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SMTD Announces New Bus Routes for 2025

The Sangamon Mass Transit District (SMTD) will ring in the new year with several changes to bus routes. The existing northside night Route 901 will be replaced with three daytime routes, Route 501 serving the area around UIS and Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) will run all day – instead of just at night, and Routes 10 and 902 on the southeast side will no longer run on Villanova. The changes were the product of multiple internal discussions and feedback from the public.


“We have wanted to improve our night service routes for quite some time,” said SMTD’s Managing Director, Steve Schoeffel. “Headcount issues the last several years were a consistent challenge to expanding service, but we are pleased to now combine higher headcount with efficiencies our operations department built into the most recent collective bargaining agreement and run bid to be able to make these improvements with costs that can be absorbed in our regular budget.”


"We started this summer by splitting the 903 loop out west into two bi-directional routes that are much more convenient for passengers to use. The changes to the north end are a continuation of that effort to replace those loop routes with much more user-friendly service. In effect, we’re moving from just four Night Service routes a few years ago to nine starting January 6th.”


The northside has been serviced by Route 901 for over fifteen years. Route 901 will be discontinued January 6th, and, instead, daytime Routes 2 – North 9th/Piper Rd./Northgate, Route 3 – Clear Lake/Grandview, and Route 5 Medical/Bruns/N. Grand will continue running hourly in the evenings beginning at 6pm with the last trip leaving the transfer center at 10pm.


“SMTD expects these night service improvements to be popular with the riding public, and we’re looking forward to providing a better service we think will boost night service ridership,” Schoeffel added.


SMTD began its Route 501 just over two years ago to assist with UIS students needing to get from the Toronto Road area to campus at night. By expanding the current Night Service 501 to run during the day, that service is restored, and travel between campus, businesses, and residences along Toronto Road will be much easier.


Two other changes are slight reductions in service. First, Route 11 and Night Service Route 905 will no longer travel from downtown all the way to LLCC. Route 11 was consistently late returning to the transfer center downtown, and there were no mid-points in the route that could be reduced or eliminated. So, LLCC is being removed, and the routes will now end at UIS, where passengers can transfer for free to the 501 to travel to LLCC and back.


The final change was based on neighborhood concerns around Villanova Drive in Glen Aire subdivision. Routes 10 – S. 11th/Stevenson and Night Service 902 will travel between Taylor and Adloff on Stanford Avenue inbound and outbound instead of using Villanova. SMTD expects service to the neighborhood residents to be maintained on Taylor and Adloff without having to enter the neighborhood itself now.


“We are constantly evaluating our service, examining data, and digesting community feedback to make improvements wherever possible,” Schoeffel stated. “Changes take time to put in place, but we are pleased to offer these changes starting in early 2025, and we will continue working to make further improvements in the future.”


Details of the changes, maps, and schedules can be viewed under “News” on SMTD’s website, SMTD.org.

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