This is a great option for intercity transportation and it is CLEAN, convenient and comfortable. Did I mention it is FREE? The supervisor, Paul was amazingly generous. He offered us water while we waited for our connection. I had never met him before but I surely appreciate his hospitality . Thank you Orbit drivers for being helpful to the new rider and fan, me! read more

Orbit Bus System - Here's a quick phot of Paul the supervisor and a very kind gentleman. - Public Transportation Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

I've never ridden on an Orbit bus, but I've been a grad student at the Tempe campus for a few years and man, I have never seen such erratic driving. Buses suddenly cutting out from a stop into the right lane while you are in it forcing you to swerve into the middle lane to avoid hitting them, drifting into neighboring lanes and other traffic while making right turns, breaking right-of-way laws at intersections and refusing to stop even when they're inches from another car, etc. And of course I've lost count of how many times a bus has GUNNED IT while I'm in the middle of a crosswalk as a pedestrian, like they're threatening to run me down if I don't get out of their way. I don't know that I've ever seen an Orbit driving normally. Tempe is already a difficult city to drive in, I'm not sure how I would feel riding in a vehicle that stomps on traffic laws as much as these ones do. read more

9 out of 10 drivers are really nice considering the abuse and crap they have to put up with. Some of the more troubled unhoused people use this free bus. Most drivers will kick them off if they bother other passengers, and was surprised when the driver once parked and walked back to ensure the passenger wasn't bothering others. As a circulator you don't have to go to a bus stop in flag zones which is great. Today noted both bus drivers stopped fully before railroad tracks and made damn sure there was no train, a DOT requirement and quietly appreciated by this passenger. read more

We love the orbit bus, but we had such a nasty driver tonight. Bus 1642 - His whole attitude was hateful-We had to call and get a ride from Mill Avenue, because he kept glaring at us. Please,please hire more friendly drivers-he was awful read more

Never on time. Sometimes shows up, sometimes doesn't. When it foes its a random time not even close to what it says online. I just waited over an hour for one to show up read more

I'm absolutely shocked at some of the reviews and the reasons they are complaining about the Orbit Bus System. These buses are FREE and shuttle people in Tempe from locations close to their home to the Tempe Transit Center. They are FREE. These buses run about every 15 to 20 minutes and with traffic around ASU especially, I can guess that they probably find it difficult to be as scheduled. However, if a student only has to wait 15 or 20 minutes for a free shuttle, that's not too bad. I'm also thankful that a food isn't allowed on the bus as someone else complained. Can you imagine having to sit in it? It is rare that any town offers free bus service. I'm thinking some of these complainers probably should buy their own car and see how long it takes them to get from one place to another or how much they spend on parking fees and fuel. Sure there are pros and cons but it's free. Should the service be canceled these folks would be digging in their own pockets to pay for transportation. It's free! read more

I appreciate this service very much and drivers are friendly for the most part Today I experienced a driver that should have stayed in bed. Jupiter South, 8:01am departure from Transit Center. The driver arrived upset, when talking to supervisor I heard her say "I don't care I am tired" she never pulled up to curve but continued complaining while parked in drive about 6feet away from curve. She then just drove off without opening door for us to get on. The supervisor was there and seem confused as well and offered to take me to my destination. She was having a very bad day however you should never drive off when guest are waiting. read more

Since I got back into student mode a couple of weeks ago, I've had a chance to get reacquainted with Orbit. Meh. Here are some observations: - The homeless drunks still find a way on the bus at 8AM. - Each driver has their own interpretations of where the route goes, which neighborhoods are flag-stops, bus capacity, etc. Those interpretations almost never err on the side of good customer service. - Why so many fuckwads that spend 10 minutes waiting for a bus, only to get off at the next stop? It's a 5 minute walk. Stop slowing the bus down! - The bus capacity is listed as 17 seated + 6 standing, and usually somewhere between 23-30 passengers will be on the bus as it approaches ASU, depending on the mood of the driver. It is never under max capacity. I have seen literally hundreds of people not get picked up over the past two weeks. They could use full-size Valley metro buses and they would still fill up. So, one star because I can't give it zero, plus one more because it's free. Though you get what you pay for. read more

I love the Orbit!!! It is a great free service for Tempe residents. As a full time ASU student, this service saves me so much money in parking or transit fees. It definitely has its pros and cons...but can you really complain when it is free and useful? In addition to using it to get to and from ASU, we have also used it for Mill Avenue and Tempe Marketplace. The schedule is frequent but not necessarily consistent. It would be nice if it would run later it the day. It is a bouncy ride, so hang on. It is quite the diverse group of riders. People watching is never short of interesting. The drivers, for the most part, are friendly and helpful. Overall, I love this free service and am very thankful it exists! read more

