Saskatoon Transit (formerly Saskatoon Municipal Railway) is the

public transport 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 whic ...

arm of the City of Saskatoon,

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. It operates a fleet of

diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine ...

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...

es. A total of 23 bus routes serve every area of the city, carrying approximately 11 million passengers in 2008.Saskatoon Transit Unveils New Smart Card System, Dec 2009
Saskatoon Transit is a member of the

Canadian Urban Transit Association The Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) is a national association for urban mobility and both the public and private transit industries in Canada. It represents the country's transit agencies and additional third-party stakeholders at both ...

. The major

bus terminal A bus station, bus depot, or bus interchange is a structure where city buses or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. A bus station is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can st ...

is located

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

History

Saskatoon Municipal Railway

Saskatoon Transit was initially known as the Saskatoon Municipal Railway (SMR). In 1912, a franchise was granted to a man named H. M. Evans to develop a

street railway A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...

. No work on this was done and the city revoked Evans' franchise on May 15. Following this, the city consulted the

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, transit planning firm of Stone and Webster, which advised in a report that the future street railway should be municipally operated. The city government began work and by the end of the year, of track had been laid.

Streetcar A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some include s ...

service began on January 1, 1913, using a roster of twelve cars built by the St. Louis Car Company. Despite near-blizzard conditions that day, the service launch was a success, with some 5200 passengers riding the cars. Over 3 million people rode the system in its first year.City of Saskatoon Archives.
Significant Dates: A Saskatoon Chronology
, 1999–2006. Lines and routes followed a radial pattern outward from a central loop which passed by both the

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue a ...

and Canadian Pacific Railway stations. The

terminus Terminus may refer to: Ancient Rome *Terminus (god), a Roman deity who protected boundary markers Transport *Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination *Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end des ...

of each line had a

turning loop A balloon loop, turning loop, or reversing loop (Glossary of North American railway terms, North American Terminology) allows a rail vehicle or train to reverse direction without having to Shunting (rail), shunt or stop. Balloon loops can be u ...

allowing cars to return. Initial fares were 5¢ for an adult ticket and 3¢ for a child. Packs were sold for 25¢ and contained 6 adult or 8 child tickets. In its early years, the system changed fairly little. Before the end of the first year, the street railway negotiated a contract with the

Amalgamated Association of Street and Electrical Railway Employees of America The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) is a labor organization in the United States and Canada that represents employees in the public transit industry. Established in 1892 as the Amalgamated Association of Street Railway Employees of America, the u ...

, Division Number 615. Unlike in cities like

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a 2021 Canadian census, population of 569,353 (2021), and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which encompasses ...

, or

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John () is a port#seaport, seaport city located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. It is Canada's oldest Municipal corporation, incorporated city, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign ...

(site of the

1914 Saint John street railway strike The Saint John street railway strike of 1914 (sometimes called the ''Saint John street railwaymen's strike'') was a strike by workers on the street railway system in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, which lasted from 22–24 July 1914, with riot ...

), the street railway did not have a notably turbulent labour history, with only a brief interruption in streetcar service during a coordinated

sympathy strike Solidarity action (also known as secondary action, a secondary boycott, a solidarity strike, or a sympathy strike) is industrial action by a trade union in support of a strike initiated by workers in a separate corporation, but often the same en ...

organized by the Saskatoon Trades and Labour Council in support of the

Winnipeg General Strike The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 was one of the most famous and influential strikes in Canadian history. For six weeks, May 15 to June 26, more than 30,000 strikers brought economic activity to a standstill in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which at the ...

of 1919. The Trades and Labour Council also successfully protested the city council's attempt to raise streetcar fares to five cents in May 1914. The initial routes had a connection to the then-town of Sutherland, via

