Sault Ste. Marie Transit Services is a local

public transportation Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

service serving the city of

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Sault Ste. Marie ( ) is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is at the St. Mary's River on the Canada–US border. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay. The Ojibwe, the indigenous Anishinaabe inhabitants of ...

providing seven major bus routes and two community bus routes serviced by a fleet of 27

buses A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...

and 2

minibuses A minibus, microbus, minicoach, or commuter (in Zimbabwe) is a passenger-carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, th ...

. The Parabus service consists of 11 vehicles.

History

Early years

Sault Ste. Marie transit services since 1888: *1888–1903: Sault Sainte Marie Electric Light and Transit Company *1903–1942: International Transit Company (the last day of streetcar service was 31 October 1942) *1942–1964: Algoma Steel Corporation Transit *1964 to present: Sault Ste. Marie Transit Services operated by the City of Sault Ste. Marie

Recent history

In 2020, the City of Sault Ste. Marie announced that it was planning to relocate the main municipal bus terminal from Dennis Street to Huron Street where the current bus maintenance facility is.

Routes

Current

All routes start and end at the Downtown Transit Terminal located at Queen Street and Dennis Street.

Frequencies

All regular routes operate every 30 minutes during weekdays until 7 pm. Regular routes operate every hour weekdays after 7 pm and on weekends. The Central Community Bus operates every hour, Monday-Friday from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm. The Pointe des Chenes bus operates as a pilot during the summer of 2021 on weekends and holidays from June 26, 2021 until September 5, 2021 (except Canada Day). It operates 3 trips, one in the morning, afternoon, and early evening.

= On-Demand Sunday Evening Service

= Starting on 8 September 2019, Sunday evening service (7 pm to 11:30 pm) was switched to be on-demand. This was due to the low demand during this time. Sunday evening service was previously cut, to the disappointment of riders. Riders book a ride through the Sault Ste. Marie On-Demand app developed by Via or by calling transit dispatch. Riders are between existing stops, not curbside.

Terminals

Downtown Terminal (Queen and Dennis Terminal)

All routes start and end at the Downtown Terminal. This terminal offers an indoor waiting area, washrooms, shop, and driver facilities. The terminal has 6 bays. The terminal is in poor condition and is due to be replaced. There are also ongoing safety concerns, with the terminal staffed by a security guard. The terminal is also not accessible to passengers with disabilities.

Northern Transfer Hub

The Northern Transfer Hub opened on 3 May 2021. The Hub features a heated waiting shelter and 4 bus bays. The Hub is located on the

Sault College Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology is a publicly funded college in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. It began in 1965 as the Ontario Vocational Centre. Today, Sault College offers full-time and part-time opportunities for students in post-sec ...

campus providing service to the growing student population and area residents. The Hub is served by routes 2, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7, Point des Chenes, and the Central Community Bus.

Incidents

Other services

Sault Ste. Marie is also connected to its American neighbour by the International Bridge Bus, which crosses the

Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge spans the St. Marys River between the United States and Canada connecting the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The bridge is operated by the International Bridge ...

. The state of Michigan and the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie provide the majority of the funding, along with

Lake Superior State University Lake Superior State University (colloquially Lake State, Lake Superior State, Soo Tech, and LSSU) is a public college in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. It is enrolls approximately 2,000 students. Due to its proximity to the Canadian border, and the ...

and

. In addition to serving both downtown areas, the buses serve LSSU on the Michigan side and the Station Mall on the Canadian side.

Gallery

File:Queen Street streetcar, Sault Sainte Marie -a.jpg, Streetcar on Queen Street in 1900s File:Passing streetcars, Sault Sainte Marie -a.jpg, Streetcar on Queen Street in 1910s File:1950's ssm bus.jpg, Buses garage in 1950s File:Sault Transit bus terminal.JPG, Bus (133) parking at Queen Terminal in 2010

References

External links

Sault Ste. Marie Transit Services
{{Public transit systems in Canada Transport in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Transit agencies in Ontario