I love the Tempe Orbit. The best part is that it is free! Since moving here six months ago, we have taken the Orbit numerous times as it runs right past our condo complex to Mill Avenue. It runs about every 15 minutes, give or take a few minutes...I think we waited once for 20 minutes but it wasn't a big deal. Even if you aren't standing at one of the bus stops, you can flag the bus down if you are walking and it will pick you up. Of course since it is public transportation, it offers awesome (and I do mean awesome) opportunities for people watching. In fact, we have even started to notice some "regulars" who are quite the characters. Minus one star for not running past 10 pm. read more

The bus always leaves late from the transit station. Sometimes I've waited more than 50 minutes! Is there a bus missing from a shift or what? Also the bus drivers sometimes just stand around and talk and don't take the passengers waiting in the bus until about 5-10 minutes later than theyre supposed to. Very unreliable transportation. I always have to leave about an hour before I want to get anywhere.m, even if it only takes 15-20 monites to get there. Just because the transportation is unreliable and I don't want to be late. However some bus drivers are nice and that helps! read more

The Orbit is an undeniably valuable service for commuters to ASU like myself. I'm saving almost $1000 a year by not buying a parking pass, and I don't have to spend $100 on the student bus pass, either. That said, some things do hamper my enjoyment of the buses. Scheduling is somewhat inconsistent. They're supposed to come every 15 minutes, but sometimes I've had to wait much longer than that (probably close to an hour) when trying to come home on Mars during the busy 5 or 6 pm rush. At that time of day, sometimes when the bus does come after a long wait it says "Bus Full" and doesn't even stop. I'd be willing to pay a few cents as a fare if it would guarantee more consistency in the scheduling and more buses during busy times. The ride is not particularly comfortable. The bus is rickety and shakes and makes noise going over bumps. The seats are squished together and you're likely to be rubbing thighs with your neighbor. The center aisle is also very narrow and lacking in handholds, and for some reason people refuse to stand in it; instead they cluster at the front of the bus and create an impasse when you try to exit. The etiquette on the buses is also somewhat lacking. Most drivers are plenty friendly (if appearing a bit weary) , but one cantankerous driver yelled at us that we needed to be at the stop 5 minutes early after I jogged to catch the bus as it was about to leave. How can I be there 5 minutes early when there is no schedule arrival time!?!? The other riders are a mixed bag; some polite folks who are just commuting, some grungy kids who seem to be riding for fun, some super ghetto people who are often loud or rude, and the ever reliable homeless dudes who can stink up the ENTIRE bus. They should add a rule about deoderant and sleeveless shirts to the one about shoes... It is a free service, so take my whinging with a grain of salt. Overall its a viable option for getting around for fun/commuting; I would be willing to pay a small fare if it improved the experience, though. read more

To start, I must say it's tough to get too critical with free bus service but them again this is Yelp so here's the good, the bad and the ugly of Orbit. By the way,we lived on the Earth Orbit so my comments are my personal observations from many rides to and from Downtown Tempe. The good: normally on time, some drivers with go out of their way to stop or wait for you if you are running to a stop, the Downtown End Stop is at the Light Rail and Bus Stops so you can make very easy transfers. The Bad: Some drivers drive like they have a hot date to get to, buses will arrive at a stop and me marked full, if not one gets off, you wait 15 minutes more. The ugly: Homeless seem to use the service for more than transportation, going from one bus to the next. The system is a casualty of a problem that society seems not interested in addressing. All in all, we keep riding and enjoying the fact that we don't have to navigate Downtown Tempe and find a space to park. read more

Orbit Bus System - Mars south heading out! - Public Transportation Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

I love the Orbit and have been using it more now that the Light Rail has started. It's a great service, but I really wish the bus drivers would do more to keep obviously drunk homeless people off the bus. It's easy, it's free, and the drivers are mostly accommodating. They just need to start kicking people off when they're acting a fool. read more

Since I literally live on the Venus line, I think this is a convenient way to travel Tempe. I like that the buses seem to always be clean and running well. They have not always been consistent for their 15 minutes intervals, sometimes it seems like they skip one or two of the schedules times. I agree with Mike s. though, they definitely do not run late enough. But I guess you get what you pay for, or in this case, what you do not pay for. read more

