Thunder Bay Transit

Public transit in Thunder Bay was first established in 1892. The silver boom had recently ended, destroying Port Arthur's primary economic raison d'être. Compounding the matter was the Canadian Pacific Railway's decision to build its grain elevators and rail yards in neighbouring Fort William, 6 km (4 mi) away. With businesses and population vanishing, Port Arthur decided after much debate to build a street car line to connect the town with the rail yards in neighbouring Fort William, much to that town's chagrin.[11]

In 1891, the town of Port Arthur was authorized to construct and operate the first municipally owned street railway in Canada. The Port Arthur Street Railway (PASRy) commenced operations in March 1892, and in that same year, McDonald and Company commenced operations of a private street railway in neighbouring Fort William, which connected the Port Arthur Street Railway's southern terminus at Fort William's northern town limits into the downtown core of Fort William.[8] Although Fort William wanted nothing to do with Port Arthur's municipal railway, PASRy gained control of the McDonald and Company line on June 1, 1893, and extended its operations into the town.[11][12]

In 1907, Port Arthur and Fort William became cities. The Ontario Railway and Municipal Board forced Port Arthur to sell its section of the railway in Fort William to that city on March 11, 1908, and to submit to operation by a joint commission until December 1, 1913, under the name Port Arthur and Fort William Railway. Thereafter, each city ran its own street railway—Port Arthur assumed the name Port Arthur Civic Railway in 1914, and Fort William assumed the name Fort William Street Railway.[8] Port Arthur added two belt lines to its main line in 1913, with the first street cars running on the North Belt Line October 29, 1913.

The Port Arthur Public Utilities Commission which ran the street railway acquired its first 36-passenger bus (painted maroon and cream) in August 1946 manufactured at the Canadian Car and Foundry plant in Fort William. It immediately phased out the Arthur Street railway line, and renamed its system as Port Arthur Transit..[13] Gasoline-powered buses were introduced in December 1946 to serve the intercity route. Electric trolley buses were introduced on December 15, 1947,[14] the same year that the Fort William Street Railway was renamed the Fort William Transit Company. The trolley buses were manufactured by J. G. Brill and Company at the Canadian Car and Foundry plant in Fort William. The Intercity trolley coach line of each city's system opened in 1947 and was interlined, with operators' coaches serving the entire line in both cities until 1955.

Street railway operations ended in Thunder Bay in 1948. Port Arthur's last three antiquated cars made their final run over the North Belt Line on February 16, 1948 in a driving snowstorm, and Fort William's street cars ceased operations on October 16, 1948. Since January 1, 1970, when Port Arthur and Fort William were amalgamated into the City of Thunder Bay, the system has been known as Thunder Bay Transit.[8] Electric trolley buses were discontinued on September 10, 1972,[14] and the city has since used diesel buses.

Thunder Bay Transit purchased its first low-floor buses in 1994,[15] and by March 2007 became the first full-sized transit agency in Ontario to have a fleet that consisted entirely of accessible buses.[9] Later that year, Thunder Bay Transit became the second Canadian transit agency to implement Grey Island Systems GPS/AVL and NextBus system with passenger counters, fare box integrations and passenger information systems.[16]

Thunder Bay Transit fares were last increased on July 20, 2020. Exact cash fare on Thunder Bay Transit is $3.00, support persons ride free, as do children under the age of twelve. Bus tickets can be purchased in groups of 10 for $25.50. Twenty ride punch passes have been discontinued. Tickets are transferable—they can be shared by many people at one time&mdash. A transfer pass can be obtained when boarding with cash or tickets, and allows passengers to change buses up to two times for the price of one fare. Transfer passes have a 90 minute time limit and are non-transferable—they can be used only by the person to whom they are issued.

Thunder Bay Transit offers monthly, semester and family/group passes. These passes allow unlimited rides within the time period specified on the face of the card, so that pass holders do not need to use transfers to change buses.

