TRUE Transit was named Transit System of the Year at the Minnesota Public Transportation Conference by the Minnesota Public Transit Association.

TRUE Transit was nominated for the award after being the only rural public transportation system to increase its ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When COVID started to shut many things down, our ridership took a dip,” Transportation Manager, Ron Decker said.  “But then after a few months, we began to get those riders back and then some.”

In September, the organization reported its busiest month yet, providing 1,166 rides, a 40% increase from 2020 and an 89% increase from 2019.  TRUE Transit began in 2017 with just one bus providing approximately 100 rides a month.  Now there are five buses providing nearly 1,000 rides a month.

Decker attributes the organization’s success to the hard work of the staff and offering more flexibility in scheduling when the organization switched from routes to dial-a-ride service in 2019, allowing the passenger to choose their pickup time and location.

TRUE Transit, the public transportations system for Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur Counties, is celebrating its 5 Year Anniversary.

TRUE Transit started in January 2017 with just one bus and a big goal, to provide affordable transportation in the rural parts of Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur Counties.  Their first year, they provided just over 1,200 rides.  Now they have five buses and provide nearly 1,000 rides a month and have given over 30,000 rides over the last 5 years.