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. Transpo receives funding from local, state and federal taxes. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 1,262,400, or about 5,000 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.
58-521: Interurban Trolley is an Elkhart County regional public bus service operated by the Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG) . It was originally known as the BUS system. The system serves the city of Elkhart and neighboring Goshen , Osceola , Dunlap and Mishawaka . It is made up of five fixed routes that radiate from downtown Elkhart and an on-demand para-transit service that covers
116-599: A state five years earlier. The end of the Black Hawk War in 1832 increased the immigration surge of immigration, again coming from New England as a result of overpopulation combined with land shortages in that region. Some of these later settlers were from upstate New York , whose relatives had moved to that region from New England shortly after the American Revolutionary War . New Englanders and New England transplants from upstate New York were
174-410: A County Assessor to handle the remaining townships. Elkhart County is part of Indiana's 2nd congressional district ; Indiana Senate districts 9, 11, and 12; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 21, 22, 48, 49, and 82. Elkhart County has consistently been a Republican Party stronghold in presidential elections. In only three elections since 1888 has a Republican candidate failed to win
232-688: A downtown South Shore Line station for South Bend, replacing the existing station at South Bend International Airport . Such a station, if constructed, might be either adjacent to, or integrated into, the South Street Station. The system's secondary transfer center is the Mishawaka Transfer Center, located in Downtown Mishawaka. The station is also served by the Interurban Trolley . In
290-502: A high school; all named Concord. Finally, the Goshen Community Schools serve the central part of Elkhart County. This system is made up of seven elementary schools (Chamberlain, Chandler, Model, Parkside, Prairieview, Waterford, and West Goshen), a middle and a high school all named Goshen . In addition to the public schools, there are nine private schools in the county. Kessington Christian School (grades PK-12)
348-503: A link between western Elkhart and Dunlap . It was operated by Concord Township trustee and funded using local dollars. In 1999, MACOG launched the Elkhart-Goshen route, linking together the cities of Elkhart and Goshen and establishing the BUS transit system. At the time, the system used minibuses to transport passengers. The system was expanded in 2003 with the addition of North Pointe Route, which linked downtown Elkhart and
406-582: A month to figure out how the service would be changed. Subsequently, Cleveland, Osolo and Elkhart townships agreed to provide some funding assistance, and Concord Township agreed to provide some funding as well (albeit at a reduced level). Even with the infusion of funding, MACOG decided to revamp the Interurban Trolley. While the Elkhart-Goshen and Bittersweet/Mishawaka routes were largely unaffected, other routes were changed significantly. The changes took effect on April 2, 2012. That date also marked
464-574: A regular surface highway. County Road 17 is known as the "Michiana Parkway" and provides a connection between Goshen , U.S. 20, S.R. 120 , the Elkhart East interchange (Exit 96) on the Toll Road, and US 12 in Michigan via M-217 . U.S. Highways 6 , 33 , and 131 also run through the county along with Indiana State Highways 4 , 13 , 15 , 19 , 119 , and 120 . U.S. 33 was once part of
522-507: A singular Elkhart High School, one alternative school (Tipton Street Center), and the Elkhart Area Career Center. The Middlebury Community Schools serve the northeast side of the county. This system includes four elementary schools (Jefferson, Middlebury, Orchard View, and York), one intermediate school (Heritage), one middle school, and one high school both named Northridge . The Fairfield Community Schools serve
580-486: A small operation on Middlebury Street, Indiana University South Bend has its "Elkhart Center" downtown, and Ivy Tech Community College has a campus as well. Bonneyville Mill Park consists of 223 acres (0.90 km ) of rolling hills, marshes, and woodlands on the Little Elkhart River east of Bristol. The park offers hiking trails, fishing spots, shelters, and guided tours of Bonneyville Mill. The mill
638-409: A transit center for South Bend Transpo. It was also envisioned that the station would house intercity bus services and a bus transit link to South Bend's airport . It was envisioned that, in addition to larger buses, smaller electric-powered shuttle buses would also be serving the transit center. A parking garage was planned to be attached to the station. A feasibility study for the project
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#1732781045889696-496: 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. Route 4 stops at the South Bend International Airport . The airport doubles as a regional transit hub. Coach USA buses stop there (and formerly Greyhound Lines buses ), and the airport terminal building incorporates