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

Avenue and 8th Street; the Mayfair–University line was shorter, running only from 33rd Street and Avenue F to 12th Street and Lansdowne Avenue via the 19th Street Bridge. As well the Avenue H and 7th Avenue lines ran as separate routes, and 7th Avenue ended at Princess Street. Initially Avenue H ran only a single car, with two on the 2nd Avenue–7th Avenue line and four each on the longer two lines. The municipal railway's streetcar roster changed considerably throughout its time operating. Streetcars were initially unheated, but in 1914 and 1915, they received coal and electric heaters. Six additional streetcars were added to the roster between 1914 and 1917. These consisted of three second-hand single-truck cars called "Carolinas", as well as three large double-truck cars built by either the

Preston Car Company The Preston Car Company was a Canadian manufacturer of streetcars and other railway equipment, founded in 1908. It was formed by local investors including Frederick and George Adam Clare. The company was located in the town of Preston, Ontario ...

or the

Ottawa Car Company The Ottawa Car Company was a builder of streetcars for the Canadian market and was founded in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1891 Middleton, William D. (1967). ''The Time of the Trolley'', p. 423. Milwaukee: Kalmbach Publishing. . as an outgrowth of the car ...

. The double-truck cars, however, proved too heavy for use over the

19th Street Bridge The 19th Street Bridge is a two-span through Pratt truss road bridge in Denver, Colorado, over the South Platte River, now used for pedestrians. It was built in 1888 to replace a wooden structure and carried automobile traffic until 1986. The b ...

. Rail historian Anthony Clegg stated in a 1964 article in ''Canadian Rail'' that in 1919, the three cars were exchanged with the

Calgary Municipal Railway The Calgary municipal railway operated a system of streetcar routes in Calgary, Alberta, from 1909, until 1950. From 1909 to 1910 the system was named the ''"Calgary Electric Railway"''. In 1909, and early 1910, the system was known as the ''"C ...

for five lighter cars; however, John Meikle argued in a supplemental to a later issue of ''Canadian Rail'' that the 1919 exchange was of six double-ended Preston-built cars for six Ottawa-built ones from Calgary, which were single-ended. 1920–21 was marked with debate over one-man versus two-man crews, with the railway ultimately opting for one-man crews in 1921. It experienced one of its most notable accidents not long afterward, in 1922, when a streetcar derailed near the 19th Street Bridge, coming to rest at the waterfront. No one was seriously injured. A major

rolling stock The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, Railroad car#Freight cars, freight and Passenger railroad car, passenger cars (or coaches) ...

renewal occurred between 1927 and 1930, when some older streetcars were retired and replaced with thirteen new double-truck cars built by

National Steel Car National Steel Car Limited is the largest manufacturer of railway rolling stock in Canada, based in Hamilton, Ontario. The company was founded in 1912, and has been a top 3 rolling stock manufacturer in Canada for its lifetime. National Steel Car i ...

of Hamilton and the Ottawa Car Company. It was during this period that bus services first began, as rented buses were used to supplement the streetcars. The first bus-only route began operating in 1931. It ran from Westmount to the armouries at 19th Street and 3rd Avenue.

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

-era infrastructure improvements led to a

grade separation In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights ( grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tr ...

along 19th Street, benefitting 7th Avenue and Avenue H service; the 19th Street Subway opened on July 1, 1931. On July 21, 1933, streetcars shifted to the newly built Broadway Bridge, another Great Depression-era

make-work A make-work job is a job that is created and maintained at a cost not offset by the job’s fulfilment. Usually having little or no immediate financial benefit, such roles can be said to exist for other economic or social-political reasons, for ex ...

project. The city's final significant investment in the streetcar system was in 1941, when five additional cars were purchased second-hand after being used on the London Street Railway in

London, Ontario London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River (Ontario), Thames River and N ...

, which had switched to diesel bus operations in 1940. This proved a warning sign for the Saskatoon system, which by this point had contracted to three streetcar routes which were fed by secondary bus routes connecting them to outlying suburban areas. By 1945 Saskatoon Municipal Railway owned 41 passenger cars. SRM-StreetCar

On December 12, 1946, a report was presented which proposed the total conversion of the system to exclusively use motorized buses and

trolleybuses A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...

