Duluth Transit Authority

Public transport agency in the Twin Ports region of Minnesota and Wisconsin

Duluth Transit Authority

Duluth Transit Authority #265, a 1999 Gillig Low Floor.

Founded| 1969
Headquarters| 2402 W. Michigan Street
Locale| Duluth, Minnesota
Service area| Saint Louis County, Minnesota
Douglas County, Wisconsin
Service type| bus service
Routes| 14
Fuel type| Low Sulfur Diesel
Operator| First Transit[1]
Website| duluthtransit.com

The Duluth Transit Authority (DTA) is the transit agency that provides mass transit service — currently, only buses — in the city of Duluth, Minnesota, United States. The agency also serves nearby Proctor, Minnesota, Rice Lake, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin, as well as the eastern edge of Hermantown, Minnesota.

The organization was formed in 1969 by the Minnesota State Legislature.

In 2009, the DTA was named Transit System of the Year by the Minnesota Public Transit Association.[2]

## Operation

[edit]

Express service is provided during rush hours to New Duluth (2X), Proctor (3X), Lakeside (7X – PM only), Superior (16X – PM only), and Hermantown (20X). During peak hours, an average of 45 buses will be in service at any one time. The transit agency also owns three park-and-ride lots and has bike racks on the front of every bus.

As of 2009, the DTA had 6 hybrid buses in service.

Duluth Transit Authority #2003, a 2020 Gillig Low Floor, in downtown Duluth.

## Routes

[edit]

In August 2023, all bus routes were removed with improved lines taking their place as part of the DTA's Better Bus Blueprint. This included the addition of two frequent BRT lines with limited stops. This list is derived from the current DTA system map.[3]

BRT (GO Lines):

* 101 - Blue Line
* 102 - Green Line

Normal Routes:

* 103 - New Duluth \- Duluth Transportation Center (DTC) - Lakeside \- University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD)
* 104 - E 4th Local
* 105 - E 9th Local
* 106 - Kenwood
* 107 - Lake Superior College (LSC) - Trinity - Mall Local
* 108 - Piedmont \- Mall - Airport
* 109 - Proctor \- Spirit Valley \- DTC
* 110 - DTC - Superior \- Tower Ave
* 111 - Superior Circulator
* 112 - Woodland \- UMD - Mall
* 113 - Park Point \- DTC
* 114 - Central Hillside \- Observation Hill

## Duluth Transportation Center

[edit]

Main article: Duluth Transportation Center

Duluth Transportation Center (DTC) is the downtown hub for the Duluth transit system.

The DTC was built in February 2016,[4] replacing an existing parking ramp. The building was designed by LHB Corporation and constructed by Mortenson Construction.[5]

The DTC has eight docks for boarding buses, with space for layovers. Skyways to nearby buildings were replaced during construction, improving pedestrian access.[5]

## Ridership

[edit]

Duluth Transit Authority is the Minnesota's third-largest transit system by ridership, after the Metro Transit and University of Minnesota Campus Shuttle systems in Minneapolis–Saint Paul.[6][7]

| Fixed route ridership[8] | Change over previous year

|
|

2005  | 2,684,804 | —
2006  | 2,692,931 | 00.3%
2007  | 2,854,467 | 06.0%
2008  | 3,219,758 | 012.8%
2009  | 3,173,484 | 01.44%
2010  | 3,171,087 | 00.0%
2011  | 3,264,479 | 02.95%
2012  | 3,261,494 | 00.0%
2013  | 3,195,020 | 02.04%
2014  | 3,100,305 | 02.96%
2015  | 3,051,665 | 01.57%
2016  | 2,804,354 | 08.1%
2017  | 2,786,702 | 00.63%
2018  | 2,760,475 | 00.94%
2019  | 2,645,307 | 04.17%
2020  | 1,794,627 | 032.16%
2021  | 1,461,418 | 018.57%
2022  | 1,874,795 | 028.29%
2023  | 2,134,071 | 013.83%

## See also

[edit]

* List of bus transit systems in the United States

## References

[edit]

1. ^ First Transit Extends Longest Running Partnership in Duluth
2. ^ "DTA lands award as state's best transit system". Duluth News Tribune. September 24, 2009. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
3. ^ "DTA System Map" (PDF).
4. ^ "Duluth Transportation Center (DTC) Grand Opening Scheduled for Thursday, February 4th". Duluth Transit. Duluth Transit Authority. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
5. ^ a b Heilig, Jim. "DTA awards Build/Design Contract for Multimodal Center" (PDF). Duluth Transit. Duluth Transit Authority. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
6. ^ "2009 Transit System Performance Evaluation". Metropolitan Council. 2009. Archived from the original on May 19, 2010. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
7. ^ Jeremy Mattson (June 2008). "Effects of Rising Gas Prices on Bus Ridership for Small Urban and Rural Transit Systems" (PDF). Small Urban and Rural Transit Center, Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, North Dakota State University. p. 7. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
8. ^ "National Transit Database". Retrieved April 24, 2024.

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Public transit in Minnesota

Statewide|

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* List of intercity bus stops in Minnesota

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Public transit in Wisconsin

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Transportation in Wisconsin

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City of Duluth, Minnesota

Topics|

* City Council
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Authority control databases

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