Some important changes ahead for the 0E, 7, and 8.
Several routes will have detours during the festival and parade this weekend.
On June 3rd of 2019 we published a new schedule that made adjustments to the timetables of several routes in response to data collected from our new intelligent transportation systems. Using new GPS data, we identified several locations where specific routes were consistently running early or late and made tweaks to those schedules to more accurately reflect the actual times of buses on those routes, which in turn makes our schedules more reliable and decreases perceived wait time. The system’s on-time performance has increased significantly as a result.
SMTD buses are also now outfitted with automated passenger counters that - when combined with GPS - can help us determine exactly when and where passengers are getting on or off the bus. This data informs decisions like where to put shelters (you need them when you’re waiting for the bus, not when you get off the bus) and where to increase or cut service. Several changes going live in the Fall 2019 schedule (going into effect on August 19th), are based on this information.
Route 1 - North 5th
After finding enough extra time in the route we opted to add a segment to Route 1 that travels to Walmart on North Dirksen. This is by far the most utilized bus stop in the entire SMTD system outside of those at the Transfer Center, and adding this segment to Route 1 has the following benefits:
Less wait time at other time checks along the route
Quick two-way travel from Walmart to the Sand Hill area and everything between
Spreads passenger load and thus increases on-time performance for other routes that utilize that stop (Routes 2 & 3)
The first two weekday trips on the June 2019 Route 1 schedule compared to those going into effect on August 19th, 2019.
Route 4 - W. Jefferson / W. Lawrence
A small segment was added to Route 4 outbound that detours from E. Cook onto 7th, looping back to E. Cook but stopping by SMTD’s home office along the way. Previously Route 11 was the only daytime route servicing this stop - and only inbound - but this new segment provides direct travel from the Transfer Center to SMTD’s offices.
The new Route 4 pattern starting on August 19th, 2019.
Route 5 - N. Grand / Medical
Due to low ridership, travel to the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport was cut from Route 5. The time surplus from this cut will be used to add a segment to the inbound portion of Route 5 that goes from 11th to Carpenter, to MLK, to E. Cook, and then back to the Transfer Center.
The new Route 5 pattern starting on August 19th, 2019.
Route 8 - South Grand / MacArthur
Further timetable adjustments were made to Route 8 to correct errors in the June 2019 schedule. Additionally, modifications to destination signs will make it easier for those in the Scarritt/Pasfield/Allen loop to determine whether the next bus is headed inbound (“to Transfer Center”) or outbound (“to North Street”).
The first two weekday trips on the June 2019 Route 8 schedule compared to those going into effect on August 19th, 2019.
Route 903 - West Side Night Service
To avoid trains on the 3rd Street rail, Route 903 will no longer take 2nd Street to Washington inbound. Instead, buses will take 2nd Street to Capitol to 4th Street and then to Washington.
Route 903 will begin using the path in red beginning August 19th, 2019 instead of taking 2nd Street directly to Washington. By utilizing the underpass on Capitol, buses can consistently avoid trains on the 3rd Street rail.
All Night Service Routes
All night service buses will start 15 minutes later to facilitate better interaction with the day service routes. The first trips out of the Transfer Center will leave at 6:00 PM while the last will depart at 10:00 PM.
Moving Forward Together
We understand that even minor changes to the system can have huge effects on the lives of our passengers and that a system in constant flux is not a bus system you can rely on. The adjustments made in June and those going into effect in August were designed with this in mind, optimizing the current system so that buses arrive when expected and get you to your destination as quickly and as safely as possible.
Due to construction on 5th Street only one bus will be able to park at Stop F at the downtown transfer center starting on Thursday, December 21st. Other routes that normally stop at F will be moved to other transfer stops.
- Route 18 will move to bus stop B
- Route 4 will move to bus stop A
- Route 3 will move to bus stop C
- Route 1 will stay at bus stop F
The construction is expected to conclude within a few days.