. A change in management in 1947 cemented the proposal. Conversion was gradual and done route-by-route. The 7th Avenue–Avenue H route was first converted to motor bus on October 1, 1947, before being converted to trolleybus service a year later, on November 28, 1948. Trolleybuses were introduced on the Pleasant Hill section of the Pleasant Hill–Exhibition route in September 1949. This came not long after an official name change to the Saskatoon Transit System, a name the municipal system would continue to use for decades afterward; this occurred on August 15, 1949. Use of the city's

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

on transit vehicles ended on July 14, 1950, when it was replaced with the plain letters "STS". Even so, streetcar operations continued for over a year, with trolleybuses and streetcars being used interchangeably along electrified parts of the system. The last recorded streetcar run was on November 10, 1951, after which most of the streetcars were scrapped. Three of the streetcars were preserved; one was returned to the United States, where it had originally operated, and two were retained for display at the

Saskatchewan Railway Museum The Saskatchewan Railway Museum is a railway museum located west of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan at the intersection of the Pike Lake Highway (Hwy 60) and the Canadian National Railway tracks (on "Hawker" siding). It is operated by the Saskatchewan R ...

Saskatoon Transit System

Saskatoon transit customer service 23d St

Trolleybus service was itself discontinued in 1974. The central transfer point for most bus routes has always been the block of 23rd Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues and the neighbouring corners on 2nd and 3rd Avenues. In 1984, this block was permanently closed to regular traffic and a "Transit Terminal" constructed, consisting of widened sidewalks, heated shelters, and angled curbs to provide three "bays" on each side of the block. The 23rd Street Transit Terminal was opened on November 2, 1984. This terminal area is perceived by many as unsafe, and most of the businesses along this block have relocated; however, Saskatoon Transit has made some recent improvements, including a constant security guard presence and a Customer Service Centre where tickets, passes and schedules may be obtained. The 2005 Strategic Plan Study recommended that major improvements be carried out to the downtown terminal, but by 2020, no changes had been made. Although the official name is now Saskatoon Transit Services (as of 1998), it is generally known simply as ''Saskatoon Transit'', which is what appears on their Web page, logo, and all their brochures. The servicing garage was located in the Caswell Hill neighbourhood, on the north side of 24th Street between Avenues C and D; having expanded to a second facility across 24th Street in 1948.

2005 Strategic Plan Study

A comprehensive studyIBI Group
Saskatoon Transit Strategic Plan Study
, Saskatoon Transit, October 2005. of Saskatoon Transit's service was undertaken in 2005, outlining many deficiencies and making many recommendations. Transit ridership had fallen from 12.4 million passengers in 1987 to 7.2 million passengers in 2005, while the city's population increased from 182,000 to 214,000. The conclusions of the study were summarised in a Short Term Plan and a Long Term Plan. Most of the recommendations of the Short Term Plan have been implemented, and the Long Term Plan is being carried out, subject of course to funding and other considerations. The main recommendations of the Short Term Plan were to re-orient the current regular service network to better serve the

University of Saskatchewan The University of Saskatchewan (U of S, or USask) is a Universities in Canada, Canadian public university, public research university, founded on March 19, 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatch ...

and other key destinations, to introduce higher-order "DART" service on four corridors interlined into two routes, and to construct a new bus terminal at

Market Mall Market Mall (formally branded as "CF Market Mall") is one of the largest malls by retail floor space in the Calgary, Alberta, Canada area at . It is located in Varsity, a suburban neighbourhood in the city's northwest quadrant on Shaganappi Tra ...

