Sun Tran Facts
- Sun Tran was established in 1975. A contest was held and the winning name was selected from entries submitted by members of the community.
- Currently Sun Tran has 241 buses in its fleet.
- Each bus is 40 feet long, 10 feet high and just under 9 feet wide.
- A bus weighs 35,000 pounds and seats up to 40 passengers.
- Sun Tran was named America's Best Transit System for 2005 and 1988, as well as Arizona's Best Transit System for 2004.
- Sun Tran buses travel more than 28,000 miles each day.
- Sun Tran has more than 2,200 bus stops.
- Sun Tran has more than 600 employees.
- Every bus is equipped with a bike rack that can carry up to two bicycles.
Decreasing Traffic Congestion & Air Pollution
- If all Americans who currently ride the bus decided to drive, their cars would circle the globe with a line of traffic 23,000 miles long.
- Each Tucsonan traveling during peak hours wastes, on average, 42 hours a year - more than five full working days - in congestion.
- 100 percent of Sun Tran's fleet utilizes cleaner-burning fuels such as bio-diesel and compressed natural gas.
- Each year, public transportation use saves the U.S. the equivalent of 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline.
- In 2008, more than 10 billion trips were taken on public transportation, the highest level in more than 50 years.
- Public transportation saves 37 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
Saving You Money
- Individuals that use public transportation save more than $8,000 every year.
- The average household spends 18 cents of every dollar on transportation, 94 percent of which is for buying, maintaining and operating cars.
- Traffic congestion costs Americans $63.1 billion a year.
- The Federal Transit Administration reports that the 80 million Americans who live in transit-intensive metropolitan areas save an estimated $20 billion in auto expenses each year.
Giving You Independence and Safety
- 83 percent of older Americans say that public transportation provides easy access to the things they need in everyday life.
- Public transportation is a vital link for the more than 51 million Americans with disabilities.
- 37 million individuals living at or below the poverty line often rely on public transportation because they are unable to afford their own vehicle.
- 10 million Americans use public transportation to get to work every day, with even more using transit on a less frequent basis.
- 100 percent of Sun Tran's buses are equipped with ramps or lifts.
- Riding the bus is 170 times safer than traveling by car.
Sources: Transit Fact Book, American Public Transit Association. Pima County Department of Environmental Quality.





