| Sioux Area Metro | |
| Headquarters: | 500 E. Sixth St. Sioux Falls, South Dakota |
| Service Area: | Urban area |
| Service Type: | Bus service Tourist trolley Paratransit |
| Routes: | 12 |
| Fleet: | 29 Buses (Fixed Route) 26 Buses (Paratransit) |
| Ridership: | |
| Annual Ridership: | |
| Operator: | Via |
The Sioux Area Metro (SAM) is the local governmental transit agency in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and the state's largest public transportation operator. They provide multiple scheduled fixed routes and paratransit services. In December 2023, city council members voted unanimously to select Via as its technology and operations partner[1] . In, the system had a ridership of, or about per weekday as of .
Address: 500 E. Sixth St.[2]
Coordinates: 43.5516°N -96.7204°W
Facilities: Head office, bus storage and maintenance
Address: 120 E. 11th St.
Coordinates: 43.5448°N -96.7254°W
Facilities: Downtown bus terminalThe Sioux Area Metro Depot was originally built in 1988 and known as "The Bus Stop". In 2017, the facility underwent a $2 million renovation and reopened on November 6, 2017 with the name Sioux Area Metro Depot. The renovations included a skylight, new canopy, new benches, bike storage and bike repair station. The facility serves 11 routes.[3]
Address: 4409 S. Louise Ave.
Coordinates: 43.5047°N -96.7714°W
Facilities: Mall area bus terminal
Effective February 1, 2016[4]
Routes operate Monday-Saturday unless otherwise indicated.
| No. | Destinations[5] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VA Hospital, South Kiwanis Ave | ||
| 2 | Sanford Hospital, Augustana University, South Western Ave | ||
| 3 | South Minnesota Ave, West 41st St, Empire Mall | ||
| 4 | East 10th St | ||
| 5 | Avera Hospital, South Cliff Ave, South Phillips Ave | ||
| 6 | PREMIER Center, Terrace Park | ||
| 7 | East Sioux Falls, Dawley Farms Village | ||
| 8 | North 4th Ave, North Cliff Ave | Weekday Only | |
| 9 | East 18th St, East 26th St | ||
| 10 | West 12th St, Hayward Park, South Marion Rd | ||
| 11 | Southwest Circulator | ||
| 19 | Weekday Only |
Sioux Area Metro operated an old-time trolley styled bus in the downtown area. In 2014 operation of the service was assumed by Downtown Sioux Falls Inc, and in 2019 they were joined by a coalition of local businesses to continue funding through 2022.[6]
Sioux Area Metro also operated four school "tripper" routes until May 2016. These routes were open to the public, with high schools as destinations. School Bus, Inc is currently operating those routes.[7]
Sioux Falls Paratransit is an extension to the city's fixed-route system, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to use it. Each paratransit bus is equipped with a wheelchair lift. All passengers must be certified by guidelines established by the Americans with Disabilities Act, and be registered with Sioux Area Metro after qualifying. Passengers must schedule Paratransit trips by calling their local office.[8]
The ridership and service statistics shown here are of fixed route services only and do not include demand response. Per capita statistics are based on the Sioux Falls urbanized area as reported in NTD data. The significant changes in per capita numbers from 2010 to 2011 are a result of the 2010 census numbers replacing the 2000 census numbers.[9]
| Ridership | Change | Ridership per capita | Vehicle Revenue Hours | Change | Vehicle Revenue Hours per capita | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 572,630 | n/a | 4.61 | 50,882 | n/a | 0.40945 |
| 2003 | 657,444 | 14.81% | 5.29 | 50,583 | 0.59% | 0.40704 |
| 2004 | 684,469 | 4.11% | 5.51 | 51,130 | 1.08% | 0.41145 |
| 2005 | 724,271 | 5.82% | 5.83 | 52,557 | 2.79% | 0.42293 |
| 2006 | 803,450 | 10.93% | 6.47 | 54,121 | 2.98% | 0.43551 |
| 2007 | 837,299 | 4.21% | 6.74 | 49,929 | 7.75% | 0.40178 |
| 2008 | 905,870 | 8.19% | 7.28 | 53,640 | 7.43% | 0.43164 |
| 2009 | 927,112 | 2.34% | 7.46 | 53,749 | 0.2% | 0.43252 |
| 2010 | 937,258 | 1.09% | 7.54 | 55,239 | 2.77% | 0.44451 |
| 2011 | 996,316 | 6.3% | 6.35 | 55,046 | 0.35% | 0.35111 |
| 2012 | 1,026,715 | 3.05% | 6.55 | 55,361 | 0.57% | 0.35312 |
| 2013 | 1,023,089 | 0.35% | 6.53 | 55,490 | 0.23% | 0.35394 |
| 2014 | 955,357 | 6.62% | 6.09 | 62,669 | 12.94% | 0.39973 |
| 2015 | 885,104 | 7.35% | 5.65 | 65,640 | 4.74% | 0.41868 |
| 2016 | 837,474 | 5.38% | 5.34 | 64,389 | 1.9% | 0.4107 |
| 2017 | 795,026 | 5.07% | 5.07 | 61,894 | 3.87% | 0.39479 |
| 2018 | 782,129 | 1.62% | 4.99 | 61,935 | 0.0% | 0.39505 |
| 2019 | 769,437 | 1.62% | 4.91 | 62,344 | 0.66% | 0.39766 |
| 2020 | 445,205 | 42.14% | 2.84 | 54,264 | 12.96% | 0.34612 |
| 2021 | 389,816 | 12.44% | 2.49 | 51,756 | 4.62% | 0.33012 |
| 2022 | 385,565 | 1.09% | 2.46 | - | - | - |
| 2023 | 502,993 | 30.46% | 2.59 | - | - | - |
2009 2015 2018 Gillig Low Floor