The Bus (Springfield, MO)
Introduction The Bus is a service provided by the transit division of the City Utilities of Springfield, who also provide paratransit under the name Access Express.
Background === Formation ===Springfield City Council voted unanimously to purchase of the privately owned Springfield Gas and Electric company, also the operator of the city transit system. The finalization of this transaction in 1945 marked the birth of City Utilities and subsequently CU Transit. Springfield's transit system is one of the few to be operated through a city utility company.=== Transit centers ===The bus has had 2 transit centers in its lifetime. The first was built in 1981 on McDaniel Street and Patton Avenue. It operated from 1981 until May 9th, 2016 where operations moved to the new transit center on College and Main. The first transit center was then abandoned until its demolition on March 29, 2017.Talk about a new transit center began in the early 2000s, transit officials expressed the need for a new transit center due to lack of space, preventing expansion and being too small for buses themselves.Planning begun in 2006 after the Federal Transit Administration provided $1.63 million for the new facility and $1.47 million in 2008.A site for the location on Collage and Main was chosen in September 2012 and bought in October of that year. The new, current, CU Transit Center costing $4.4 million, had a ribbon cutting ceremony in the morning of May 6th, 2016 followed by an open house that evening during First Friday Art Walk. The station began bus service starting with weekend service on May 8th and full weekday service operations on May 9th. The introduction of the new transit center also brought a complete overhaul of the bus routes.On November 14th, 2022, Greyhound Lines moved all operations into the CU Transit Center.
Route list<ref>{{Cite web |title=» Maps & Schedules |url=https://www.cutransit.net/routes/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |website=www.cutransit.net}}</ref> === Day Routes ===* 2-Dale-Lime* 3-Division-Orange* 5-Glenstone/National-Blue* 6-Collage-Black* 7-Cambell-Red* 9-Fort-Yellow* 12-National/Glenstone-Maroon* 14-Atlantic-Brown* 31-SE Loop-Aqua* 35-Industrial Express-Purple* 36-SW  Loop-Pink* 38-North Loop-Green === Saturday & Evening Routes ===* 22-NE-Lime* 25-SE-Blue * 26-NW-Black* 27-SW-Red* 31-SE Loop-Aqua* 36-SW Loop-Pink* 38-North Loop-Green=== Sunday & Holiday Routes ===* 22-NE-Lime* 25-SE-Blue* 26-NW-Black* 27-SW-Red
Fares The bus operates on Flat rate fare system === Fare methods ===As of 2023 there are 4 ways to pay a fare. * Token Transit, an app for Electronic tickets on public transit. * Smart cards, obtainable via a Ticket-vending machine or the transit center* On the bus itself (with cash)* Physical ticket bought at transit centerMobile Electronic tickets and Smart cards that could be bought at the transit center or with new Ticket-vending machines were indroduced on February 23rd, 2018.Smart cards can only be used with 7 or 31 day passes in any fare tier, there is $1 fee for a smart card but they can be reloaded  indefinitely.=== Fare rates ===As of 2023 the fare rates are as follows;+Fare TypeAdultYouth (5-18)Seniors(65+)/Disabled/MedicareSingle-ride fare$1.25$1$0.60Single-ride fare + transfer$1.35$1.10$0.7030-ride ticketbook$27$20$13.5060-ride ticketbook$45$30$22.5060-ride ticketbook + transfers$51$36$28.50Daily pass$3.75$3$1.807-day pass$13$10$6.5031-day pass$45$30$22.50Semester pass$125 - -=== Proposed fare changes ======= Fare free ====There has been multiple proposed changes to the fare system, Now inactive advocacy group known as 'Fare Free SGF' had advocated for expanded and free public transit in the area. The CEO of CU Transit, Gary Gibson, spoke with administration at RideKC, the transit agency for the Kansas City metropolitan area about how their Free public transport has affected their system. According to Gary Gibson their was "mixed messages." Fare free was defined as a possibility in the 2023 study 'ConnectSGF', along with a limited 'Fare free ID' program.==== Fare reduction ====In a 2023 study for the bus system, know as 'ConnectSGF' conducted by Olsson contracted by CU Transit proposed a 20% fare reduction.
Fleet and Depot City Utilities currently owns a total of 33 buses. This consists of 31 buses in the active fleet and two buses in the contingency fleet. All buses operate out of the City Utilities Vehicle Maintenance building at Boonville and Locust, the same building that Streetcars operated by the Springfield Traction Company ran out of. +Active Fixed Route FleetManufactureYearFuel TypeQuantity Gillig2013Diesel 10Gillig2018Diesel11Gillig2019Diesel2Gillig2021Electric Battery2+Contingency Fixed Route FleetManufactureYearFuel TypeQuantity Gillig2002Diesel 2+Active Paratransit FleetManufactureYearFuel TypeQuantity ARBOC20142ARBOC20164
External links *  City Utilities