 1996 Oinkers Award in the Pig Book published by Citizens Against Government Waste.[20]

The station includes a 14,800 square foot building containing waiting areas, public restrooms, and other facilities.[20]

South Street Station was opened in 1998.[10][21][22] It was solely a bus center for South Bend TRANSPO, with the Amtrak component planned to be built at a later date.[10] Ultimately, the Amtrak component failed to materialize.[14] The parking garage originally planned to be attached to the station never materialized. Furthermore, it was not until December 2, 2019, when Greyhound Lines moved its intercity bus service from South Bend International Airport to the South Street Station, that it received intercity bus service.[11][13][21][23]

There have been talks of constructing a downtown South Shore Line station for South Bend, replacing the existing station at South Bend International Airport. Such a station, if constructed, might be either adjacent to, or integrated into, the South Street Station.[24] A decision regarding the future of South Bend's South Shore Line station was originally anticipated to be made at some point in 2020.[25]

Mishawaka Transfer Center

The system's second hub is the Mishawaka Transfer Center, located in Downtown Mishawaka.[22]

The station is also served by the Interurban Trolley.[26]

References
  1. "2009 Indiana Public Transit Annual Report" (PDF). Indiana Department of Transportation. August 2010. pp. 139–140. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  2. "TRANSPO History". sbtranspo.com. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  3. "Routes & Times". sbtranspo.com. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  4. "Fares". sbtranspo.com. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  5. "South Bend Airport". coachusa.com. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  6. "Locations-States: Indiana". Greyhound.com. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  7. "Transportation Centers". sbtranspo.com. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  8. "Dial A Ride Transportation System". City of Niles, Michigan. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  9. "The Interurban Trolley-Bittersweet/Mishawaka Route" (PDF). InterurbanTrolley.com. 16 August 2010. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  10. Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations for 1999: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fifth Congress, Second Session, Part 7. United States Congress. 1998. pp. 467–486. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  11. "Greyhound bus lines relocating to Transpo South Street Station in South Bend". South Bend Tribune. 20 November 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  12. Sulok, Nancy J. (14 May 1998). "If Transpo's electric buses have impact, it will be big shock". Newspapers.com. The South Bend Tribune. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  13. INTERMODAL PASSENGER TERMINAL FACILITIES PROJECT SUMMARIES A COMPENDIUM OF PROPOSED, ACTIVE, AND COMPLETED INTERMODAL PASSENGER TERMINAL FACILITIES. United States Department of Transportation. December 1994.
  14. "Laporte County intermodal rail yard". WNDU. 2 September 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  15. Legislation to Approve the National Highway System and Ancillary Issues Related to Highway and Transit Programs: Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourth Congress, First Session, February 8, 28 and March 1, 2, and 8, 1995, March 10, 1995 (H.R. 842, Truth in Budgeting Act). United States Congress. 1995. pp. 1835–1847. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  16. Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations for 1994: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Third Congress, First Session. United States Congress. 1993. pp. 1193–1224. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  17. Intermodal Passenger Terminal Facilities: Project Summaries ; a Compendium of Proposed, Active, and Completed Intermodal Passenger Terminal Facilities. United States Congress. 1994. pp. 144 and 145. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  18. The National Highway System and Ancillary Issues Relating to Highway and Transit Programs: Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation, House of Representatives, One Hundred Third Congress, Second Session, Volume 3. United States Congress. 1994. pp. 1213–1215, 1558–1567. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  19. Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations for 1995: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Third Congress, Second Session, Volume 7, Part 2. United States Congress. 1994. pp. 1800–1802. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  20. Dodson, Paul (1 Jan 1997). "Despite critics, intermodal project taking shape". Newspapers.com. The South Bend Tribune.
  21. "Greyhound moving from airport to downtown Transpo station". WNDU-TV. 20 November 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  22. "Transpo Overview & History". South Bend Transpo. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  23. "Greyhound moving to South Street Station in downtown South Bend". WSBT-TV. 20 November 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  24. Anguiano, Barb (14 August 2018). "Mayor Eyes Downtown For South Shore Stop". WVPE. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  25. Catanzarite, Maria (11 February 2020). "Faster South Shore service closer to becoming a reality". WNDU. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  26. "Transfer Center Temporary Relocation". Interurban Trolley. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
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