Very nice service. Gets you where you need to go for free. However, even the scum of the city uses this service as well, so don't expect roses every time. Some drivers are horrible, some are so sweet it's painful. Has it's ups and downs. Caution: Terrible drivers means TERRIBLE. Had a female bus driver SCREAM at people to hurry, and i mean scream. I've even seen drivers refuse to drive until everyone greets them lovingly. Very big roller coaster, but it's free. read more

I ride the Orbit busses, everyday. I have encountered all kinds on this bus. Homeless young adults talking about who they "laid with" this weekend and what they were going to steal from Spencers, a lady who let her beer spill in her pocket of her hoodie, tech savy ASU students who don't look at or talk to anyone, and today a girl of about 11 who was giving everyone the death stare. The drivers are another story. I have only encounter 1 nice driver so far since taking the orbit just about daily since July. Once I asked a driver if he was going by Gamage, he said yes. GUESS WHAT? We NEVER went by Gamage, but I got to go on a ride with him for his entire route. THANKS! I have heard drivers reply to people when asking if they go to a certain place like "escalante center" they say " THATS WHAT THE SIGN SAYS DOESN"T IT"? I once had a driver drive right past me as I was standing at the stop, then another time one stopped a little past the stop and yelled at me and told me I was supposed to WAVE THEM DOWN. Well I do now EVERYTIME. I also had a driver that didn't stop at my stop OR the next one even after I kept ringing the bell, he said "I can't hear that good!" I have waited at one stop for almost an hour and they were supposed to be on a 15 min interval. BUT HEY IT'S FREE!!!!!! So I take it all with a grain of salt!!!!! Good Luck!!!! read more

It's FREE, folks! The drivers are always kind. I've never had a bad experience. The fact that Tempe has a free bus which runs all day and until 9:30pm and yet had negative reviews here, well, these passengers must feel very entitled or something to actually take the time to bash a wonderful city set up. Is the bus late sometimes? Yes, you might wait 25 minutes instead of the advertised 15 minutes, for example. But I've never heard anyone who rides Orbit complain about a FREE ride across town whenever they want. Does it have limited routes? Yeah, you kind of have to figure out what route will take you closest to your destination, and then walk from there (like any bus). Like some other reviewers, I am shocked at some of the reviews for this helpful transit system. If Orbit expanded some of the routes through Tempe, it would even be more helpful, but very few cities in the US have FREE buses which run all day. read more

Taking the bus in this land o'suburban sprawl gives me the holier-than-thou glee that I can only imagine born-again Christians must feel when looking down on my sorry soulless ass. Really. It's awesome. You can check out routes at http://tempe.gov/tim/Bus/Orbit.htm or http://www.valleymetro.org/Default.asp. I take the Jupiter, which runs near my house and drops me a few blocks from the office. And despite others' experiences, it's only been sketch-city once, when I would have sworn a methadone clinic was on my route. Usually, it's just ASU students, kooky old professors in orthopedic shoes and a couple teenagers skipping class. And me, the pseudoprofessional sorta grown-up. Honestly, I am the scariest person on the bus most days. For serious. There's just one drawback, which I'm even loathe to mention, given my far-too-earnest desire to have you join me on my route. But alas. The fucking bus. Won't run. On time. Maybe it's cuz I'm German as all get-out, but I expect the damn thing to approximate a schedule. And, you know, if there's a construction detour, it should take the detour consistently, or not at all. But I'm still giving those adorable little blue buses four stars, in the hopes that you'll give it a shot. It's not bad, I promise. Plus, I really want y'all to support some proposed service expansions, like extending the hours on weekends to midnight or even 2:00 am. Because at the end of the day, I'm just a drunk looking for a free ride home...and some moral high ground. read more

Passed up, again, by an empty bus. I was at a stop. For the most part, I am happy with the service; however, if the bus is in service and is almost empty, the drivers need to stop for people whom are standing at a stop and flagging them down. It has happened once from a Mars and twice for a Jupiter. read more

Since nothing at ASU is really free anymore, at least having a free bus system (which won't be free anymore) is nice to take advantage of. Especially in the summer. unfortunately the orbit, formally known as the neighborhood flash, doesn't quite make the free part worth it. Sure its nice that it goes to the little areas that you would usually have to walk to, but since it's free anyone can get on. If you get a good bus driver he'll probably go the speed limit and stop at the actual orbit stop. Some bus drivers open the doors before they stop as if saying 'tuck and roll'. I am not trying to get rid of the free service so soon, but if paying a little bit for better service and safety is what it takes...so be it! At least it could fund drivers that won't be texting and smashing the orbit busses into our brand new light rail system. read more

Ghetto. Occasional Strange people and smells.

