Sun Tran

This review is strictly on the bus #11 that arrives at 22^nd/​Alvernon at 4:43pm.
This bus route sucks! This bus is perpetually 20 minutes late every other time I ride it! I have been taking this bus for a year now & every other time I miss my connection at Speedway. There is always some sort of excuse as to why its late, but for some reason the 4:30pm bus can seem to make it on time.,
I have complained several times to management & CSR’s alike & nothing ever changes. If I had another way I could get home I would but unfortunately I am stuck with this for now! :(

and here we go again with arriving early and not waiting for passengers you see every friggin day, bus 8 was 9 min early today, causing me to miss as i arrive ~ 5 min before the 10oclock bus, well no more money for you, which is why i never buy into the bus pass scam, it allowes you ppl to slip and not be penailzed, im a computer programmer ill just work from home hope all you businesses are happy not getting my money because im stuck at home, i spend approx 30 bux locally per day on food and stuff. thats what you get for wasting my time, i walk approx 15 min to the bus stop, time i could better spending on creating a new application, rather than losing it, time = money, waste my time and no money for you.

Worst experience ever. Will never, ever ride again. SunTran effectively discourages mass transit. What a Freaking. Terrible. System. Took me 2.5 hours to go 13 miles from downtown to east side. Why? The downtown station appears to have been designed by village idiots, westbound buses are not labeled in coordination with the eastbound ones, and the station does not have any identification system for where your bus is going to wind up so you know where to wait! So naturally I waited at the station over an hour because there are no indicators where riders need to stand and wait for their bus and if you blink or look down, your bus is GONE, girl. It was my first and last time as a SunTran rider for sure. The station cop did not even know the system and gave me wrong information. Thanks, buddy! Not! People smoking, acting like jerks, crying babies, drunks, YUCK. Forget it, man, it just is not worth it. My time is far more valuable than this. The stupid LED signs do not announce the next bus departure, nor even try to list your bus’s information! No! It will say, at 6 pm, «PCC Bus Departs at 6:30. PCC Bus Departs at 6:30,» even though my bus departed in five minutes, there was no info on the stupid and useless information signs to indicate that. SunTran, please find a better model to base the system on something other than the Three Stooges Ride The Wheel of Torture. HATED IT. But at least I gave it one try.

This review is for bus 3409 route 32 that travels along Ft. Lowell and Dodge. The bus driver was the most patient, friendly, kind driver.
We are very new to town and we were traveling the loop today when we got a bike flat :(We were VERY far from home. So for that reason we decided to take the bus. We have never ridden the bus so he was patient and explained the route, the way you load the bicycles and we only had a $ 20 so he let us ride for free.
He was amazing. And not only was he kind to us, he also helped a little old lady on a scotter get on the bus and was patient while she tried to park it.
For this reason and experience we plan on using the Sun Tran more than we ever thought to. I wish i caught the man’s name but hopefully the bus and route number will help. Oh, it was also at 12:30 this afternoon. Highly recommend!
The End.

Sun tran can only be compared to a 1979 Pinto. When it was running it was slow and unreliable, it wants more money to keep running, the city has no more money to put into it, now its not running at all and its a worthless broken down, ugly piece of crap.

I moved to Tucson 2 weeks ago and SunTran went on strike the day I arrived. Thanks, guys! I’m paying for an annual pass through the U of Arizona but right now I can only use the streetcar (which actually works pretty well). Can’t wait until this strike is over.

I am a 52 year old women who has never before had to rely on public transportation until now. I had to surrender my car 4 months ago and started using Sun Tran as my only source of transportation. In a nut shell, it SUCKS! The buses do not run on time, especially #3 and #1. I am always missing my connecting bus, which leaves me sitting and waitinf for very long periods of time. Grocery shopping is particularly aggravatting. By the time I get home my cheese is clumped, eggs are warm… forget buying ice-​cream. The drivers are a trip in themselves. Some are very kind and accomodating, others very rude. On the weekends, many buses only run every hour and the bus is packed like a can of sardines. Everyday I see people put a bag or book on the seat next to them, and something on the otherside taking up 3 or 4 seats for themselves, leaving small children or elderly folks to stand. Also, there are a LOT of mentally ill people on the bus. Most are harmless, but some are scary. And the foul language used loudly is hard for me to deal with sometimes. Again, my biggest complaint is missing connecting buses. I go to work 45 minuts early (I have to sit outside and wait for my shift), otherwise I run the risk of being late. I only live 5 ½ miles from work and it takes me nearly an hour to get home. I am praying for a car in my near future!
Merry L.

