Unitrans

Unitrans

British buses parked at the Unitrans garage. These buses are ex-Transport for London units.
Parent	University of California, Davis
Founded	1972
Headquarters	1 Shields Avenue, 5 South Hall Davis, CA 95616
Locale	Davis, CA
Service type	Local bus transit
Routes	20
Fleet	49
Annual ridership	3.8 million
Operator	Associated Students of UC Davis (ASUCD)
General manager	Anthony Palmere
Website	unitrans.com

Unitrans is the transit system which operates in Davis, California. It takes its name from an abbreviation of the words "University Transport". Excepting several managerial and maintenance positions, Unitrans is managed and operated entirely by students of the University of California, Davis who usually work part-time while attending school. The system is well known throughout the area for its use of several distinctive ex-Transport for London double-decker buses, as well as its fleet of modern natural gas single-decks. Ridership exceeds 3 million passenger-trips per year on 18 weekday, 2 school-only and 6 weekend routes. Current fares are $1.00 for the general public and included in student fees for undergraduate University attendees. Unitrans is one of a small number of transit systems in the United States to operate double deck buses in regular (non-sightseeing) service (the others include The Deuce in Las Vegas, Nevada, Antelope Valley Transit Authority in Lancaster/Palmdale, California, SLO Transit in San Luis Obispo and Community Transit in Snohomish County, Washington). Unitrans has one of the best safety records of any public transit system in the US.

In the late 1960s, members of the Associated Students of the University of California, Davis (ASUCD) realized the need for a transit system to transport students between the City of Davis and the University campus. In the spring of 1966, providing a transportation system became an ASUCD presidential promise. Newly elected in the fall, the President helped start experimental service in October 1966. This service was initially run using a private charter service. The estimated cost at the time was $2000/quarter. The service ran for several months, but ASUCD officials decided that the service needed to be changed. These students approached Davis' then-mayor Maynard Skinner and appealed for support both politically and financially. With the mayor's endorsement, the University Transport System, or Unitrans, began to take shape.