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.