If you plan on visiting Tucson be absolutely sure to avoid riding Suntran’s busses. WORST public transportation ive ever had the displeasure of riding.

If the parking passes for the U of A weren’t so expensive, I would say fuck Sun Tran and never use their shitty system again. They only are good if you’re willing to pay premium for the express bus, and even then it’s nearly impossible to get there due to the limited times they are running.
I got to the park and ride I use right when the bus got there. I ran to the stop, waved my hands, and yelled, «wait!» twice. The prick behind the wheel still pulled away even though I’m pretty sure he could see and hear me.
I called the dispatch to complain, and they told me quite coldly that because he had closed the doors he was not obligated to let me on.
While some drivers are great, others need to be trained desperately. Also, good luck if you don’t live anywhere toward the middle of town; they have so few routes and park and ride lots that it’s almost not worth it.

I primarily ride the Sun Tran Express busses to and from work, and they’re nothing but outstanding. The bus itself is clean and quiet with a smooth ride — I’m not disturbed when listening to music or reading by any extraneous noise. The bus runs on time — I’ve never missed one due to it running early. All in all the Express busses are top notch.
I have some experience on the regular lines, and while they do the job, the busses themselves are nowhere near as nice.

I was impressed by the excellent customer service when I called for directions. Also, the bus drivers were warm and friendly. Very helpful for this tourist!

I checked the time for the bus online but in reality it came about 5 minutes earlier than they said. I missed my bus and got to class 30 minutes late. This is really irresponsible of them. I consider this to be lack of ethics.
When I called customer service instead of offering any other way for me to get to my class in time, they just said «you are supposed to be there 10 minutes before» do they understand people has to walk to get to the bus station?
I wish Tucson had a better bus service. Suntran sucks.

Do not depend on this transit system to get around, especially in the heavier rains, and you can’t depend on the service after 8pm on the weekends. You have to check your route closely during the week because often the last bus stops at 10pm. The transfer connections always miss your connecting bus and the wait time during the week is at least every half hour (and during 110 degree heat, this won’t work). Smoking is very liberal in this city and you have to move away from the bus stop while people light up – especially at the Ronstandt transit center where drug dealing is rampant and fights break out. Many homeless and low-​income people ride the busses, especially the 9 route, from the looks of their matted uncombed hair to many missing teeth and raggedy clothes.
If you want to have a life in Tucson, you MUST be able to afford to maintain a car that gets around because you have to drive to places of interest. Do not come here and expect to find rivers and water. The only water I’ve seen so far is at Reid Park, Ft. Lowell Park and Silverbell Lake (you need a car to get to Silverbell Lake). They do have a street car which hasn’t started service yet because of another budget short-​fall facing this city. This city would function a lot better if it had better bus service and the economy would improve as would tourism.

With the exception of the #17… (along Prince), I have to say that I have been extremely pleased with my Sun Tran experience.
Some of the buses are newer than others, but I’ve yet to be on a filthy bus. The older ones shake and rattle, jar you a bit, but not the end of world.
The routes and schedules are fairly consistent, with the only exception being the #17 Northbound. At night, that bus runs on a schedule that is anything but the one posted online. ½ hour, 45 minutes late. Really bad service.

Filthy smelly and ½ the drivers are condescending. Also the entire bus was full of graffiti why have the cameras if you clearly don’t use them? All right the prices are reasonable and the schedule is way better then most places I’ve been so not terrible.

The bus system is Tucson is okay. They are improving their system with prepaid cards. But their online, Plan Your Trip option doesn’t always work. And at the stations they no longer have employees in the help center, so you have to bother the drivers to find out basic information.

I love the way Tucson’s bus system has improved over the years. There’s more weekend & late night service. A great option if you plan on drinking. If you’re going to close the bar down you’ll need to make other arrangements to get home but at least you can bus there so you’re not cabbing both ways.
There’s still the stupid way buses that meet at an intersection are scheduled to arrive at the same time so it doesn’t matter what bus you want to transfer to you can’t because by the time you get across the street the bus has gone.

