TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Sun Tran is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Back in 1975, Tucson's bus service had rebranded itself as Sun Tran.
From mules, to trolleys, to buses, Tucson's transit history dates back nearly 145 years.
In the spring of 1880, Tucson was coming of age. In March of that year, the railroad was completed, and the first train steamed into downtown.
"All of a sudden, the people in Tucson thought they had to be like any up-and-coming city," said Old Pueblo Trolley CEP Gene Caywood. "They ought to have a transit system."
By 1882, a horse-drawn bus called a herdic was being used. Tucson transit was born.
The herdic line connected downtown with the brand new University of Arizona, which opened in October of 1891.
By 1897, Tucson Street Railway was organized, launching service the next year with horse-and-mule-drawn cars.
"Which were on rails in the street, just like your modern streetcar, except drawn by horses and mules," explained Caywood. "Those ran until 1906, when there was a outside company that brought in outside money from Colorado to build and electrify the streetcar line."
Tucson had arrived, with five electric streetcars.
For the next 24 years, streetcars would carry passengers from the bustling shopping downtown, to the university and onto many of the city's neighborhoods.
By the mid-1920s, to keep up with urban growth, Tucson Rapid Transit added bus lines from street car stops to the north side and east side of the city.
"Roy Laos decided that the people on the south side needed a bus line," said Caywood. "In the same year, 1925, Roy established Occidental Bus Lines which provided the first bus service on the south side. Three years later, he started service to the west side to St. Mary's Hospital."
In 1931, as costs to maintain tracks for the streetcars grew, Tucson Rapid Transit discontinued streetcar service -- converting entirely to buses. That left two bus services, Tucson Rapid Transit and Occidental Bus Lines.
"If you wanted to go from one side of the town to the other, you had to pay a separate fare," Caywood said. "Because they didn't honor the transfers of the other bus line."
In 1945, the two bus lines carried a combined seven million passengers.
But ridership dropped over the next several decades. By 1969, the City of Tucson purchased Tucson Rapid Transit. They bought 65 new buses increasing ridership dramatically.
In 1975, a contest was held to pick a new name for Tucson's bus line.
"The name that won was Sun Tran," said Caywood. "The color scheme that won was the red, white and yellow that they had from 1975 until 2008."
That also gave birth to the Sun Tran mascot, Sunny.
On the south side, Roy Laos continued his running his bus service. By then, it had changed names from Occidental Bus Lines to Old Pueblo Transit Company.
"He ran it for 52 years before his death," Caywood said.
His family sold Old Pueblo Transit to Sun Tran in 1978 -- creating one bus service for the entire city.
But Old Pueblo would make a triumphant return as part of the U of A's centennial celebration. From 1993 until 2011, the trolley ran from the Fourth Avenue Business District to the main gate of the University.
The Old Pueblo Trolley gave way to the Sun Link Streetcar, which began operating in 2014.
It brought transit full circle, from mule-and-horse-drawn streetcars to a modern electric one.
The Sun Link Streetcar has dramatically changed Tucson's downtown.
"If you look at the economic development impact and the change in downtown, it was a very good decision on the city's part," said Caywood.
Old Pueblo Trolley lives on as an impressive South Tucson attraction.
"I'm standing on the steps of an 1886 horse-drawn streetcar," said Caywood pointing to the historic trolley.
The museum includes 8 vintage streetcars and some 28 buses. Most have been restored or are being restored by the nonprofit.
They are keeping alive 145 years of Absolutely Arizona transit history.
The Old Pueblo Trolley museum is located in South Tucson. It is open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday each week from 10 am to 3 pm.
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Pat Parris is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. He is a graduate of Sabino High School where he was the 1982 high school state track champion in the 800 meters. While in high school and college, he worked part-time in the KGUN 9 newsroom. Share your story ideas and important issues with Pat by emailing pat.parris@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