As of April 1, 2023,[17] adult monthly passes cost $82.00, and discount monthly passes are $68.00, which can be purchased by those with a valid discount card, issued only by Thunder Bay Transit. Monthly passes for youth between 13 and 24, and seniors over 60 cost $57.00. Annual senior pass cost is $510.00. On Sundays the adult montly pass also doubles as a Family pass. It allows for unlimited trips for two adults and three children, one adult and four children, or two adults. Proof of age is required, and children must be under the age of 18.

Students at Lakehead University and Confederation College receive a U-Pass as part of their tuition, which allows for unlimited trips during the school year for the person to whom the pass is issued.[18][19]

Thunder Bay Transit operates 17 regular transit routes covering approximately 350 kilometres (220 miles) of city streets.[6][20] Most bus routes are anchored on one of the city's two main terminals, and several routes have buses travelling in only one direction, which can result in unnecessarily long trips between short distances.[21] Thunder Bay Transit operates two extra routes during rush hour.

Interlining

Map of Thunder Bay Transit routes

When buses on certain routes arrive at a transit terminal, they will resume travel on different routes. Interlining allows passengers to travel longer distances without having to change buses. Route 1 Mainline does not interline.[27]

Interlining at City Hall terminal

Peak routes
2 Crosstown and 12 East End at :15 and :45
3 Airport and 3 Jumbo Gardens at :15 and :45
3 Northwood and 3 County Park at :00 and :30
Non-peak routes
3 Airport and 8 James
3 Northwood and 3 County Park

Interlining at Water Street terminal

Peak routes
2 Crosstown and 7 Hudson at :00 and :30
3 County Park and 3 Northwood at :15 and :45
3 Jumbo Gardens and 3 Airport at :00 and :30
9 Junot and 11 John at :00 and :30
Non-peak routes
2 Crosstown and 7 Hudson
9 Junot - University and 11 John - Jumbo Gardens

Interlining elsewhere

8 James and 9 Junot interline at Intercity Shopping Centre between 6:00 am and 1:00 pm, Monday to Friday, and between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm on Saturdays.
4 Neebing becomes 6 Mission at Brown and Frederica

Thunder Bay Transit owns a fleet of 48 buses, which consists of all Nova Bus LFSs. They all run on biodiesel,[7] and are all handicapped accessible low-floor models.[28] Thunder Bay Transit is the first full-sized transit system in Ontario to have a fleet entirely of low-floor buses.[9]

Interior of bus #218, a bio-diesel Orion VII.

Thunder Bay Transit operates two bus terminals in the north and south cores of the city. Thunder Bay Transit's head office and bus garage is located at Thunder Bay Transit and Central Maintenance, located at 570 Fort William Road.

A New Flyer D40LF at Brodie St. Terminal

City Hall Terminal

Address: 500 Donald Street East, Fort William

Functions: downtown south core bus terminal; heated waiting area (City Hall lobby).

Platforms: street level on Brodie Street, Donald Street and May Street around the plaza in front of city hall.

Routes: 1 Mainline, 3 Memorial, 4 Neebing, 8 James, 12 East End, 15 Extra, 17 Extra, 18 Chippewa

A Novabus LFS at Water St. Terminal

• Transportation in Thunder Bay, Ontario
• Public transport in Canada

• Scollie, F. Brent (1990). The Creation of the Port Arthur Street Railway 1890–95: Canada's First Municipally-owned Street Railway. Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society, Papers and Records, XVIII
• Andreas, Wesley, MA (2007). Moving Forward: Public Transit in Canadian Mid-sized Cities. University of Calgary Department of Geography

• Thunder Bay Transit Official web site
• Nextbus Stop Selector for Thunder Bay Transit
• History of Transit in Thunder Bay
• Tom's North American Trolleybus Pix -- Thunder Bay / Port Arthur / Fort William
• Drawings and photos of Thunder Bay Transit buses
• HAGI - Accessible Transit Service