Thunder Bay Transit is the public transit operator in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was formed in 1970, after the amalgamation of the cities of Port Arthur and Fort William and their respective transit agencies.Wyatt, David A. (2005). Transit History of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Retrieved on March 8, 2007. Thunder Bay Transit is a member of the Canadian Urban Transit Association.
Thunder Bay Transit operates 20 transit routes in the urban area of Thunder Bay and neighbouring Fort William First Nation, an area of .Mid-sized City Transit in Canada, Field visits: Case study transit systems - Key facts. Retrieved on October 30, 2007. Its fleet of 49 buses run on diesel and biodiesel fuels. Thunder Bay Transit carries 3,300,000 passengers annually, or approximately 9,000 passengers daily, and employs 140 people.Transit celebrates anniversary and accessibility milestones", City of Thunder Bay, 28 February 2007. Retrieved on June 17, 2007. The company maintains two transit terminals, one at 40 North Water Street in Port Arthur, and the other at City Hall at 500 Donald Street East in Fort William.
Thunder Bay Transit is the first transit agency in Ontario to be 100% handicapped accessible, and the first Canadian transit agency to use the NextBus system with passenger counters, fare box integrations and passenger information systems."Another First for Thunder Bay Transit", Netnewsledger, September 13, 2007. Retrieved on September 13, 2007.
History Public transit in Thunder Bay was first established in 1892. Compounding the matter was the Canadian Pacific Railway's decision to build its grain elevators and rail yards in neighbouring Fort William, away. With businesses and population vanishing, Port Arthur decided after much debate to build a streetcar line to connect the town with the rail yards in neighbouring Fort William, much to that town's chagrin.Thunder Bay Museum - Electric Street Railway, 1892. Retrieved on October 30, 2007.
1892–1940s: Streetcars In 1891, the town of Port Arthur was authorized to construct and operate the first municipally owned street railway in Canada. The Port Arthur Street Railway (PASRy) commenced operations in March 1892, only serving Port Arthur at the time.
Meanwhile, Fort William wanted nothing to do with Port Arthur's municipal railway. Instead, McDonald and Company commenced operations of a private omnibus, connecting the Port Arthur Street Railway's southern terminus at Fort William's northern town limits into the downtown core of Fort William.Scollie, F. Brent (1990). The Creation of the Port Arthur Street Railway 1890-95: Canada's First Municipally-owned Street Railway. Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society , Papers and Records, XVIII, pp. 40–58, map.
Throughout 1893, however, Port Arthur's streetcar line expanded into Fort William. On June 1 of that year, service was extended to Pruden Street, which was the northernmost point of Fort William at the time. By the end September, the route extended all the way to Westfort, a community that supported Port Arthur's initiative to build a streetcar line. This original streetcar line, primarily on Fort William Road, resembles today's #1 Mainline bus route.
In 1907, Port Arthur and Fort William became cities. The Ontario Railway and Municipal Board forced Port Arthur to sell its section of the railway in Fort William to that city on March 11, 1908, and to submit to operation by a joint commission until December 1, 1913, under the name Port Arthur and Fort William Railway. Thereafter, each city ran its own street railway—Port Arthur assumed the name Port Arthur Civic Railway in 1914, and Fort William assumed the name Fort William Street Railway.
The early 20th century saw expansion along the PASRy's system. A line was built on Arthur Street (since renamed to Red River Road, and not to be confused with present-day Arthur Street) to Hill Street in 1909. Port Arthur also added two belt lines in 1913, the North Belt Line and the South Belt Line. The first streetcars ran on the North Belt Line on October 29, 1913. In addition, the main line was extended into Current River (Hodder Ave) in 1913. These expansions would be the origin of today's north side routes, particularly 3C, 3J, 7, 11, 13, and 17. A streetcar barn was also built on Front Street in 1910.
Street railway operations ended in Thunder Bay in 1948. Port Arthur's last three antiquated cars made their final run over the North Belt Line on February 16, 1948, in a driving snowstorm, and Fort William's street cars ceased operations on October 16, 1948. The decision to replace streetcar services with trolley buses were influenced by several factors. Firstly, given the end of the Second World War, vehicle factories no longer had much work. Manufacturing buses would create more jobs. Also, streetcar infrastructure was difficult to maintain, with parts becoming scarce and tracks difficult to maintain. Finally, trolley buses provided more comfort and flexibility.
1940s–1970: Trolleybuses and pre-amalgamation period The Port Arthur Public Utilities Commission which ran the street railway acquired its first 36-passenger bus (painted maroon and cream) in August 1946 manufactured at the Canadian Car and Foundry plant in Fort William. It immediately phased out the Arthur Street railway line, and renamed its system as Port Arthur Transit..Port Arthur News-Chronicle 1 & 13 Aug 1946. Gasoline-powered buses were introduced in December 1946 to serve the intercity route. Electric trolley buses were introduced on December 15, 1947,Trolleybuses.net - Port Arthur and Fort William. Retrieved on October 30, 2007. the same year that the Fort William Street Railway was renamed the Fort William Transit Company. The trolley buses were manufactured by J. G. Brill and Company at the Canadian Car and Foundry plant in Fort William.
The Intercity trolley coach line (main lines) of each city's system opened in 1947 and was interlined, with operators' coaches serving the entire line in both cities until 1955. From 1955 to September 1969, the route was split between the two cities. One would have to transfer buses at a loop east of the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition grounds, at the Fort William city limits. From 1 October 1969, a full Mainline service was restored in preparation for amalgamation.