754-588: 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. All buses are equipped with bike racks. In 2014, Transpo began converting
812-801: Is in Bristol; Elkhart Christian Academy (grades K-12), Trinity Lutheran School (grades K-8), St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School (grades PK-8), and St. Thomas the Apostle School (grades K-8) are in Elkhart; while Bethany Christian (grades 4–12), Bashor Alternative School (grades 4–10), St. John the Evangelist Catholic School (grades PK-6), and Clinton Christian School (grades K-12) are in Goshen. Elkhart County has six institutions for higher learning, two of which are solely located in
870-842: Is known as "The RV Capital of the World" because of its substantial recreational vehicle -based economy. Farming also plays a big role in the local economy. Tourism boosts the county's economy. Destinations such as Das Dutchman Essenhaus in Middlebury and Amish Acres in Nappanee along with annual events such as the Elkhart Jazz Festival, the Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival , and the Elkhart County 4-H Fair draw thousands of tourists annually. The Fair
928-585: Is land and 4.80 square miles (12.4 km ) (or 1.03%) is water. The county sits in mostly rural farmland with rolling hills in its northeast corner. Those hills were formed by glaciers and are part of the St. Lawrence Seaway Continental Divide. The St. Joseph River , which flows from Michigan, across the Michigan border north of Bristol, is the main waterway in Elkhart County. The Elkhart River enters
986-510: Is led by a board of three elected commissioners that serve as the executive branch of county government. The board also serves as the legislative branch in that it is responsible for ordinances. The county council is made of seven elected members - one from each of the four council districts and three at large. The council is in charge of all monetary issues including appropriations and taxes. There are Township Assessors for Baugo, Cleveland, Concord, Elkhart, Middlebury, and Osolo townships and
1044-533: Is made up of five routes: The Elkhart Transfer Station serves as the system hub . It is located near The Elkhart Courthouse in the city's downtown, on Franklin Street, between 2nd St. and 3rd St. All given routes stop here within minutes of each other, creating convenient transfers. Yellow Line Bittersweet links up with TRANSPO 's Route 9 in Mishawaka , which, in turn, connects riders to downtown South Bend and
1102-597: Is part of the Elkhart - Goshen Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn is part of the South Bend-Elkhart-Mishawaka Combined Statistical Area . It is also considered part of the broader region of Northern Indiana known as Michiana , and is 20 miles (32 km) east of South Bend, Indiana , 110 miles (180 km) east of Chicago , Illinois , and 150 miles (240 km) north of Indianapolis, Indiana . The area
1160-697: Is referred to by locals as the recreation vehicle (RV) capital of the world and is known for its sizable Amish and Old Order Mennonite population. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the area now within Elkhart County boundaries was mainly inhabited by the Potawatomi tribe. Pioneers began settling in the Elkhart Prairie in 1829 and in April 1830, Elkhart County was officially established with its original county seat in Dunlap . After reorganizing
1218-604: Is still used to produce flour. Ox Bow Park sits on 113 acres (0.46 km ) overlooking the Elkhart River midway between Elkhart and Goshen. The park offers hiking trails, shelters, disc golf, and an archery range. River Preserve Park is 1,050 acres (4.2 km ) located between Benton and the Goshen Dam also on the Elkhart River. The park also offers several trails and shelters and provides insight into
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#17327810458891276-494: Is the primary hub of the system. It is located in Downtown South Bend. The station includes a 14,800 square foot (1,370 m ) building containing waiting areas, public restrooms , and other facilities. Efforts planning this station date back to 1992. It was envisioned to be an intermodal transit hub that would feature a new station for Amtrak (replacing South Bend's existing Amtrak station ) in addition to
1334-773: Is the second largest county fair in the United States. In recent years, average temperatures in Goshen have ranged from a low of 17 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −24 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in January 1984 and a record high of 102 °F (39 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.77 inches (45 mm) in February to 4.05 inches (103 mm) in June. The county
1392-665: The Church of Christ and the United Church of Christ . As a result of this heritage, most of Elkhart County supported the abolitionist movement before the American Civil War . Elkhart County provided substantial recruits for the Union Army . During the end of the nineteenth century, Irish and German migrants came to Elkhart County, although most did not come directly from Europe, but had stopped in other areas in