, as well as to make major improvements to the terminals downtown and at the University. The routes in place prior to 2006 had not been substantially modified since the 1970s, and some since the 1950s, with the result that many neighbourhoods, particularly the newer suburbs, had poor service. Some areas such as

Montgomery Place Montgomery Place, now Bard College: The Montgomery Place Campus, near Barrytown, New York, United States, is an early 19th-century estate (house), estate that has been designated a National Historic Landmark. It is also a contributing property ...

and Briarwood had no bus service at all on weekends. Many outlying neighbourhoods (e.g.,

Dundonald Dundonald may refer to: Places Canada * Dundonald, Ontario, Cramahe * Dundonald, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan * Dundonald Park, in Ottawa South Africa * Dundonald, Mpumalanga United Kingdom * Dundonald, County Down, Northern Ireland ** Dundonald ...

, Silverspring, Briarwood) had "stub routes" that deposited riders at a suburban mall transfer point, necessitating a transfer, and often two or three, to get anywhere in the city. Post-secondary institutions were under-served relative to the number of students using the buses; SIAST Kelsey Campus had only one major route serving it, so that trips to SIAST from most places in Saskatoon involved a transfer onto an overcrowded bus. Due to extreme congestion at the

, several routes bypassed the campus altogether, forcing students to cross College Drive on foot. Service to the airport was nonexistent, and service to industrial areas was extremely poor. Demand in these areas was also extremely low, at least in part due to the poor service. The Market Mall terminal has been built, and a temporary terminal with car traffic prohibited has been built at the University, pending a longer-term solution. Work has yet to begin on improving or relocating the downtown terminal. The Long Term Plan is a 10-year plan that focuses on the infrastructure needed to maintain the improvements to the system implemented in the Short Term Plan and expansion needed to keep up with the expected increases in ridership that the improvements will generate. Issues include staffing, fleet replacement, refurbishing older buses, maintenance, new technologies such as emissions reduction and "smart" fare collection. Critical items include: * Rejuvenating the fleet. The industry standard is to replace buses on an 18-year cycle; by this standard, Saskatoon Transit's fleet is quite old. The plan recommends replacing 6 buses a year through 2010, and 7 buses a year for the remaining years of the plan, as well as expanding the fleet by 12 buses. * New transit garage. The current transit garage is too small for the fleet and surrounded by residential properties that make it undesirable if not impossible to expand the facility. A satellite facility or entirely new facility in a different location, probably an industrial park, is recommended within the next 5 years. * More bus shelters. The plan recommends a target number of 215 bus shelters (30% of stops), or 22 per year over the course of the plan, up from 3 or 4 per year that are currently installed. * Fare technology. A review of fare collection options, and in particular smart card technology, should be undertaken within a year. * Transit-oriented development. Work with urban planners to design neighbourhoods that work with public transit and discourage use of private vehicles. * Signal priority and queue-jump lanes. Allow buses to avoid congestion by "turning the lights green" for them, and providing bus-only lanes where needed, for instance at the approaches to University Bridge. As of 2022, there are no priority signals, queue-jumps, nor transit-oriented-development of a notable scale to have materialized within the city.

DART (Direct Access Rapid Transit)

Saskatoon Transit Nova Bus LFS Articulated

DART was Saskatoon Transit's pseudo- bus rapid transit service. Unveiled on July 2, 2006, the four DART routes used to interline in the central sections to form two corridors with extremely frequent service. Along this portion of their routes, bus stops were widely spaced to increase speed, and there were "express" sections on each route with no stops for over a kilometre. The interlined routes 50/60 ran from

Confederation Mall Confederation Mall is a 329,128 sq. ft. shopping mall located at 22nd Street and Circle Drive in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The mall was originally named Confederation Park Plaza when it opened in mid-1973, at which time its anchor tenants we ...

to The Centre via downtown and the

, and routes 70/80 ran from

Lawson Heights Mall Lawson Heights Mall (formerly branded The Mall at Lawson Heights) is a shopping centre located at the junction of Warman Road and Primrose Drive in north Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in the Lawson Heights Suburban Centre neighbourhood. It is currently ...

to the University Heights Suburban Centre via

SIAST Saskatchewan Polytechnic (formerly the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology or SIAST ) is Saskatchewan's primary public post-secondary institution for technical education and skills training, recognized nationally and intern ...