There I am, strolling along. And then I see it. The bus I need to get on is starting to drive away. The sheer horror of missing the bus consumes me, and like a broken record player the words «I’ve got to make it» go on repeat inside my head. So what do I do? Like any rational person, I book it. There I am, running like a chicken without a head, as if making this particular bus is life or death. But then something dreadful happens. I trip and fall into the middle of the road. A big boom of a fall. .. onto my knees, onto my hands, onto my face, BOOM. It’s okay, you can laugh. Next thing I know two of those guys that sell newspapers are picking me up off the ground and waving at the bus to stop. The bus driver stops, opens the door, takes one look at my bloody mess of a person, and lets me ride gratis. Once we get to the next stop, that same bus driver walks me over to a bench and helps clean my gashed knee. He says to me, «Never, ever, run for a bus.» Lesson learned, Mr. Friendly Bus Driver. After a handful of similar experiences, none of which are quite so dramatic, I learn that Sun Tran bus drivers are kind, funny, and helpful. They are quite lovable (also: love-​able) creatures. I would give Sun Tran five stars simply for their bus drivers. However, I have two issues:
1– Cleanliness: The seats, floors, and even the maps need an intense wipe down. I once saw a guy pull a map out of his pants, like really deep inside his pants (oops, too graphic?), and then put it right back onto the wall with all the «new» maps. Riders beware: don’t touch the maps.
2– Efficiency: The buses have a roundabout way of getting from place to place. They will get you to where you need to be, but it will take a loooong time, and you might have to walk a mile or transfer twice.
Besides that, the ride itself isn’t too bad if you have a good book and a place to sit. You’re alright by me, Sun Tran.

Why can we review this place? If we don’t like it, what alternative are we going to use? None. This is what Sun Tran realized when they decided they don’t have to cater to anyone.
The people who complained about Sun Tran though clearly aren’t from the area or never use public transportation. To be honest, I feel lucky that this city even has public transportation. This is not New York or San Francisco or Minneapolis and it never will be! It sucks, but that’s how it is. So please, don’t bother comparing Sun Tran to other cities because the idiots running it will never learn.
That being said, Sun Tran is an embarrassment. Now, usually the buses actually ARE on time when it comes to leaving and arriving to and from the major stations. And usually they are on time at the major stops listed in the route guide. I say this as someone who regularly rides the bus almost five times a week and have been for years. So obviously those of you who said otherwise don’t know what you’re talking about…
But back to the embarrassment. There are several renegade drivers who violate a major rule that all buses need to observe: you do not EVER leave early. If a bus arrives late, this is annoying, but arriving and leaving early means that someone who arrived at the stop on time will now be as much as thirty minutes to an hour late, as opposed to maybe ten to fifteen minutes. The worst part is that I have arrived at the bus station ten minutes before a bus was scheduled to depart, saw the bus departing, and even waved at the driver to stop and let me in. It had barely left its spot, but she refused to let me board and just drove away. This is unacceptable. Almost always when I miss the bus, it’s not because it’s late, but because for some reason it left early.
I believe we have the cheapest public transportation in the country. But for some reason they keep raising the fare and keep taking away services. They used to have a service/​information booth but took that away. Fine, the poeple who worked there were rude and didn’t know how to do their job. They used to have a nice swamp cooler running at the Ronstadt station during the summer. Not anymore. And those aren’t very expensive or difficult to maintain.
All in all — it is what it is. The only way it will improve is if more people start using it, what a catch 22.

I may be one of the few people to voice support for Sun Tran. It has its flaws. But when it comes down to it, the bus comes almost always on time, and it is efficient, useful, and money saving.
I started taking the bus more frequently to cut down on gas expenses or when my car is being repaired. Lately I just take it because I am not as stressed when I get to work or home. Someone else does the driving. I relax, read a book, snooze, or even listen to my MP3.
There are problems of course, sometimes the bus is late and it’s hot outside, or you miss a connection, or the people at Ronstadt Bus Center are kinda nasty. But overall I am a huge fan of public transportation. I would love to see the RTA do more with ours and get a light rail going etc. but this beats taking the car to work for me, especially since I get a Pima County employee discount at almost half off!