1450-591: The Midwest , such as Ohio . The name Elkhart is a euphemization of "Elks-heart", which refers to the now extinct Eastern elk . The name has been attached to the Elkhart River and surrounding area since at least 1749, when it was recorded in French as Coeur de cerf ("elk's heart") as the name of a Miami village there. The place name in Miami-Illinois is mihšiiwiateehi ("elk's heart"). Later in
1508-637: 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 . Route 5 connects to Niles DART Route 2 at the Auten Rd/933 stop Monday-Friday. Route 9 links up with the Interurban Trolley system's Bittersweet/Mishawaka Route at Twin Branch Park. The route links Mishawaka to Downtown Elkhart . South Street Station
1566-551: The 18th century the area was inhabited by the Potawatomi ; in the Potawatomi language , the place is likewise known as mzewəodeʔig , "at the elk heart". The name may reflect a prehistoric association of the Elkhart area with the Kaskaskia people , whom the Miami called "elk hearts". Other explanations have been suggested. According to an account by two Miami leaders ( Jean Baptiste Richardville and Le Gros ) recorded in 1824,
1624-526: The Amtrak component failed to materialize. The parking garage originally planned to be attached to the station never materialized. Furthermore, it was not until December 2, 2019, when Greyhound Lines moved its intercity bus service from South Bend International Airport to the South Street Station, that it received intercity bus service. Barons Bus Lines also now provides intercity bus service at South Street Station. There have been talks of constructing
1682-683: The North Pointe Mall in the city's northern section. On December 20, 2006, MACOG replaced the mini-buses with wheelchair-accessible trolley-style buses and gave the system its current name. In September 2009, MACOG launched the Bittersweet/Mishawaka Route, linking Elkhart and city of Mishawaka's eastern neighborhoods. It was designed to sync up with South Bend TRANSPO's Route 9. The routes meet at Martin's Supermarket, arriving and departing within minutes of each other. As of this writing, there are no free transfers between
1740-541: The South Station, TRANSPO's transit hub. Blue Line North Pointe stops at Elkhart's Greyhound station. Red Line Elkhart/Goshen and Green Line West routes both stop near the Elkhart Train Station . Elkhart County, Indiana Elkhart County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana . As of 2020 , the county's population was 207,047. The county seat is Goshen . Elkhart County
1798-469: The aging fleet to compressed natural gas (CNG) with the arrival of 14 New Flyer buses. TRANSPO has 18 individual routes and 1 additional “Gameday Express” service for Notre Dame home games. 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: University of Notre Dame , Saint Mary's College students, faculty and staff can ride for free provided they show
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1856-413: The building and the parking lot for buses at the South Street Station were still months away from completion, necessitating the temporary use of on-street parking for buses for several months. South Street Station's facilities were opened in 1998. When it opened, South Street Station was solely a transfer center for local buses, with the Amtrak component planned to be built at a later date. Ultimately,
1914-477: The city of Elkhart . The Elkhart Community Schools , the largest district, serves the populated northwest side of the county. The system includes fourteen elementary schools (Beardsley, Bristol, Cleveland, Eastwood, Hawthorne, Mary Beck, Mary Daly, Mary Feeser, Monger, Osolo, Pinewood, Riverview, Roosevelt STEAM Academy, and Woodland), three middle schools (North Side, Pierre Moran, and West Side), two high schools ( Central and Memorial ), which in 2020 merged into
1972-525: The county borders, the seat was moved to Goshen near the county's geographical center. Elkhart County was founded by immigrants from New England . These were old-stock " Yankee " immigrants, descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the 1600s. The completion of the Erie Canal in 1821 sparked a surge in immigration from New England to northern Indiana, which had become
2030-502: The county east of Millersburg and winds its way through Goshen and Dunlap to Island Park in Elkhart where it meets the St. Joseph. The Little Elkhart River flows into the county southeast of Middlebury and creates some scenic views in Bonneyville Mills County Park before emptying into the St. Joseph near Bristol. Numerous creeks wind their way through the countryside and several lakes, including Simonton Lake, dot
2088-422: The county's southeast corner. This system includes three elementary schools (Benton, Millersburg, and New Paris) and a junior-senior high school named Fairfield . The Wa-Nee Community Schools serve the southwest portion of the county. This system consists of three elementary schools (Nappanee, Wakarusa, and Woodview), a middle school, and a high school both named NorthWood . The Baugo Community Schools serve
