The Duluth Transit Authority (DTA) is the

public transit Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of wh ...

operator in the

Twin Ports The Duluth MN–WI Metropolitan Area, commonly called the Twin Ports, is a small metropolitan area centered around the cities of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. The Twin Ports are located at the western part of Lake Superior (the we ...

region of

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

and

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

. DTA operates 15 bus routes throughout the region, serving

Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

;

Superior, Wisconsin Superior (; ) is a city in Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 26,751 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the western end of Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin, the city l ...

, and their surrounding suburbs. DTA was founded in 1969 by an act of the

Minnesota Legislature The Minnesota Legislature is the bicameral legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senators are elected from 67 single-member districts. In order to account for decenn ...

, and as of 2024, provides over 2.1 million passenger trips per year. In 2009, the DTA was named Transit System of the Year by the Minnesota Public Transit Association. DTA operates 14 bus routes in the Twin Ports region. Two "GO Line" routes provide frequent,

limited-stop In public transit, particularly bus, tram, or train transportation, a limited-stop (or sometimes referred to as semi-fast) service is a trip pattern that stops less frequently than a local service. Many limited-stop or semi-fast services are a co ...

service on key corridors, and a shuttle service operates during summers to connect tourist destinations on the Duluth waterfront.

Routes

DTA redesigned its bus network in 2023 under the "Better Bus Blueprint" initiative. Planning began in 2017, and a final draft of the network was unveiled in 2021. Under the Better Bus Blueprint, DTA reallocated resources from its previous network of 33 routes to 14 new routes, with more frequent service on weekdays and expanded weekend service. Implementation of the plan was delayed due to issues in retaining bus drivers, compounded by the effects of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

Duluth Transportation Center

Duluth Transportation Center (DTC) is the downtown hub for the Duluth transit system. The DTC was built in February 2016, replacing an existing parking ramp. The building was designed by LHB Corporation and constructed by Mortenson Construction. The DTC has eight docks for boarding buses, with space for layovers. Skyways to nearby buildings were replaced during construction, improving pedestrian access.

Incidents

On September 10, 2021, a 36-year-old bus driver fatally struck a 64-year-old pedestrian near the

Miller Hill Mall Miller Hill Mall is a shopping mall located in Duluth, Minnesota, United States. It is located on U.S. Highway 53 where it intersects Trinity Road. The mall, owned by Simon Property Group, features 103 stores and a food court. The mall's anchor ...

. She was charged with criminal vehicular homicide; prosecutors alleged she was distracted when she struck the pedestrian.

Ridership

Duluth Transit Authority is the Minnesota's third-largest transit system by ridership, after the Metro Transit and

University of Minnesota Campus Shuttle The University of Minnesota's Campus Shuttle is a zero-fare bus service operating on the University's Minneapolis and St. Paul ( Falcon Heights) campuses. In 2009, the system carried more than 3.9 million riders, making it the second-busiest ...

systems in

Minneapolis–Saint Paul Minneapolis–Saint Paul is a metropolitan area in the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States centered around the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi, Minnesota River, Minnesota, and St. Croix River (Wisconsin–Minnesota), ...

References

External links