Since January 1, 1970, when Port Arthur and Fort William were amalgamated into the City of Thunder Bay, the system has been known as Thunder Bay Transit. Along with a reunified Mainline route, a second major route which traverses the city was created in June 1970: the Crosstown. The Crosstown route connects Westfort and downtown Port Arthur, allowing riders to enjoy a shorter ride between the city's distant ends (saving 15 minutes). In addition, the fare system was modified in January 1970 to allow travel citywide under only one fare.
Electric trolley buses were discontinued on September 10, 1972, and the city has since used diesel buses.
1970–present: Thunder Bay Transit
Thunder Bay Transit purchased its first low-floor buses in 1994,Thunder Bay Transit bus roster 2001. The New Flyer Industries D40LF was the first low-floor bus model purchased by Thunder Bay Transit, in 1994. Retrieved October 30, 2007. and by March 2007 became the first full-sized transit agency in Ontario to have a fleet that consisted entirely of accessible buses. Later that year, Thunder Bay Transit became the second Canadian transit agency to implement Grey Island Systems GPS/AVL and NextBus system with passenger counters, fare box integrations and passenger information systems.NextBus Gives Transit Arrival Times to the Minute. yourCity, June–July 2008 edition. Retrieved on June 29, 2007.
Fares Thunder Bay Transit fares were last increased on 1 April 2024. Exact cash fare on Thunder Bay Transit is $3.25, support persons ride free, as do children under the age of twelve. Bus tickets can be purchased in groups of 10 for $28.00. Twenty ride punch passes have been discontinued. They have introduced a day pass, which costs $9.00. Tickets are transferable. A transfer pass can be obtained when boarding with cash or tickets, and allows passengers to change buses up to two times for the price of one fare. Transfer passes have a 90-minute time limit and are non-transferable; they can be used only by the person to whom they are issued.
Thunder Bay Transit offers monthly, semester and family/group passes. These passes allow unlimited rides within the time period specified on the face of the card, so that pass holders do not need to use transfers to change buses.
As of 1 April 2024, adult monthly passes cost $87.00, and discount monthly passes are $72.00, which can be purchased by those with a valid discount card, issued only by Thunder Bay Transit. Monthly passes for youth between 13 and 24, and seniors over 60 cost $60.00. Annual senior pass cost is $536.00. On Sundays the adult monthly pass also doubles as a family pass. It allows for unlimited trips for two adults and three children, one adult and four children, or two adults. Proof of age is required, and children must be under the age of 18.
Students at Lakehead University and Confederation College receive a U-Pass as part of their tuition, which allows for unlimited trips during the school year for the person to whom the pass is issued.Lakehead University Student Union - U-Pass. Retrieved on October 22, 2007.Confederation College U-Pass. Retrieved on June 17, 2007.
Routes Thunder Bay Transit operates 20 regular transit routes covering approximately of city streets.Thunder Bay Transit - Main Page. Retrieved on June 17, 2007. Below, is a table of all the routes. Each route has two rows - the top for peak service and lower for off peak. Limited routes will show if they do not provide peak/off-peak service. As of August 2025, the routes are: RouteDirection & destinationInterliningService & frequency1MainlineNBTo Waterfront TerminalSBTo City Hall Terminal30 minNBTo Waterfront TerminalSBTo City Hall Terminal Waterfront:
(Extra Sunday runs)
City Hall:
(Extra Sunday runs)23 min (Sunday daytime) 45 min (other off-peak times)2CrosstownNBTo Waterfront TerminalSBTo Confederation CollegeCollege:30 min NBTo Waterfront TerminalSBTo Confederation CollegeCollege:
(Extra weekday evening runs)23 min (weekdays until 10:30 excluding summer) 45 min (other off-peak times)3CCounty ParkEBTo Waterfront TerminalWBTo Castlegreen DriveWaterfront:30 minEBTo Waterfront TerminalWBTo Castlegreen DriveWaterfront:45 min3JJumbo GardensEBTo Waterfront TerminalWBTo Sherwood DriveWaterfront:30 minNo off-peak service. Coverage by routes 3C and 13.3MMemorialNBTo Waterfront TerminalSBTo City Hall TerminalWaterfront:
City Hall:15 minNBTo Waterfront TerminalSBTo City Hall TerminalWaterfront:
(Extra runs)
City Hall:
(Extra runs)23 min (early evening, Saturday morning, and Sunday daytime)
45 min (late evening)4NeebingClockwiseLoop connecting from Frederica & Brown (Westfort) to 25th SideroadWestfort:Weekday peak onlyNo off-peak service.5EdwardNBTo Confederation CollegeSBTo Frederica & Brown (Westfort)College:30 minNBTo Confederation CollegeSBTo Frederica & Brown (Westfort)College:45 min6MissionNBTo Frederica & BrownSBTo Fort William First NationWestfort:Weekday peak onlyNo off-peak service.7HudsonNBTo Shuniah StreetSBTo Waterfront TerminalWaterfront:30 minNBTo Shuniah StreetSBTo Waterfront TerminalWaterfront:45 min8JamesNBTo Intercity Shopping CtrSBTo City Hall Terminal30 minNBTo Confederation CollegeSBTo City Hall TerminalCity Hall: 45 min9JunotNBTo Waterfront TerminalSBTo Lakehead University Waterfront:
University:30 minNBTo Waterfront TerminalSBTo Lakehead UniversityUniversity:45 min10NorthwoodEBTo City Hall TerminalWBTo Confederation CollegeCity Hall:30 minEBTo City Hall TerminalWBTo Confederation CollegeCity Hall:45 min11JohnEBTo Waterfront TerminalWBTo Windsor StreetWaterfront:Peak only 30 minNo off-peak service. Coverage by route 13.12East EndNBTo Intercity Shopping Ctr