2146-570: The county, most recently in 1964. As of the 2010 United States Census , there were 197,559 people, 70,244 households, and 50,542 families residing in the county. The population density was 426.5 inhabitants per square mile (164.7/km ). There were 77,767 housing units at an average density of 167.9 per square mile (64.8/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 82.9% white, 5.7% black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 7.5% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 14.1% of
2204-494: The county: Goshen College , a small Mennonite liberal arts college of 1000 students in Goshen; and the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary , which has been operating on Elkhart's south side since 1958. The city of Elkhart has four satellite campuses within its city limits. Bethel College of Mishawaka has a small satellite campus on the south side, Indiana Institute of Technology has
2262-574: 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. This block had been home to a previous Transpo transfer center that had been opened in October 1978. Plans were for this site to potentially be
2320-465: The history of Indiana's waterways. Treasure Island Park offers fishing and canoe access to the St. Joseph River west of Elkhart while the Turkey Creek (two miles south of Goshen) and Wolf Lake (two miles north of Goshen) sites have no public access but are described as "future parks." The cities and towns of Elkhart County also have numerous parks and greenways. Elkhart's North Side Gymnasium
2378-453: The introduction of new naming scheme for the routes. From that point on, the routes were named after colors as well as major service areas. Interurban Trolley operates on Monday-Saturday. It does not operate on Sundays and major holidays (New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day). The system operates from 5:00 am – 8:00 pm on Monday-Friday and 5:00 am – 7:00 pm on Saturday. For
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2436-552: The landscape. Fifteen unincorporated communities also exist in the county. They are Benton , Bonneyville Mills , Dunlap , Foraker , Garden Village, Jimtown , Locke , Midway , New Paris , Nibbyville, Simonton Lake , Southwest , Vistula , and Waterford Mills . Elkhart County is one of the few counties in the US to border two counties of the same name in different states (St. Joseph County in Indiana and Michigan). Elkhart County
2494-623: The most part, weekday and Saturday schedules are identical. The fares for the Interurban Trolley are: *Half fares for Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons are only accepted during Non-Peak hours. Must show ID, Medicare Card or Handi-Card to receive discount. Non-Peak Hours are 5:00 am–7:00 am, 11:00 am–3:00 pm and 6:00 pm–7:00 pm The Interurban Trolley formed a partnership with Ivy Tech Community College that allows students, faculty and staff to ride with an Ivy Tech ID and validation sticker. The validation stickers are available for $ 20 per semester from Ivy Tech Bursar's Office. The Interurban Trolley
2552-444: The name arose from two women fighting over an elk's heart that had been hung up to dry. Alternatively, some historians including Jacob Piatt Dunn have associated the name with the shape of an island in the Elkhart River that is stated to resemble an elk's heart. This theory has been carried on the city's website. A popular but non-historical account claims that the county was named after a Shawnee Indian chief named "Elkhart", who
2610-709: The original Lincoln Highway . A bus system known as the Interurban Trolley serves several municipalities throughout Elkhart County, connecting Elkhart and Goshen , as well as Osceola , Dunlap and Mishawaka , using buses that look like trolley cars. These buses are manufactured at government expense in RV facilities of Elkhart County. The county's only Amtrak and Greyhound bus stations are in Elkhart. Elkhart, Nappanee, and Goshen all have municipal airports. Amtrak makes four daily stops in Elkhart. The county has seven public school districts, seven private schools, and one college. Several other colleges have satellite campuses in
2668-415: The population. In terms of ancestry, 28.4% were German , 10.2% were Irish , 7.6% were English , and 7.6% were American . Of the 70,244 households, 38.1% had children under 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.0% were non-families, and 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size
2726-565: The previous lot that was used as a transfer center. The station, during its planning, received criticism from some as an example of " pork barrel spending", receiving the 1996 "Oinkers Award" in the Pig Book published by Citizens Against Government Waste . The previous transfer center, located at Main Street and Jefferson Boulevard, closed on June 28, 1997 (a Saturday), and buses moved to the South Street Station's intersection at Main Street and South Street on June 30, 1997 (a Monday). However,
