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Smart Transit tells Waseca County board it will add fourth bus, expand demand-response service
Summary
Smart Transit representatives reported about 11,000 rides through September, a plan to add a fourth bus in Waseca to expand coverage (including a clinic-Albert Lea shuttle), and noted partnerships with Mayo Clinic and MnDOT amid rising vehicle and maintenance costs.
WASECA, Minn. — Smart Transit told the Waseca County Board of Commissioners it will add a fourth bus in Waseca this month to expand route and shuttle coverage and highlighted steady ridership among seniors, people with disabilities and school-age children.
"This is our eleventh year serving the community," Don White, operations manager for Smart Transit, said. White said the service had delivered roughly 11,000 rides through September, operates one fixed-route bus with hourly stops from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and runs two demand-response buses that provide curb-to-curb service from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. He said the Waseca fleet typically has three buses on the road and the fourth bus will run afternoons and offer a shuttle between the county clinic and Albert Lea.
Smart Transit staff described partnerships with Mayo Clinic that will allow some same-day patient rides from Albert Lea to Waseca at no charge to passengers, and noted MnDOT is the program’s major grantee. The transit manager said rising capital costs are a growing concern: bus prices have increased substantially and the local share for capital purchases is expected to rise.
Commissioners asked questions about fares, routes to Mankato, accommodations for riders with disabilities and fuel procurement. Staff confirmed the $30 pass for riders 55 and older is valid for a calendar month, drivers are trained to assist passengers with mobility aids under ADA accommodations, and in Waseca the agency obtains discounted fuel through the county.
What happens next: Smart Transit will add the fourth bus mid-month, expand shuttle service to Albert Lea and continue to monitor demand and state funding levels.
