South Bend Transpo

The South Bend Public Transportation Corporation (commonly known as Transpo) is a municipal bus system that serves the cities of South Bend and Mishawaka, as well as the nearby suburbs of Notre Dame and Roseland, in the very north of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the most recent incarnation of the South Bend Railway Company, a street railway company that was founded on May 25, 1885.^[5] Transpo receives funding from local, state and federal taxes.^[6] In 2024, the system had a ridership of 1,401,300, or about 5,000 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2025.

Transpo (South Bend Public Transportation Corporation)

South Bend Transpo bus in 2015
Headquarters	1401 S. Lafayette Blvd
Locale	South Bend, Indiana
Service area	South Bend & Mishawaka Metropolitan Area
Service type	Local bus, express bus, and paratransit
Routes	20
Hubs	South Street Station (South Bend) and Mishawaka Transfer Center (Mishawaka)
Fleet	60 vehicles[1]
Daily ridership	5,000 (weekdays, Q1 2025)[2]
Annual ridership	1,401,300 (2024)[3]
Fuel type	Biodiesel and Natural Gas
Chief executive	Amy Hill, General Manager & CEO[4]
Website	sbtranspo.com

Overview

TRANSPO is a hub-and-spoke system, with routes radiating from the center towards the outward corners of the metropolitan area. It is made up of 18 fixed bus routes. It also operates an on-demand paratransit service. In Mishawaka, it serves as a de facto school bus service. South Street Station serves as a system hub, linking together most of the routes.

The system runs Monday-Saturday, operating 5:50 AM – 10:00 PM on weekdays and 6:00 AM – 6:45 PM on Saturdays. It does not operate on Sundays or major holidays.^[7] All buses are equipped with bike racks. In 2014, Transpo began converting the aging fleet to compressed natural gas (CNG) with the arrival of 14 New Flyer buses.

Routes

TRANSPO has 18 individual routes and 1 additional “Gameday Express” service for Notre Dame home games.

• 1 Madison/Mishawaka
• 3A Portage
• 3B Portage
• 4 Lincolnway/Airport
• 5 North Michigan
• 6 South Michigan
• 7 Notre Dame/University Park Mall
• 8 Miami/Scottsdale
• 9 Northside/Mishawaka
• 10 Western
• 11 Southside/Mishawaka
• 12 Rum Village
• 13 Corby/Town & Country
• 14 Sample/Mayflower
• 15A University Park Mall/Mishawaka via Main
• 15B University Park Mall/Mishawaka via Grape
• 16 Blackthorn Express/II
• 17 The Sweep (shuttle service for ND campus)
• GAMEDAY Express (shuttle service for select downtown hotels to ND)

Fares

The fares have been increased several times during the system's history. The most recent increase was on April 5, 2010. The fares are now the following:^[8]

• Base Fare: $1.00
• Reduced Fare: $0.50
• Day Pass: $3.00
• 2 Week Pass: $18.00
• Adult 31 Day Pass $35.00
• Student 31 Day Pass: $30.00
• Access Fare: $2.00
• Access Two Ride Card: $4.00
• Access Ten Ride Card: $20.00

University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College students, faculty and staff can ride for free provided they show a valid ID. As of January 2012, Ivy Tech Students can ride with a student ID and validation sticker (sticker is available for $20 from Ivy Tech). Holy Cross students pay regular fare.

Connections to other transit systems

Route 4 stops at the South Bend International Airport. The airport doubles as a regional transit hub. Coach USA^[9] buses stop there (and formerly Greyhound Lines buses^[10]), and the airport terminal building incorporates the eponymous South Shore Line station. The South Shore Line links South Bend to the city of Chicago, making stops at cities, villages and other miscellaneous municipalities throughout Northern Indiana. Route 2 stops at the city's Amtrak station.^[11] Route 5 connects to Niles DART Route 2 at the Auten Rd/933 stop Monday-Friday.^[12] Route 9 links up with the Interurban Trolley system's Bittersweet/Mishawaka Route at Twin Branch Park. The route links Mishawaka to Downtown Elkhart.^[13]

South Street Station

Main article: South Street Station (South Bend, Indiana)

South Street Station in 2006

South Street Station is the primary hub of the system. It is located in Downtown South Bend. The station includes a 14,800 square foot (1,370 m²) building containing waiting areas, public restrooms, and other facilities.^[14]

Mishawaka Transfer Center

The system's secondary transfer center is the Mishawaka Transfer Center, located in Downtown Mishawaka.^[15] The station is also served by the Interurban Trolley.^[16]

In the early 2000s, there had been consideration given to moving the transfer center from its location at Fourth Street and Church Street to a location closer to the St. Joseph River. This proposal would have seen the station initially moved to location fronting First Street on the block between Mill Street and Spring Street.^[17] This block had been home to a previous Transpo transfer center that had been opened in October 1978.^[18] Plans were for this site to potentially be a temporary location, with plans to build a permanent facility on the former Uniroyal land along the St. Joseph River.^[17]