StarTran
 | |
| Headquarters | 710 'J' Street |
|---|---|
| Locale | Lincoln, NE |
| Service type | bus service, paratransit |
| Routes | 14[1] |
| Fleet | 60 Gillig transit bus[1] 9 Ford Glaval Handi-Van[1] |
| Website | StarTran |
StarTran is the public transit bus system in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. They operate 14 regular bus routes and a downtown circulator service on weekdays from 5:15 a.m. to 7:10 p.m. and Saturdays from 5:55 a.m. to 7:10 p.m. In January of 2013 StarTran entered into an agreement with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to take over bus service completely, extending the current 24 Holdrege route to operate during university Holiday periods and until 9 PM during the Fall and Spring Semesters. In the agreement, it also added a new route, 25 Vine, to run opposite direction of 24 Holdrege on a similar schedule. There is no service on Sundays.[1] There is a special Handi-Van transportation service for those who have a disability that prevents them from riding a regular city bus.
Environmental
StarTran is one of few transit systems utilizing ethanol-powered buses. All but two buses in the StarTran fleet operate on an environmentally friendly mixture of 92% blended diesel and 8% ethanol, a program which began in February 2005. The two remaining buses in the fleet operate on biodiesel fuel (75% diesel/25% soybean oil), and have since January 1994.[2]
Statistics
StarTran's 2005-2006 annual operating budget was $8,585,826, 65.75% of which was funded through the city, 16.64% from user fees, 16.06% federally, and 1.55% through the state of Nebraska. The total ridership for StarTran in the 2005-2006 year was 1,826,289 riders. StarTran's nearly 70 full-size coaches and handi-vans traveled 1,740,148 miles in the 2005-2006 year.
Ridership in 2004-2005 was 1,648,744, 97% of which were riders on fixed routes. 1,715,530 collective revenue miles were traveled by the fleet in the same year, 82.02% of which were on fixed routes.[1]
In August of 2012, StarTran announced it had 2 million rides for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, for the first time in 20 years.
Route list
- 14 West Van Dorn
- 24 Holdrege
- 25 Vine
- 40/41 Havelock/Heart Hospital
- 42/43 Bethany/Normal
- 44 O St/Community College
- 45/46 Arapahoe/Arnold Heights
- 47/48 Belmont/Salt Valley
- 49/50 University Place/College View
- 51/52 West A St/Gaslight
- 53 Southpointe
- 54 Veterans Hospital
- 55 Star Shuttle
Service cuts
As of September 30, 2010, Routes 56 and 57 were taken out of service.*****
Incidents
2013 passenger assault
A 43-year-old StarTran bus driver was fired after physically assaulting a 40-year-old passenger[3] on 23 March 2013 for "asking too many questions." The white driver beat a black passenger, hitting him at least 18 times before dragging him off the bus and throwing him into 84th Street in Lincoln.[4][5] The incident garnered national media mention, and a video of the incident went viral online.[6]
Troy Fischer was found guilty of 3rd degree assault in July 2013. His sentence in January 2014 called for 12 months' probation and 100 hours of community service.[7]
2014 accident
On 4 August 2014, a StarTran bus was involved in a three-car accident. The bus driver had to be extricated, and six people were injured.[8]
Criticism
StarTran does not operate on Sundays, and weekday service ends early in the evening.
All routes operate on a "spoke" arrangement from the downtown, adding to travel time for cross-town trips, and creating unnecessary detours for some routes, such as the former "27th Street Shuttle", which bypassed a densely populated neighborhood.[citation needed]
Operation
Mid America Coach, Inc. is a supplier of StarTran public transportation vehicles. [citation needed]
References
- ^ a b c d e City of Lincoln, StarTran - Fact Sheet
- ^ City of Lincoln, StarTran - Highlights
- ^ Jonathan Edwards (12 April 2013). "Bus driver fired, accused of assaulting rider". Lincoln Journal-Star. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
- ^ "Bus driver fired after shocking video reveals passenger being punched 18 times in the head for 'asking too many questions'". Daily Mail. 14 April 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
- ^ Carol Kuruvilla (13 April 2013). "Nebraska bus driver assaults a passenger for asking too many questions: authorities". New York Daily News. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
- ^ Jonathan Edwards (25 April 2013). "Former coworker of bus driver: Attack video 'not representative of who he is'". Lincoln Journal-Star. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
- ^ "Update: Bus Driver Who Attacked Passenger Sentenced to Probation". 10/11 News. 17 January 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
- ^ "LFR: 6 Injured in StarTran Bus Accident". 10/11 News. 4 August 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.