2784-416: The same territory as the fixed routes. The name refers to the fact that the system serves several communities using vintage-trolley-style buses, evoking interurban trains that were common in United States during the early 20th century. The BUS system was originally made up of two routes – the previously independent Concord Route and the Elkhart-Goshen route. The Concord route was established in 1986, providing
2842-417: The system's transit hub. The route was originally conceived as a way to fill a service gap identified in the 2007 MACOG coordinated transportation plan. On February 3, 2012, MACOG officials announced that service will be changed after Concord Township cut its share of the system funding. The last-minute injection of funds from Elkhart and Goshen city governments allowed MACOG to avoid immediate cuts and gave it
2900-562: The systems. On February 1, 2010, service on two of the four Interurban Trolley routes were changed. The North Pointe route was extended to the new Martin's and Goodwill stores at County Road 4 and Cassopolis St. (St. Rd. 19). The Bittersweet/Mishawaka route got new stop at the Elkhart General Hospital. On August 16, 2010, the new Elkhart East/West Route was added. It is made up of two sets of loops that run through Elkhart's western and eastern neighborhoods, intersecting at
2958-657: The two daily newspapers that serve the county while Bristol, Middlebury, and Nappanee all have weekly newspapers. Elkhart County lies in the South Bend-Elkhart television market, the 89th largest in the United States as of 2008 . One television station, WSJV-TV ( Fox ), is located in Elkhart along with several radio stations including WTRC , WLEG, WFRN and WVPE ( NPR ). Radio Stations WKAM and Goshen College's WGCS are located in Goshen. 41°36′N 85°52′W / 41.60°N 85.86°W / 41.60; -85.86 South Bend TRANSPO TRANSPO
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#17327810458893016-594: The vast majority of Elkhart County's inhabitants during the first several decades of its history. These settlers were primarily members of the Congregational Church though due to the Second Great Awakening many of them had converted to Methodism and some had become Baptists before moving west. The Congregational Church subsequently has gone through many divisions, and some factions, including those in Elkhart County, are now known as
3074-399: The west-central part of the county. This system is made up of an elementary, an intermediate, a junior high, and a high school each named Jimtown . The Concord Community Schools serve the southeast side of the city of Elkhart and northwest Goshen. This system consists of four elementary schools (East Side, Ox Bow, South Side, and West Side), an intermediate school, a junior high school, and
3132-497: Was 11,006 or 5.3% of the total population. The Indiana Toll Road (Interstates 80 / 90 ) runs through the northern fringes of the county. Elkhart has two interchanges (exits 92 & 96) while Bristol (exit 101) and Middlebury (exit 107) have one apiece. U.S. Route 20 skirts the southern edges of Elkhart as the St. Joseph Valley Parkway until the freeway ends at the County Road 17 interchange. U.S. 20 continues eastward as
3190-558: Was 2.76, and the average family size was 3.23. The median age was 34.9 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 47,697, and the median income for a family was $ 53,742. Males had a median income of $ 41,891 versus $ 29,496 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 22,187. About 10.2% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 21.5% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over. In 2020,the Amish and Mennonite population
3248-507: Was finished in February 1993. In November 1993, the city of South Bend purchased land for the transit center. The $ 20.5 million facility received more than $ 13 million in federal funding by the start of 1997. With the new facility approved, on December 20, 1996, the South Bend Redevelopment Commission approved a proposal by Memorial Health Systems Inc. to build a 75,000 square foot (7,000 m ) complex on
3306-571: Was home to the Elkhart Express International Basketball League team. However, after (2) winning seasons, the Express ceased to exist in 2009. All of these events draw in many people every year, but the biggest event, by far, in the county is the Elkhart County 4-H Fair . This nine-day event is one of the largest county fairs in the United States. The Elkhart Truth and The Goshen News are
3364-605: Was ostensibly a cousin of the famous Chief Tecumseh , and father of "princess Mishawaka" (for whom, according to the story, neighboring Mishawaka is named). This story originated in Legends of Michigan and the Old North West , an 1875 collection of historical fiction by Michigan politician Flavius J. Littlejohn . According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 467.97 square miles (1,212.0 km ), of which 463.17 square miles (1,199.6 km ) (or 98.97%)
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