StarMetro
 | |
|
BRT Low Floor in StarMetro colors | |
| Slogan | Smart City. Smart Transit. Moving Forward Together. |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Tallahassee, Florida |
| Service area | Tallahassee, Florida |
| Service type | Bus |
| Routes | 11 weekday |
| Hubs | 1 |
| Stations | C.K. Steele Plaza |
| Operator | City of Tallahassee |
| Website | starmetro |
StarMetro is the city-owned and operated public bus service for Tallahassee, Florida, and was previously known as TalTran. StarMetro operates both fixed-route and dial-a-ride service in the Tallahassee metropolitan area.
Routes
StarMetro operates every day of the year except for Thanksgiving and Christmas day. Weekday service consists of 11 regularly scheduled fixed-routes, one flex-route, and one express route that operates during peak travel times. The "Saturday" schedule consists of ten of the weekday routes, typically with the earliest trip eliminated and/or the headway reduced. The "Sunday" schedule consists of a completely separate system of five routes that is not as extensive as the weekday/Saturday routes. This Sunday route system is also run on weekday and Saturday nights (7:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M.). All weekday and Saturday routes are named for Tallahassee area locations and symbols while the Sunday routes are numbered. Additionally, on Friday and Saturday evenings from 5:00 P.M. to 3:00 A.M. StarMetro operates the "Rhythm" route which offers free service to various bars in the Gaines Street, Downtown, and Midtown areas.
Weekday routes
| Route | Headway | Destinations |
|---|---|---|
| A – Azalea | 40 minutes | Commonwealth, Tennessee St., Mahan Dr., Fallschase |
| B – Big Bend | 30 minutes | Monroe St. from Fred George Road to Capital Cir SE |
| C – Canopy | 25 minutes | Tennessee St. between Tallahassee Community College and Governor's Square Mall |
| D – Dogwood | 40 minutes | Thomasville Rd. to Innovation Park |
| E – Evergreen | 40 minutes | TCC, Tharpe St. and Park Ave. |
| F – Forest | 30 minutes | Huntington Oaks, Mission Rd., Appleyard Dr., Jackson Bluff Rd., Downtown |
| G – Gulf | 60 minutes | Ridge Rd., Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Macon Community |
| L – Live Oak | 45 minutes | Innovation Park, Orange Ave., Blair Stone Rd., Apalachee Pkwy. |
| M – Moss | 20 minutes | Frenchtown, Bond Community, South City |
| S – San Luis | 50 minutes | Commonwealth Area, Tallahassee Mall, TMH, Capital Regional Medical Center |
| T – Tall Timbers | 40 minutes | TCC, FSU, Downtown, Koger Center, Capital Circle NE, Village Square |
Additionally, the SouthWood Express route runs from downtown to SouthWood and back every 60 minutes with breaks in service from 9:30 to 11:25 a.m. and from 2:00 to 3:15 p.m. StarMetro also offers a "FLEX" route which connects residents in the Lake Jackson area to the Lake Jackson town center, where riders can transfer to the Big Bend and Forest routes. Riders must call StarMetro two hours before they wish to be picked up in order to use the FLEX route.
Saturday routes
| Route | Headway | Destinations |
|---|---|---|
| A – Azalea | 25 minutes peak/50 minutes off-peak | Commonwealth, Tennessee St., Mahan Dr., Governor's Square Mall |
| B – Big Bend | 40 minutes | Monroe St. from Fred George Road to Capital Cir SE |
| D – Dogwood | 40 minutes | Thomasville Rd. to Innovation Park |
| E – Evergreen | 60 minutes | TCC, Tharpe St. and Park Ave. |
| F – Forest | 40 minutes | Huntington Oaks, Mission Rd., Appleyard Dr., Jackson Bluff Rd., Downtown |
| G – Gulf | 60 minutes | Ridge Rd., Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Macon Community |
| L – Live Oak | 45 minutes | Innovation Park, Orange Ave., Blair Stone Rd., Apalachee Pkwy. |
| M – Moss | 50 minutes | Frenchtown, Bond Community, South City |
| S – San Luis | 50 minutes | Commonwealth Area, Tallahassee Mall, TMH, Capital Regional Medical Center |
| T – Tall Timbers | 60 minutes | TCC, FSU, Downtown, Koger Center, Capital Circle NE, Village Square |
Sunday routes
| Route | Headway | Destinations |
|---|---|---|
| Route 1 | 40 minutes | Tennessee St., Magnolia Dr., Governor's Square Mall |
| Route 2 | 40 minutes | Macon Community, Monroe St., Orange Ave. |
| Route 3 | 30 minutes | TCC, Pensacola St., Gaines St., Koger Center |
| Route 4 | 35 minutes | Orange Ave., Governor's Square Mall, Tallahassee Memorial Hospital |
| Route 5 | 45 minutes | Frenchtown, Bond Community, South City |
Campus routes
StarMetro operates fixed routes on the campuses of Florida State University and Florida A&M University Monday through Friday while school is in session. These routes are free to the public and connect each campus with nearby student housing facilities.
