Connect Transit
 | |
 A bus leaving Uptown Station in 2022 | |
| Parent | Bloomington-Normal Public Transit System |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1972 |
| Headquarters | 351 Wylie Dr. |
| Locale | Normal, Illinois |
| Service area | McLean County, Illinois |
| Service type | bus service, paratransit |
| Routes | 16 |
| Stations | Uptown Station |
| Fleet | 42 Transit, 19 Demand Response |
| Daily ridership | 6,800 (weekdays, Q3 2024)[1] |
| Annual ridership | 2,254,400 (2023)[2] |
| Fuel type | Diesel, Electric, Propane |
| Chief executive | David Braun |
| Website | connect-transit.com |
Connect Transit, formerly Bloomington-Normal Public Transit System until 2012,[3] is the primary provider of mass transportation in Bloomington/Normal, Illinois. The system consists of 13 fixed routes, plus the Illinois State University Redbird Express, and two additional Express routes that operate on the busiest portions of the Lime and Red routes. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 2,254,400, or about 6,800 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.
History
[edit]
Until 1972, Bloomington-Normal was served by National City Lines. When the company left the region, the City of Bloomington and Town of Normal established an intergovernmental agency known as the Bloomington Normal Public Transit System, via intergovernmental agreement. The transit system operates as an independent agency governed by a board appointed by both the City of Bloomington and Town of Normal.[3]
Routes
[edit]Connect Transit's buses run every 15, 30, or 60 minutes, depending on the route, time of day, and day of the week. Service is offered in the day and evening hours daily, although hours are reduced on weekends. Buses do not operate on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas.[4] Basic adult fare is $1.25 with free transfers. 1, 7, or 30 day bus passes are available.[5]
Connect Transit has two main transfer centers. Uptown Station, located in Normal, is also served by Amtrak and by intercity buses. Eight routes have one terminus here. The other transfer center is two miles to the south, in downtown Bloomington. Nine routes have one terminus here. The Green, Red, and Lime routes serve both locations.[6]
The Olive route that ran along Normal's north side was eliminated on July 1, 2019, due to low ridership.[7]
Route List[6]
| Route Name | Northern/Western Terminus | Southern/Eastern Terminus | Interval (min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua | Downtown Bloomington | Greyhound & Southgate | Daily |
| Blue | Shoppes at College Hills | Downtown Bloomington | Daily |
| Brown | Bloomington Walmart | Uptown Station | Daily |
| Gold | Advocate BroMenn | Downtown Bloomington | Daily |
| Green | Uptown Station | Downtown Bloomington | Daily |
| Lime | Uptown Station | Downtown Bloomington | Daily |
| Lime Express | Bloomington Walmart | Downtown Bloomington | Mon-Fri |
| Orange | Downtown Bloomington | Hamilton Rd & Merna Ln | Daily |
| Pink | School St & Northfield Dr | Uptown Station | Daily |
| Purple | Downtown Bloomington | Shoppes at College Hills | Daily |
| Red | Uptown Station | Downtown Bloomington | Daily |
| Red Express | Uptown Station | OSF Medical Group | Mon-Fri |
| Redbird Express | Cardinal Court | Beaufort St & School St | Daily |
| Silver | Bloomington Walmart | Downtown Bloomington | Daily |
| Tan | Uptown Station | Central Illinois Regional Airport | Daily |
| Yellow | Heartland Community College | Uptown Station | Daily |
Fleet
[edit]Transit
[edit]| Fleet Number(s) | Model Year(s) | Manufacturer | Model | Length | Engine | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301-311
(11 buses) |
2003 | New Flyer | D40LF | 40 feet (12 m) | Cummins ISC |
|
| 1001, 1101–1104
(5 buses) |
2010-2011 | Gillig | Low Floor | 35 feet (11 m) | 1001: Cummins ISL 1101-1104: Cummins ISL9 |
|
| 1002-1004
(3 buses) |
2010 | New Flyer | D40LFR | 40 feet (12 m) | Cummins ISL9 |
|
| 1501-1505, 1601-1607, 1801-1810
(22 buses) |
2015-2018 | XD40 | ||||
| 2101-2104
(4 buses) |
2021 | Proterra | ZX5 | 35 feet (11 m) | Electric |
Demand Response
[edit]| Fleet Number(s) | Model Year(s) | Manufacturer | Model | Length | Engine | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1701–1704
(4 buses) |
2017 | Ford Champion |
E450 LF Transport |
26 feet (7.9 m) | Propane | |
| 181-189
(9 buses) |
2018 | Ford Starcraft |
E450 Allstar |
21 feet (6.4 m) | Ford Modular 6.8L V10 Gasoline | |
| 201-206
(6 buses) |
2020 | Ford Elkhart |
E450 EC II |
Ford Godzilla 7.3L V8 Gasoline |
Fixed Route Ridership
[edit]The ridership statistics shown here are of fixed route services only and do not include demand response. [10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ a b "About Us".
- ^ "Holiday Service Schedule". Retrieved January 12, 2022.
- ^ "Connect Transit Fares". Retrieved January 12, 2022.
- ^ a b "System Maps". July 1, 2021. Archived from the original on 2018-07-10. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
- ^ "Connect Transit Delays Fare Hike; Scraps Olive Route". March 26, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
- ^ "#GetConnected Community Bus". Retrieved January 12, 2022.
- ^ "Connect Transit Fleet". Archived from the original on 2019-11-01. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
- ^ "The National Transit Database (NTD)". Retrieved January 15, 2023.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Bloomington-Normal Public Transit System at Wikimedia Commons