Kelsey Campus, downtown and the University. The routes each continued past these points, each serving a residential loop at either end (a total of 8 loops).

Low floor Low or LOW or lows, may refer to: People * Low (surname) Low is an English language, English and Languages of Scotland, Scottish surname. It is also a common surname found among Overseas Chinese language, Chinese communities around the world. ...

buses were used on the DART routes. All buses procured for service were outfitted with bicycle racks on the front and most were air conditioned. As of the 2018 transit route reorganization, the DART service was phased out in favour of interlining several less-frequent routes to provide more regular service (i.e. routes 4/43, 44, and 45; and 8/81, 82, 83, 84, and 86).

Lockouts and Labour Action

The contract for bus drivers had expired in 2012 and operators were working without a contract. In 2014, the City of Saskatoon locked out drivers while negotiations continued; This was deemed illegal by the Saskatchewan Labour Board, as there was a labour practice case before the board at the time of the lockout. The workers were again locked out in 2015, however this was vetoed by City Council and rescinded. After four years without a collective bargaining agreement, the Union (Amalgamated Transit Local 615) took action and drivers went on strike on November 12, 2016. The strike lasted about a month, after which the City and Union reached an agreement on Dec 9, which was accepted by the Union with 55.83% of the vote.

Bus barn re-location

Saskatoon Transit Service has housed its operational headquarters around the 1913 original streetcar building at Avenue C and 24th Street. The city transit service afterwards adopted this area for bus warehouse garages and offices between Avenue C and D at 24th Street. In early 2017, transit storage and maintenance was moved to the newly built Civic Operations Centre. The building has space to house over 200 vehicles and will help facilitate the growth and future electrification of Saskatoon's transit service and other municipal vehicles. ProposedNewTerminal

Transit Terminal

On July 16, 2008, Saskatoon city council authorized a $4.2 million transit terminal to be constructed on a parking lot adjacent to the current on-street terminal. The new terminal would have centred around a

LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a Green building certification systems, green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating ...

-certified building with a

green roof A green roof or living roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage ...

, surrounded by a ring of raised-platform stops. In addition to Saskatoon Transit, the building could also house a coffee shop and government offices such as social services or immigration. However, with the announcement of the new Bus Rapid Transit system came the news that the downtown transit mall will be removed as all three lines will share a station downtown on 1st Avenue. This will open all of 23rd Street to general traffic for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Fares

Fares may be paid by the Go-Pass smart card, or cash (coins only effective February 2010). The adult cash fare is currently $3.00 (as of Feb 2016), which includes unlimited transfers for 90 minutes from time of payment. Primary and secondary school students pay reduced fares. Seniors are eligible for discounted passes lasting 3 months to a year. Riders on social assistance are also eligible for discounted monthly passes.

Post-secondary students

undergraduate students pay a mandatory U-PASS fee (currently $69.50 per term) for a universal transit pass, in the form of a validation sticker on their student card. Students living in on-campus residences and others with special circumstances may apply for an exemption. Other post-secondary students may purchase a 4-month semester pass at a slightly reduced price compared to the adult monthly pass.

Go-Pass

Effective February 2010, Saskatoon Transit has upgraded its fare system to use a

smart card A smart card (SC), chip card, or integrated circuit card (ICC or IC card), is a card used to control access to a resource. It is typically a plastic credit card-sized card with an Embedded system, embedded integrated circuit (IC) chip. Many smart ...

system called Go-Pass. The card has replaced tickets, day passes and monthly passes, respectively with a refillable fare card and unlimited-fare cards that expire after a day or month. The system cost Saskatoon Transit $2.9 million. The system's roll-out date was delayed to February 2010 in order to avoid problems with the new system during the

2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships (''2010 WJHC''), was the 34th edition of IIHF World Junior Championship, Ice Hockey World Junior Championship. The tournament was hosted by Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canad ...