Enhanced services
- Bike-On-Bus is a free bike rack system which allows up to two people on a first-come, first-served basis, to load their bikes onto bike racks fixed to front of the buses
- Next by Text allows riders to learn the arrival time of the next bus at any stop by texting the stop number to 27299.
- Spirit Express transports Florida State Seminoles football fans from the Tallahassee–Leon County Civic Center to Doak Campbell Stadium and back. Children under 12 ride for free.
- Bus charters are available with StarMetro.
- Community Transportation Coordinator. Transportation services for citizens throughout Leon County are available. Riders must qualify through Medicaid, Developmental Disabilities or the Transportation Disadvantaged program for transportation. This is door-to-door service with fares charged based on the sponsoring program.
Fares
The regular, one-trip fare is $1.25 and the reduced one-trip fare is $0.60. the reduced fare is available for seniors, children, disabled persons and people on medicare. Passengers who purchase a one-trip fare may request a transfer ticket from the driver. Transfer tickets are valid for up to two transfers within 90 minutes of the ticket being issued.
StarMetro offers three unlimited ride pass options: one day of unlimited rides for $3.00, seven days unlimited for $10.00, and a monthly unlimited pass for $38.00.[1]
Facilities and infrastructure
StarMetro's main station is C.K. Steele plaza, which was named for the Reverend Charles Kenzie Steele. It is located at 111 West Tennessee Street in downtown Tallahassee on the block bordered by Tennessee Street, Adams Street, Call Street, and Duval Street. The plaza features 24 covered gates for passenger boarding and alighting. Amenities at the plaza include restrooms, covered seating areas, bus driver lounge, and a customer service booth. Seven out of the 11 regularly scheduled weekday routes (Azalea, Big Bend, Canopy, Dogwood, Evergreen, Forest, and Moss) and the SouthWood Express route stop at the plaza, making it the single busiest stop in the system. In addition to StarMetro busses, Steele Plaza serves as the eastern terminus of the Gadsden Express route, which connects the residents of Quincy and Midway to Tallahassee. Megabus also uses the plaza as its Tallahassee stop along the Orlando – New Orleans Route.
The headquarters for StarMetro are located at 555 Appleyard Drive at the corner of Appleyard and Jackson Bluff Road. Only two routes pass this facility (Forest and Live Oak). Located on this property are administrative offices, a bus maintnence facility, bus parking lot, call center, and customer service window.
Bus stops are referred to as Star Stops, and they are denoted by a circular blue sign featuring a white star. Many stops have no amenities, while the busier stops and transfer points have various amenities including benches, waste containers, and/or covered shelters.