I love anything that's free! The orbit picks up right in front of my house and goes down to Mill Ave and all over Tempe. It runs every 15 minutes which is super convenient. I've never had to wait longer than that too which is nice. My one complaint is that it stops running too early on the weekends. They would save a lot of college kids DUI's if they would run until the bars close. Hey, I would take it! read more

Because it's free it's helpful. But the routes are to long and winding. One gets car sick. The ride is rough and the windows constant loud rattling is insane. Routes stop to early for most during the heat season. Paying even.25 for this service as irecently propsed is in general a waste of money for most. read more

I ride the orbit everyday. I wish to some higher power that I didn't because there now have been many times that I'm calling my employer that I will be late because each driver leaves at their own time and that's when they choose not when your trip planner says or when the route is supposed to leave. When this happens I sure hope your not the one trying to catch another bus because you will miss it and hey there won't be another for 20-30 min.. Depending once again on your driver... And don't waste your time calling and making a complaint NOTHING WILL CHANGE! read more

As I was driving behind one orbit bus a second one was on my right side. I was in the farthest left lane and the guy on my right almost hit my car. I had to slam on my breaks to avoid being hit. This was by tempe marketplace that I was almost hit. He could've waited until he passed the light to get over and not almost hit me as there was no room for him to move over but he almost hit me to move over. HORRIBLE DRIVERS!!!! Almost causing a major accident as it was with tons of traffic around. They suck!! read more

First time I've used it. The bus is was not even close to on time and they decide to shut it down for the asu game. Wtf?! Idiots!

I was ignored by the driver despite of waving several times. I really want to like it and save the parking pass money. But it is constantly late and the bus is often hot as hell or the driver decide not to pick you up and drive past you. At this point the money I save is not worthy of all the troubles. read more

Love the Orbit! I take Jupiter downtown to work and it saves me gas and the stress of driving in the downtown traffic. read more

The good thing about the Orbit system is the frequency and it's free around the neighborhoods. The really bad thing in the summer is the air conditioning on these busses is virtually non-existant. I think these busses are made in Europe, and they obviously were not built for this climate. They blow warm air around. The only one getting any cool air is the driver, so the drivers say things like, "it's nice and cool." And everybody riding says, "NO!" It's running in the 90s on board for temps. It's awful. That also means these busses are getting really smelly in the summer. Step on board and smell the sweat. Everyone is sitting there dripping and fanning. The further back in the little bus, the hotter it is. Avoid them in the summer if you can. They are miserably uncomfortable. read more

This busses drive over the speed limit on a daily basis. They are known for rolling stops at stop signs as well. A select few actually slow down for the school zones. I have tried to complain numerous times. If you have to use this transportation it's great and free. I know alot of people have to rely on this system. I just wish the drivers cared more about their community and passengers. read more

I wish some of the drivers didn't speed or otherwise disobey traffic laws, but the Orbit is a great service. It saves me money on gas!

Since it's a free shuttle I guess you get what you pay for. Plan extra time if you're using it because this is no Swiss train. The schedule that this is supposed to run on is irrelevant. Sometimes the driver will make a 10+ minute stop along the route. Oh, and it's often full to capacity so you may get stuck waiting another 30+ minutes for a different shuttle. read more

Mercury West bus number 1602 @ 10:12am on September 1, 2016 near the corner of Howe & Lola in Temple. I ride this route everyday to get to work.. This morning I flag the driver as we are supposed to in a "flag zone" area and he did not stop while shaking his hand at me as if I was in the wrong location. When I walked to the Escalante to re-check the route map it indicated I was in a flag zone. For some reason this area is a BIG problem with drivers passing up people. The sad thing is NOTHING seems to ever be done about it but it is not right how some of the drivers abuse their power. I have heard them complain that is a free service however I never here them complain about getting a paycheck. They must realize it is a service job and they are servicing people. If you don't want to serve then get out of the service business. read more

I have lived abroad for more than 12 years and am accustomed to using diverse types of public transportation - but they are not free. The Orbit system is fantastic! I love not having to rely on a car to run errands or get around Tempe in general. It's wonderful that some progressive areas in the US are choosing to lower pollution and help the environment with good, free public transportation. Than you Tempe for the Orbit system (and also good bike lanes :)) read more

I use the Orbit Jupiter route everyday and think it's wonderful. It saves me the cost of paying for gas and it's free.

theres this ASIAN driver for orbit that i dont like, i hate getting on the ORBIT when this guy is driving,hes VERY unfriendly, every other orbit driver, good job read more