Several streets downtown will be closed for the Route 66 Mother Road Festival being held this weekend so we will be relocating both the day and night transfer centers to 5th & Jackson. Here's a listing of the detour maps for each route:
- Route 1 - North 5th
- Route 2 - North 9th
- Route 3 - Grandview
- Route 4 - West Jefferson
- Route 5 - North Walnut
- Route 6 - East Cook / Ash / White Oaks Mall
- Route 7 - West Washington
- Route 8 - 1st & Highland
- Route 9 - M. L. King
- Route 10 - Southern View / Laketown
- Route 11 - UIS
- Route 13 - MacArthur / Westchester / Jerome
- Route 14 - Wabash / Prairie Crossing / Gaines Mill
- Route 15 - South 11th / UIS / LLCC
- Route 16 - Bergen Park / Sand Hill
- Route 18 - Lawrence / Knox Knolls
- Route 901 - North Side Night Service
- Route 902 - Southeast Side Night Service
- Route 903 - West Side Night Service
- Route 905 - UIS / LLCC Night Service
Several routes will also have to make slightly different detours on Friday, September 22nd due to the parade, starting at 5:45 pm and lasting until the parade concludes. These can be seen on this map.
On Saturday, May13, 2017 at 6:00am, due to the 5K event downtown,
the transfer center will be located on the south side of Monroe (State Capitol side) between
2nd & College, returning to the regular transfer center at 5th & Capitol at 11:45am. Routes will
stage as follows:
- Between College and Spring on Monroe:
- 1 N. 5th
- 2 N. 9th
- 3 Grandview
- 4 W. Jefferson
- 5 N. Walnut
- 7 W. Washington
- 13 MacArthur/Westchester
- 16 Bergen Park/Sand Hill
- 18 Lawrence/Knox Knolls
- Between Spring and 2nd Streets on Monroe:
- 6 E. Cook
- 8 1st/Highland
- 9 M.L. King
- 10 Southern View/Laketown
- 11 UIS
- 14 Wabash/Prairie Crossing
- 15 So. 11th/UIS/LLC
As usual, buses will be in service on Veterans Day (Friday, November 9th) but will be running Saturday schedules which means some routes will run every hour instead of every half-hour. We have included this holiday service in our GTFS data so that supported navigation apps will be able to give you the correct information.
Additionally, the daytime transfer center will be moved one block south to 5th & Jackson during the Veterans Day parade, from approximately 8:15 AM to 11:45 AM. After the parade concludes the transfer center will be moved back to its normal location at 5th & Capitol.
Springfield, IL – The Springfield Mass Transit District (SMTD) will implement changes to one route and three schedules beginning June 6th. In addition, a new Lincoln Tomb & War Memorials Express route will begin the evening of Tuesday, June 7th.
“A year ago, we began an annual process of evaluating our entire system each spring and making recommendations for changes to address everything from efficiency to service gaps to route performance,” said Steve Schoeffel, SMTD’s Service Planning and Marketing Specialist. “These changes are a product of that evaluation and recommendation process.” He listed the changes passengers can expect beginning Monday, June 6th:
1. Route 8 – 1st & Highland will be simplified into one path with a single schedule. The route currently runs two different paths. One serves Highland and North Street, and one serves Highland and Outer Park. While SMTD has received positive feedback on the addition of North St. and Outer Part to the route, the current split route schedule is too complicated. The new route will follow the existing route from downtown to 1st & Outer Park, then travel west to MacArthur, south to Highland, east to Spring, south to North St. and North St. to Stanford Avenue, then to Scheels. The return trip to downtown will follow virtually the same path in reverse.
2. Route 5 – N. Walnut will begin 30-minute service throughout the day. The route currently has 1-hour off-peak service between 9:15am and 2:15pm. Service every thirty minutes throughout the day will begin on this route on June 6th.
3. Route 18 – Lawrence/Knox Knolls will begin hourly off-peak service between the hours of 9:15am and 2:15pm. Currently, this route has 30-minute service throughout the day, but considerably higher ridership during this time on Route 5 makes switching thirty minute service to Route 5 a more-efficient use of SMTD’s resources. This route will also begin its inbound trip at Lawrence & Dickinson rather than the current Dickinson & Cranmer stop, and it will begin that inbound trip at :27 after the hour all day and :57 after the hour all day except the off-peak hours 9:15am to 2:15pm.
Lincoln's Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery.