Fleet
Active fleet
| Year | Builder and model name |
Photo | Length (feet) |
Width (inches) |
Numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Gillig Advantage G18B102N4 |
35 ft (10.67 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 0101-0109 | ||
| 2003 | Gillig Advantage G18B102N4 |
35 ft (10.67 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 0301-0302 | ||
| 2005 | Gillig Advantage G29B102N4 |
35 ft (10.67 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 0501-0509 | ||
| 2006 | Gillig BRT G29E102R2 |
 |
31 ft (9.45 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 0601-0605 | |
| 2007 | Gillig BRT G29E102R2 |
31 ft (9.45 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 0701 | ||
| 2007 | Gillig BRT G29D102N4 (0702-0706), G27D102N4 (0707-0710) |
 |
41 ft (12.50 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 0702-0710 | |
| 2008 | Champion Defender |
36.1 ft (11.00 m) | 95 in (2.41 m) | 0801-0804 | These vans are featured in a unique Florida State color scheme and shuttle passengers from and within FSU. | |
| 2009 | Gillig BRT G27B102N4 |
37 ft (11.28 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 0901, 0903 | Both buses are featured in a unique Florida State color scheme and shuttle passengers from and within FSU. | |
| 2009 | Gillig BRT G27B102N4 |
37 ft (11.28 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 0902, 0904-0908 | ||
| 2009 | Champion Challenger |
23 ft (7.01 m) | 95 in (2.41 m) | 2901-2914 | These vans are only used for StarMetro's Dial-A-Ride service, which utilizes door-to-door service designed for senior citizens and the disabled, who may not be able to get to a standard bus stop. Dial-A-Ride features separate, smaller, multi-passenger vans equipped with handicap access and side mounted wheelchair lifts. | |
| 2010 | Gillig BRT G27D102N4 |
41 ft (12.50 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 1001–1012 | ||
| 2011 | Gillig BRT G27B102N4 |
34.9 ft (10.64 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 1101–1103 | ||
| 2011 | Gillig BRT G27D102N4 |
41 ft (12.50 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 1104–1105 | ||
| 2012 | Proterra EcoRide BE35 |
34.9 ft (10.64 m) | Unknown | 1201–1203 Proposed numbers |
These buses will be in service on April 2012.[2] |
Promotional fleet
| Year | Photo | Numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 |  |
0555 | The "Big Dipper" is a miniature vehicle resembling a bus and operated by one StarMetro employee. Custom built by the StarMetro maintenance shop from used bus parts, the "Big Dipper" is used in Tallahassee's parades at Winter Festival and Springtime Tallahassee. |
Retired fleet
| Year | Builder and model name | Length (feet) |
Width (inches) |
Numbers | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | General Motors Corporation New Look (T6H-4523A) |
35 ft (10.67 m) | 96 in (2.44 m) | 7601-7623 | ||
| 1982 | Blue Bird City Bird |
30 ft (9.14 m) | 96 in (2.44 m) | 8201-8205 | ||
| 1984 | General Motors Corporation RTS-04 (T80-604) |
40 ft (12.19 m) | 96 in (2.44 m) | 8401-8404 | ||
| 1984 | General Motors Corporation RTS-04 (T70-604) |
35 ft (10.67 m) | 96 in (2.44 m) | 8405-8411 | ||
| 1992 | Transportation Manufacturing Corporation RTS-06 (T70-606) |
35 ft (10.67 m) | 96 in (2.44 m) | 9201-9207 | ||
| 1993 | Orion Bus Industries 02.501 |
25.92 ft (7.90 m) | 96 in (2.44 m) | 9301-9305 | ||
| 1994 | Transportation Manufacturing Corporation RTS-06 (T70-606) |
35 ft (10.67 m) | 96 in (2.44 m) | 9401-9425 | ||
| 1994 | New Flyer Industries D40LF |
40 ft (12.19 m) | 102 in (2.59 m) | 9426-9432 | These buses were ex-Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Agency units purchased in 2005. | |
| 1996 | NovaBus RTS-06 (T80-606) |
40 ft (12.19 m) | 96 in (2.44 m) | 9601-9609 | ||
| 2000 | Advanced Bus Industries TSV-30 |
30 ft (9.14 m) | 96 in (2.44 m) | Unknown (4 buses) |
These buses were ex-Central Ohio Transit Authority units. |
Improvements/StarMetro Renaissance Project
From 2006–2009, StarMetro began a makeover including new routes, stations, and stops. One planned change is the addition of two new transfer stops. These stops will make it possible to travel across Tallahassee without changing buses at the downtown hub station. In addition, StarMetro is planning wireless internet and television in buses, GPS-enabled buses with live location maps over the Internet, solar-lighted stops with live location maps, and blinking lights at stops to let drivers know of waiting passengers. The C.K. Steele station includes renovation and installation of information kiosks. Seats on the newer-model buses are made of padded plastic and are arranged front-facing in rows and sideways against the walls, much like a subway car layout. All models in use except the Dial-A-Ride shuttle vans exceed 4000 pounds, and therefore are not equipped with seat belts. All buses are equipped with climate-control and interior lighting.
StarMetro implemented a complete route overhaul dubbed "Nova2010" in 2010, which reduced the current system to 11 routes, of which only 4 are intended meet at CK Steele Plaza. The routes now run at closer intervals than before, while providing transfer points all over the city — no longer requiring all two-bus trips to transfer at CK Steele Plaza. Some trips may now require two transfers, but will still generally result in a more direct and faster trip than transferring at the Plaza.
References
- ↑ StarMetro. "Fares & Passes." City of Tallahassee. http://www.talgov.com/starmetro/starmetro-fares.aspx
- ↑ http://www.talgov.com/starmetro/starmetro-news.aspx#eb