. Smart cards have been adopted to limit

fraud In law, fraud is intent (law), intentional deception to deprive a victim of a legal right or to gain from a victim unlawfully or unfairly. Fraud can violate Civil law (common law), civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrato ...

—such as

forged Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localized compression (physics), compressive forces. The blows are delivered with a hammer (often a power hammer) or a die (manufacturing), die. Forging is often classif ...

monthly passes and short-changed fares—and to reduce the potential for conflict between driver and passenger. Rather than showing the card to the driver, the card is swiped across the reader and may remain inside a wallet. Transfers are

barcode A barcode or bar code is a method of representing data in a visual, Machine-readable data, machine-readable form. Initially, barcodes represented data by varying the widths, spacings and sizes of parallel lines. These barcodes, now commonly ref ...

d and scanned when a passenger boards. The new fare boxes do not accept bills, but

coin A coin is a small object, usually round and flat, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by ...

s are accepted and the values displayed to both rider and driver. Mobile Ticketing Mobile ticketing was fully released in 2021. An additional ticket scanner was added into the bus and could be scanned with the mobile app. Fares are the same price online and in person.

Routes

After waiting for some time, the city of Saskatoon partnered with

Google Transit Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets ( Street View), real-time traffic conditions, and ro ...

in 2016 to provide an online mapping website. This interface will take the routes and city schedules currently available and Google Maps will then calculate for the website viewer the optimal connection for transport between two addresses and the time to be at the designated bus stop for bus service.

Route name

The names next to each route number are displayed on the front of each bus. * 1

Exhibition An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibiti ...

–

City Centre A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the Commerce, commercial, Culture, cultural and often the historical, Politics, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely e ...

* 2 Meadowgreen –

* 3 Hudson Bay Park –

* 4/43

Evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

† * 4/44

/ Willowgrove * 4/45

Arbor Creek Arbor(s) or Arbour(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Arbor'' (installation), a 2013 public artwork in Indianapolis, Indiana, US * Arbor, a counterweight-carrying device found in theater fly systems * ''The Arbor'', a 1980 play by Andr ...

* 4/46

/ 115 Street† * 5 Confederation Terminal –

* 6 Wilson Crescent –

* 7

–

* 8/81 8th Street / Centre Mall –

University A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

* 8/82 8th Street / Centre Mall -

* 8/83 8th Street / Stonebridge -

† * 8/84 8th Street / Centre Mall - Briarwood * 8/86 8th Street / Centre Mall -

Rosewood Rosewood is any of a number of richly hued hardwoods, often brownish with darker veining, but found in other colours. It is hard, tough, strong, and dense. True rosewoods come from trees of the genus '' Dalbergia'', but other woods are often ca ...

* 8/87

Meadows A meadow ( ) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable condition ...

– Centre Mall (Effective June 30th 2024) ‡ * 9 Riversdale –

* 11

Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

–

* 12 River Heights –

* 13 Lawson Heights –

Avalon Avalon () is an island featured in the Arthurian legend. It first appeared in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' as a place of magic where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was made and later where Arthur was taken to recove ...

☆ * 14 North Industrial * 15 Civic Operations Centre -

* 16 Eastview via Preston /

via Preston * 17 Stonebridge –

* 18 College Park –

* 19 Centre Mall –

* 22

–

Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

‡ * 25

SaskTel Centre SaskTel Centre (formerly Credit Union Centre, and originally Saskatchewan Place; informally also known as ''Sask Place'') is an arena located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The facility opened in February 1988 and is currently the home venue ...

