Metropolitan Area Commuter System (MACS) is a

public transport 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 ...

agency in

Fairbanks North Star Borough The Fairbanks North Star Borough is a borough located in the state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 95,665, down from 97,581 in 2010. The borough seat is Fairbanks. The borough's land area is slightly smaller than that o ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

. The agency provides bus service for much of the urbanized Fairbanks

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

. MACS is part of the borough's transportation department and is the northernmost local bus network in continental

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

History

Prior to the formation of MACS, the public transit needs of Fairbanks were served, if at all, mostly by private operators. The longest-lasting of these was University Bus Lines, operated by Paul Greimann, Sr. University Bus Lines primarily provided service to and from Fairbanks, the

University of Alaska The University of Alaska System is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Alaska. It was created in 1917 and comprises three separately accredited universities on 19 campuses. The system serves nearly 30,000 full- and part-time stud ...

campus, and

Ladd Air Force Base Ladd Army Airfield is the military airfield located at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska. It was originally called Fairbanks Air Base, but was renamed Ladd Field on 1 December 1939, in honor of Major Arthur K. Ladd, a pilot in the U.S. Ar ...

, now

Fort Wainwright Fort Wainwright is a United States Army installation in Fairbanks, Alaska. Fort Wainwright is part of the Fairbanks North Star Borough and the coterminous Fairbanks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The installation is managed by U.S. Army Garrison ...

. The Fairbanks North Star Borough began exploring the possibilities of offering public transit during the 1970s, when the population and economy of Fairbanks began exploding in conjunction with the

construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System The construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System included over of oil pipeline, 12 pump stations, and a new tanker port. Built largely on permafrost during 1975–77 between Prudhoe Bay and Valdez, Alaska, the $8 billion effort required te ...

. Voters in the City of Fairbanks voted in 1976 to allow operation of transit buses by the FNSB over the streets of Fairbanks. The system began operating in 1977 with two routes serving the Fairbanks urban area. A 1978 study recommended offering service to the outlying areas of the borough, including

Ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Glycerides ar ...

, Chena Ridge Road, Farmers Loop Road and Goldstream Road. The system expanded to serve North Pole, Salcha and Farmers Loop, Fort Wainwright and other areas of the Fairbanks area. The system now operates 8 routes, and travels over 723,228 miles every year.

Routes

MACS has eight fixed routes identified by color. The Red and Blue Lines provide loop service around urban Fairbanks in opposing directions, while the other routes connect to more outlying destinations. Only the Grey Line does not connect to the Transit Center or overlap with other routes, requiring a transfer from either

University of Alaska Fairbanks The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF or Alaska) is a public land-grant research university in College, Alaska, a suburb of Fairbanks. It is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska system. UAF was established in 1917 and opened for cla ...

(UAF) or Fred Meyer East to connect to other routes. No service is provided on Sundays and holidays. Some routes also lack service on Saturdays.

Fares

Reduced fare rides are offered to youth (ages 6 to 18), individuals with Medicare or Medicaid cards, active duty military servicemembers and their dependents, and those with qualifying disabilities. Free fare rides are offered to seniors (ages 60+) and children (ages 0-5). Seniors must show government issued photo identification to the driver to ride for free.

Fleet

The fleet consists of nine

Gillig Low Floor The Gillig Low Floor (originally named Gillig H2000LF and also nicknamed Gillig Advantage) is a transit bus manufactured by the Gillig Corporation. The second low-floor bus introduced in the United States (after the New Flyer LF), the Low Floor ...

buses and six demand response vehicles used by the Van Tran service.

Van Tran

While all MACS vehicles are wheelchair accessible, the transit system also operates van service for patrons unable to use the standard bus services. Vans provide door to door service. In accordance with the

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 19 ...

, service is prioritized by one's ADA status, not necessarily by need. In 2011, an effort was initiated to privatize Van Tran. Spearheaded by conservative Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly members Diane Hutchinson and Michael Dukes, the system's cost, estimated at between US $61.71 and $76 per ride, was cited as justification. However, a study commissioned by the Borough Assembly found that privatization would only result in minor cost savings, and no action towards privatization was taken.

References

External links

* {{coord, 64, 50, 29, N, 147, 43, 11, W, region:US, display=title 1977 establishments in Alaska Bus transportation in Alaska Government agencies established in 1977 Transit agencies in Alaska Transportation in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska