Sun Tran

Founded	1969
Headquarters	4220 South Park Ave
Locale	Tucson, AZ
Service type	bus service, paratransit
Routes	38
Fleet	206
Website	suntran.com

Sun Tran is the public transit system serving the city of Tucson, Arizona. Sun Tran traces its history to 1905, when the Tucson Rapid Transit Company assumed operations of the horse-drawn streetcar system in town, converting it to electric streetcars. By the 1930's, the streetcar lines were converted to buses. The City of Tucson acquired Tucson Rapid Transit in 1969. A separate company, Old Pueblo Transit, which served primarily Tucson's South Side, was acquired by the City of Tucson in 1978 and its operations folded into Sun Tran.

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.

Fleet

Current fleet

Builder	Model	Year	Length	Fuel	Number(s)	Quantity	Notes
Neoplan USA	AN440	1991	40'	Biodiesel	9101-9125	25	Only 5 buses of various numbers remain in the fleet. These buses were formerly dual-fueled and could run on diesel or 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.
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 (rather than just in the rear).
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.
Nova Bus	40102CNG "RTS-WFD"	2000	40'	CNG	2001-2045	45	These buses originally featured Luminator LEDot front signs, but they were replaced with Luminator Horizon signs in 2005. Some of these buses feature advertising wraps.
Gillig	Low Floor	2005	40'	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 2006 Gilligs.
Gillig	Low Floor	2006	40'	Biodiesel	2601-2612	12	These buses have a different seating configuration compared to the 2005 Gillig buses, as seats are all arranged lengthwise (except for the last row of seats). This was done to reduce vandalism that has been caused to bus windows and the interior.
Gillig	Low Floor	2007	40'	Biodiesel	2701-2718	18	These buses are similar to the 2006 Gilligs but have only one wheelchair ramp (at the front), and 8 forwards facing seats (in addition to the last row of seats) in the rear section. These buses also have a different exhaust pipe and air conditioning unit than the other Gilligs.
Gillig	Low Floor	2008	40'	Biodiesel	2801-2811	11
Gillig	BRT	2008	40'	Biodiesel	2901-2936	36	These buses, labeled "Sun Express", are used on express routes, and occasionally as shuttles for special events. Features include low floor, head rests, reclining seats, and heat resistant windows.

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(s)	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 Phoenix Transit System and were withdrawn in 1989, while the rest were sent to other operators. These were the first 40-foot long buses in Tucson.
Flxible	45096 "New Look"	1975	35'	Diesel	7532-7563	32	These buses were the first to be built for Sun Tran (along with the 1975 AM General 9640-8 buses) 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 (along with the 1975 Flxible 45096 buses), 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.

Alternative propulsion

For at least the next five years, Sun Tran will use more biodiesel buses. Biodiesel is a cleaner than regular diesel and helps with the mitigation of peak oil, one of the main causes of the economic crisis of 2008. 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.

Regional Transportation Plan and streetcar system

In May 2006, voters in Tucson approved a Regional Transportation Plan (a comprehensive bus transit/streetcar/roadway improvement program), and its funding via a new 20-year half-cent sales tax increment. The centerpiece of the plan is a 3.6 mile light rail streetcar system (presumably using the same type or similar vehicles to the highly successful Portland Streetcar in Oregon) that will travel through the downtown area, connecting the main University of Arizona campus with the Rio Nuevo master plan area on the western edge of downtown. The approved funds are a match to an equal amount of Federal Transit Administration funding.

The streetcar system will be double-tracked, replacing a single-track configuration currently in use by Old Pueblo Trolley (OPT), a volunteer-run heritage streetcar operation mainly used by tourists and local patrons of the numerous small shops and restaurants along the line. A maintenance facility will be located just west of the present OPT car barn and yard on 8th Street west of 4th Avenue. Historic trolley operation will continue during weekends and special events, supplementing the modern streetcars. It is assumed, but not confirmed, that Sun Tran will be the operating agency of this streetcar. The official project website features computer animated video of Portland Streetcar-style vehicles traveling along the route in current Sun Tran bus livery. The project will most likely begin construction in 2009.

Regional seamless transit system

File:Sun Tran logo.svg

The Sun Tran logo used through February 2009.

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 (paratransit) becomes Sun Van, circulator routes in outlying areas become Sun Connect, and RideShare (carpooling) 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 (formerly Van Tran) 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.

External links

• Sun Tran (official site)