4. Route 11 – UIS will only stop at the County Health Department building during their regular office hours. Monday through Friday, the first bus to stop here will be at
8:26am and the last bus will depart to downtown at 5:29pm.
5. Lincoln Tomb & War Memorials Express service will begin Tuesday evening at 5:30pm at the Washington Street side of the Old State Capitol and will travel non- stop to Lincoln’s Tomb and the War Memorials at Oak Ridge Cemetery at 5:30pm, 6:30pm and 7:30pm June through August. This route is designed around the weekly Flag Retreat ceremony at Lincoln’s Tomb at 7pm on Tuesday nights. The last bus will leave Lincoln’s Tomb at 7:46pm and the War Memorials at 7:50pm in order to be out of the cemetery before it closes at 8pm. Fare will be a one-time $2 per person charge, and the ticket can be used multiple times on the day it is first used.
“What’s New Summer 2016 at SMTD!” brochures containing all of these details are being distributed by operators on buses and at SMTD’s offices in the coming days.
“We believe these changes will be a net positive for our passengers, operators and staff,” Schoeffel said. “Route 8 will be much simpler for the public to use, and we’re excited to offer more frequent service on one of our busiest routes, Route 5 N. Walnut, which serves Memorial Medical Center.”
SMTD is considering the Lincoln Tomb & War Memorials Express a pilot program.
“We are cautiously optimistic about how well this new express route will do,” Schoeffel added. “After this summer, we will evaluate ridership and any feedback we get from the community to see if it’s something we want to continue, make permanent or even expand. The future will depend on how well the route performs this summer.”
SMTD’s routes and other information can be found at SMTD.org and several apps and mobile tools like Google Transit, Moovit and TripGo.
Update 9/15/15: Bus Stop A is up and running as usual this morning.
Original posting:
Attention SMTD Passengers:
Due to a water main break, 5th Street between Capitol and Jackson at the Downtown Transfer Center is closed. As a result, Bus Stop A is inaccessible.
Routes 10 - S. View/Laketown and 8 - 1st/Highland will be on 4th Street between Jackson & Capitol and may be double parked to pick up passengers. Route 14 - Wabash/Prairie Crossing will be at Bus Stop C on Capitol and inbound Route 2 - N. 9th will be detouring on 7th Street to get to the Transfer Center.
This post will be updated as new information becomes available.
SMTD is announcing today that, effective next Monday, August 10th, the 1st & Highland Route #8 will expand service onto both North Street and Outer Park Drive between 1st Street and MacArthur in addition to the current route that runs along Highland Avenue to Scheels.
“We have had requests from the public for service along both North Street, where quite a few local employers are located, and along Outer Park, an area once served by a bus that utilized Lowell Avenue,” said Steve Schoeffel, SMTD’s Service Planning & Marketing Specialist. “This is an adjustment to address those requests and attempt to boost ridership while still serving our loyal riders that currently use the route.”
Two buses currently serve Route 8 every half-hour in the morning from 6:15 AM to 9:15 and from 2:15 PM to 5:45 in the evening, with hourly service from 9:15 to 2:15. The expansion to North Street and Outer Park is accomplished by putting one bus outbound on North Street and inbound to downtown on Highland and the other outbound on Highland and inbound on Outer Park – both in the morning – then reversing those routes in the afternoon.
“For all practical purposes, we split the existing route into two routes, one serving North Street and Highland and the other serving Outer Park and Highland,” Schoeffel added. “There won’t be as many trips on Highland as there were before, and that might take time for the public to adjust to, but when we were considering the changes, we spoke to drivers and riders alike to see what made the most sense and had the least negative impact on our regular riders. Each bus will still be on Highland for part of their hour-long trip from downtown and back, and, overall, this is going to be a positive and popular change.”
New stops along the route will be as follows:
- On North Street:
- at Spring Street
- in front of Woodside Township Offices
- between J & W Counter Tops and Charlie Parker's
- directly north of Casey's General Store
- On Outer Park:
- at S. Glenwood Avenue
- at S. Lowell Avenue
- at S. College Street
- at S. 1st Street
Maps & Schedules for Route 8 Changes:
Note that these schedules will not take effect until Monday, August 10th. At that time they will be added to the route listing page as well as the quick route access drop down menus on the site.
