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Life In Tucson, Arizona


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Here in Tucson, Arizona, Sun Tran has three (3) Transit Centers and two (2) Transit Stations:

 

1) The Ronstadt Transit Center (aka The Ronstadt): Local landmark and meeting place Downtown at 215 East Congress Street (East Congress, East Pennington and North Sixth Avenue). The Ronstadt is the terminal for the #1, #2, #4, #7, #9, #10 (my home bus line), #19 (aka "the Stone bus"), #21, #22, #23,and served by the #3, #6, #8, and #16.

 

Any of the ten (10) local Sun Tran routes that terminate at The Ronstadt will be marked DOWNTOWN.

 

2) The Tohono Tadai Transit Center (aka Tohono): Sun Tran transit center on the north side at 4540 North Stone Avenue. Tohono is the terminal for the #6, #10 (my home bus line), #15, #19 (aka "the Stone bus"), #34 and #61 and served by the #16.

 

Any of the five (5) local Sun Tran routes that terminate at Tohono and alternating 16N buses will be marked TOHONO CENTER.

 

3) Mr. Roy Laos Transit Center (aka Laos): Sun Tran transit center on the south side at 205 West Irvington Road. Laos is the terminal for the #2, #8, #16, #23, #24, #27, #29, #50 and served by the #6 and #11.

 

Any of the 8 local Sun Tran routes and alternating #6 and #11 buses that stop "in Laos" will be marked LAOS CENTER.

 

1) Udall Station: Small Sun Tran bus station at Udall Regional Park on the east side. Served by #5 (marked UDALL STATION) and #8 (Wilmot Road branch buses)

 

2) University Of Arizona (U Of A) Mall: Mall is served by the #9, #15, and the #20.

 

Bus riders in Tucson tend to be polite, thanking the Bus Operator as they exit their bus. Though not rampant, Sun Tran isn't immune to scratchitti, particularly windows in the back half.

 

A small image of one of my favorite types of Sun Tran buses:

 

09%20bus%20with%20bike.jpg

 

A small image showing better the current Sun Tran logo and paint scheme (also my second favorite bus type):

 

gillig%2008-ramp.gif

 

This bus type, I've learned is a 2008 Gillig.

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On Sun Tran buses, announcements (Stop Requested, major intersections, terminals) are made by, I would say, a medium-modulated, cheerful sounding feminine voice. Interior FINDS are a large, readable dark red.

 

This logo and paint scheme appears on our older express buses, some of which are getting another life being placed into local service on routes such as the #6 which serves Tucson International Airport and local service on First, Euclid and Park Avenues and the #11 which also serves Tucson International Airport and local service on Alvernon Way:

 

suntran.jpg

 

 

And here is one of our new express buses which operate on express routes such as the #110X:

 

http://media.photobucket.com/image/Sun%20Tran%20Buses/kanuel/SunTranbuses.jpg

 

Taking a trip down Memory Lane, here we have a Sun Tran G.M.C. Fishbowl marked SPECIAL:

 

7316c.jpg

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Hi, Happy Friday, Everyone! Today (Friday July 22d), I finally caught one of our old express buses that have been placed in local service by Sun Tran.

 

It was 11:40am on the #10 (my home bus line). While the digital display (especially in Tucson sunlight) is dim (still readable) and similiarly the FIND inside and there were no voice announcements, the interior of bus number 9449 was still nice.

 

The seats are very comfortable, being completely {softly) upholstered and the interior is something like an orange-brown "earth" color. The bus was quiet. I rode it Downtown.

 

I can see why Sun Tran is giving these buses a second life as new express buses are placed into service, placing them on routes such as the #6 which serves Tucson International Airport and provides local service on North First, Euclid, and South Park Avenues and on the #11 which also serves T.I.A. and provides local service on Alvernon Way and East Ajo Way.

 

The display might be a bit of challenge to riders at bus stops on North Main Avenue/Oracle Road between West Speedway and West Miracle Mile which has both the #10 and #16 (another nice feature is that on streets which are served by two bus routes, an audible voice recording announces the bus route number at bus stops along the common section).

 

Another thing Sun Tran is doing is eliminating the U-Turn at some terminals, and creating a "one-seat" transfer by "combining" some independent bus routes that meet into "a single extended route".

 

For example, the #7 primarily serves 22d Street while running from The Ronstadt to South Harrison Road and East Golf Links Road and the #17 primarily serves Country Club Road and East Golf Links Road while running from Curtis and Davis on the Northwest side to East Golf Links Road and South Harrison Road.

 

Well, Sun Tran makes most eastbound #7s become westbound #17s at South Harrison and East Golf Links and most eastbound #17s become westbound #7s at East Golf Links and South Harrison.

 

Riders can still transfer at East 22d Street/South Country Club Road between the #7 and #17, but by staying on either the #7 (eastbound) or #17 (eastbound), a rider gets a one-seat in-bus transfer to their destination.

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Hi jimmy7train; The Gilligs I've ridden feel nice to ride in and, personally, I think the acceleration noise is cool.

 

Many times, the bus operating in service on the #10 features seating along the window sides that faces inward and each other in the back half with the seating along the back wall facing the front (I think this is "Bench"-style seating?). Also, the back half is higher than the front half and there are two steps to climb up/down.

 

In addition to the overhead hold bar for standees, many Sun Tran local buses also feature black cloth straps to hold onto if a rider has to stand.

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