‡ * 26 Forest Grove –

* 27 Silverspring –

* 29

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

– Nelson Road /

(Effective June 30th 2024) ☆ * 30 Lawson Heights –

* 35 Silverwood Heights –

* 50 Lakeview –

* 55 Lakeridge –

* 60

–

* 61 Blairmore –

* 63 Hampton Village –

* 64

McCormack McCormack is a Scottish and Irish surname that originated in Ireland Milltown Galway. Spelling variations include: Cormack, MacCormack, MacCormac, McCormac, Cormac, Cormach. Architecture * Sir Richard MacCormac, (1938–2014), British archite ...

–

* 65

Kensington Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...

–

* OnDemand 1 * OnDemand 2 * OnDemand 3 * OnDemand 4

Regular and commuter routes

There are 50 bus routes serving Saskatoon, 32 of which are full service. The remaining routes only operate weekday service, with some in one direction at a time, either towards the downtown or the University in the morning, or towards their respective terminals in the afternoon; and others in both directions, but hourly during the peak hours only.

Combined routes

Some buses change their route number at their terminals, which is also known as a "stay-in-seat transfer" because the passengers do not have to leave the bus when it changes to the different route. The list of these "transfers" is as follows: * 1 Exhibition becomes 7 Dundonald at Downtown Terminal * 3 Hudson Bay Park becomes 9 Riversdale at Downtown Terminal * 9 Riversdale becomes 3 Hudson Bay Park at Downtown Terminal * 7 Dundonald becomes 1 Exhibition at Downtown Terminal * 12 River Heights becomes 19 Centre Mall via Lorne Avenue at Downtown Terminal * 17 Stonebridge becomes 18 College Park at Bottomley St. (outside University of Saskatchewan) * 18 College Park becomes 17 Stonebridge at Bottomley St. * 19 City Centre via Market Mall becomes 12 River Heights at Downtown Terminal * 43, 44, 45, and 46 become 4 Downtown at Nelson and Lowe, and leave downtown as the corresponding 4x route. * 61 Blairmore becomes 63 Hampton Village at Confederation Terminal * 63 Hampton Village becomes 61 Blairmore at Confederation Terminal * 81, 82, 83, 84, and 86 become 8 8th Street at Centre Mall; travel downtown and back, and resume service as the corresponding 8x route. * 81 University (via Taylor) becomes 82 Centre Mall at Bottomley St. * 82 University (via Main) becomes 81 Centre Mall at Bottomley St.

Future

Link Bus Rapid Transit

In April 2019, Saskatoon City Council approved a final design for a new bus rapid transit (BRT) system with an initial schedule of construction starting the summer of 2020 and the system opening for service in 2023. However, implications 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 ...

pushed back the timeline to commence construction in 2024 and to take place over three to four years. The system will run for 38 km over 3 lines, of which 3.5 km will be dedicated

right of way A right of way (also right-of-way) is a specific route that people, animals, vehicles, watercraft, or utility lines travel, or the legal status that gives them the right to do so. Rights-of-way in the physical sense include controlled-access h ...

. It will include 48 stations (a total of 85 platforms will be built), with 3 planned for future infill: with amenities like heated shelters, real-time information displays, transit priority signals, and public art opportunities. The city also plans to build transit-oriented developments in the

S.C., University Heights S.C., and at the Centre Mall. This will be the first proper BRT system in Saskatchewan, and likely the only one for some time. In 2024, it was announced that the new BRT would be branded as " Link".

Other services

School service, special events, charter

Saskatoon Transit operates special morning and afternoon service to many of the city's schools, and also serves events at

. Buses are also available for

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...

trips within 40 km of the city centre. Special routes which are available to the general public have route numbers in the 300-series, with route 333 being the SaskTel Centre special from the downtown terminal. SaskTel Centre sometimes offers charter service from locations other than the downtown, but because these are charter services which regular fare, passes and transfers do not apply, these do not have route numbers.

Access Transit

Access Transit is a shared-ride door-to-door service for people who are unable to use regular transit services. Passengers are required to register in the system and book their trips in advance, either on a per-trip basis or as a regularly scheduled "subscription trip". Fares and payment are the same as for regular transit service. Access Transit in Saskatoon has been used as a model for other cities in Canada and the United States.

