Iowa City Transit is an American public transit system serving Iowa City, Iowa. The service provides several routes serving various areas of the city as well as University Heights, originating and terminating at the Iowa City Downtown Interchange. In addition, a loop route is provided for school students at the beginning and end of each school day. In addition to Iowa City Transit, Coralville Transit, the University of Iowa Cambus, and the 380 Express also provide transit service in the Iowa City area, and Iowa City Transit shares several bus stops with them.[1][2]
 | |
| Headquarters | 1200 South Riverside Drive, Iowa City, IA 52246 United States |
|---|---|
| Locale | Iowa City, IA United States |
| Service area | Iowa City/University Heights |
| Service type | Transit bus |
| Routes | 13 |
| Hubs | 1 (Iowa City Downtown Interchange) |
| Fleet | 27 |
| Fuel type | Diesel, Electric |
| Chief executive | Darian Nagle-Gamm |
| Website | Iowa City Transit |
Routes
editIowa City Transit operates 13 routes, all of which originate and terminate at the Iowa City Downtown Interchange except for route 3 (Eastside Loop). Prior to August 2, 2021, Iowa City Transit operated 26 unnumbered routes, and several of the current routes are identical to those in the previous system.[3] Some routes are interlined, which means that once a bus completes its route and returns to the Downtown Interchange, it will change to a different route. All routes operate from Monday to Saturday, with reduced service on evenings and Saturdays. This is in contrast to the previous system, where only a select number of routes operated a modified route for evenings and Saturdays. There is no service on Sundays and holidays.[2][4][5]
Route list
edit| № | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Iowa City | |
| 2 | Court Street | |
| 3 | Eastside Loop |
|
| 4 | Downtown Shuttle | |
| 5 | Lower Muscatine/Kirkwood | |
| 6 | Peninsula | |
| 7 | North Dodge |
|
| 8 | Oakcrest | |
| 9 | Towncrest | |
| 10 | West Iowa City |
|
| 11 | Rochester | |
| 12 | Highway 1 | |
| 13 | South Gilbert |
Fares and Passes
editIowa City Transit has been fare free since August 1, 2023 as part of a two-year pilot program.[6] The previous fare structure is as follows:
Fares
editAs of July 6, 2021
| Rider | Fare |
|---|---|
| Adults (18 years and up) | $1.00 |
| Youth (K - 12th grade) | $0.50 |
| Children under five years old | Free |
| 4 - Downtown Shuttle route | Free |
| Seniors (65+ years) Senior pass holders |
Free |
| Medicare card | Free |
| SEATS card holder | Free |
Free transfers are available at all Iowa City bus stops.
Passes
editIowa City Transit also offers a number of bus passes, which are listed below.
| Type | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Hour Pass | $2.00 |
|
| 10-Ride Pass | $8.50 | Purchased at Iowa City City Hall Cashier; Iowa City Parking, 335 Iowa Avenue; 1st Avenue Hy-Vee; Waterfront Hy-Vee; Hy-Vee Drug Store (Rochester/First Avenue) and North Dodge Hy-Vee. |
| 31-Day adult pass | $32.00 |
|
| 31-Day youth pass | $16.00 |
|
| University of Iowa student U-Pass (12 months) | $240 (prorated) $120 without University parking permit |
|
| Kirkwood semester pass | $100 (prorated) |
|
| University of Iowa faculty/staff annual pass | $28 per month $15 per month without University parking permit |
|
| Field trip pass | Variable | Used by Iowa City Community Schools and area daycare providers to allow for a large group to ride ICT and be billed at a later date. |
Bus Tracking
editReal-time bus tracking is available through the Transit app, which provides estimated arrival times at a bus stop and precise locations of buses on the map. The other two transit systems in the Iowa City area, Coralville Transit and Cambus, also use the Transit app. Prior to 2019, bus tracking for the Iowa City area transit systems was provided by BONGO (Bus on the Go).[1]
Court Street Transportation Center
editThe Court Street Transportation Center, located at 170 East Court Street, serves as a hub for Iowa City Transit and regional transit, with connections to the 380 Express and intercity buses. The facility, opened September 1, 2005, was designed to serve local and intercity buses, and include a child-care facility and parking ramp.[8]
Future Plans
editSeveral plans for the Iowa City area transit systems were considered over the past few years as part of a multi-year transit study. Changes considered include service on Sundays, as well as the elimination of fares.[9][10][11]
In early 2021, Iowa City Transit made plans to introduce 4 Proterra ZX5 electric buses to the fleet, which will replace 4 existing diesel buses. A test bus operated briefly in the spring of 2021, and the 4 buses entered revenue service in January 2022.[12] Iowa City Transit is expected to receive $23 million in federal grants to purchase four additional electric buses and to build a new facility, replacing the current facility built in 1984.[13]
Fleet
edit| Fleet number(s) | Photo | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Powertrain | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56-61 | 
|
2007 | Gillig | Low Floor 40' |
| |
| 67-72 | 
|
2010 | Gillig | Low Floor 40' |
| |
| 73-74 | 
|
2012 | Gillig | Low Floor 40' | ||
| 76-79 | 
|
2017 | Gillig | Low Floor 40' |
| |
| 80-86 | 
|
2018 | Gillig | Low Floor 40' |
| |
| 101-104 |
|
2021 | Proterra | ZX5 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Transit | City of Iowa City". www.icgov.org. Archived from the original on 2021-09-04. Retrieved 2021-09-04.
- ^ a b "ArcGIS Web Application". maps.iowa-city.org.
- ^ Staff, Iowa's News Now (July 30, 2021). "New transit routes, bus schedules in Iowa City take effect on August 2". KGAN.
- ^ "Bus schedules | City of Iowa City". www.icgov.org.
- ^ "Routes". icareatransit.org.
- ^ https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/fare-free-iowa-city-two-year-free-transit-pilot-begins-aug-1 [bare URL]
- ^ https://www.icgov.org/city-government/departments-and-divisions/transportation/transit/fares-and-passes [bare URL]
- ^ Abigail McWilliam (August 30, 2005). "Court Street Transportation Center opens Thursday". Iowa City Press-Citizen. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ "Iowa City Area Transit Study | City of Iowa City". www.icgov.org.
- ^ "Transportation | City of Iowa City". www.icgov.org.
- ^ "Johnson County is getting better, more connected transit". www.thegazette.com.
- ^ Schmitt, Olivia (March 15, 2021). "Iowa City to add four electric buses to fleet".
- ^ https://www.thegazette.com/local-government/iowa-city-getting-23-million-in-federal-funding-to-expand-electric-bus-fleet/?amp=1 [bare URL]
- ^ "Iowa City Transit takes climate action to the streets, rolling out 4 new electric buses Jan 24 | City of Iowa City".
- ^ "Iowa City's new electric buses quietly creating a 'paradigm shift' in public transit". 31 January 2022.
- ^ "PTMS Ranking - Transit Portal". secure.iowadot.gov.