Fleet

Saskatoon Transit's fleet consists largely of diesel buses, of which there are approximately 120 in service. Saskatoon also has 8, 30-foot (9.1 m) and 9,

articulated bus An articulated bus, also referred to as a slinky bus, bendy bus, tandem bus, vestibule bus, stretch bus, or an accordion bus, is an articulated vehicle, typically a motor bus or trolleybus, used in public transportation. It is usually a ...

es made by

Nova Bus Nova Bus is a Canadian transit bus manufacturer headquartered in Saint-Eustache, Quebec. Nova is owned by the Volvo Group. The company has roots in the General Motors Diesel Division, which opened in 1979. Nova Bus was established in 1993, by ...

. Since 1995, Saskatoon has ordered Nova and

New Flyer New Flyer is a Canadian multinational Bus manufacturing, bus manufacturer, specializing in the production of transit buses. New Flyer is owned by the NFI Group, a holding company for several bus manufacturers. New Flyer has several manufacturing ...

low-floor bus A low-floor bus is a bus or trolleybus that has no steps between the ground and the floor of the bus at one or more entrances, and low floor for part or all of the passenger cabin. A bus with a partial low floor may also be referred to as a l ...

es with the goal of a 100% low-floor fleet: achieved in 2018. This meant the retirement of the 6 remaining

Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...

high-floor buses. 371 (New Look) and 449 (Classic) are preserved and restored. Eight of the low-floor buses are

hybrid electric A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a type of hybrid vehicle that couples a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) with one or more electric engines into a combined propulsion system. The presence of the electric powertrain, which has i ...

. 88 buses are required for peak hour service commitments. Access Transit has a fleet of 28, accessible buses (allowing for 9 spares); 26 of which are lift-equipped and the two newest of which are low-floor, "truly accessible," and the standard Saskatoon Transit plans to use for its replacement vehicles. In fall 2009, a tender for the first 3 articulated buses was awarded to

. These buses were delivered in April 2010 and officially unveiled at a press conference in front of city hall in June 2010. In 2014, several buses were taken in for maintenance. in September, just before the buses was re-entering service (while the bus driver was getting coffee) they left one of the buses running when a kid discovered it and took it on a 10-meter joyride before hitting another bus that was also re-entering service, causing both to go back into maintenance. On May 31st Saskatoon Transit received its first 2 electric busses From

. They were delivered to the civic operation centre on flatbeds. The first fleet to enter revenue service was the 2411. The 2411 entered service on July 31st 2024 at 6:05 Am With the 2410 following 10 minutes later. Saskatoon Transit also received 5 new

fleets from

In mid October - early November 2024. The fleets were purchased due to increased ridership. Saskatoon Transit's next fleet target is to have a 100% electric fleet by 2030. In 2021, a pilot test was conducted to study the logistics of running an electric fleet, with very positive results. File:Saskatoon transit bus 2.JPG, A

style, built by GM between 1982 and 1987 in the late 90s/early 2000s paint scheme. File:Saskatoon Transit bus429.jpg, A

style, built by MCI between 1987 and 1990. File:Saskatoon transit bus 3.JPG, A

style, built by MCI between 1987 and 1990 in the 80s/early 90s paint scheme. File:Saskatoon transit bus 1.JPG, A

D40LFR, painted in Saskatoon Transit's DART paint scheme, with bike carrier, received in 2006. File:Saskatoon Transit hybrid bus.JPG, A

DE40LFR, a diesel-electric hybrid, painted in the current paint scheme, with bike carrier, received in 2008.

References

External links

Saskatoon Transit

Saskatoon Transit's online planner: Click and Go

{{Public transit systems in Canada Transport in Saskatoon Transit agencies in Saskatchewan Bus transport in Saskatchewan