Southern Minnesota Area Rural Transit

Southern Minnesota Area Rural Transit (SMART) is a provider of mass transportation in Freeborn, Mower, Steele, and Waseca counties in Minnesota, with deviated fixed-routes serving the major cities, as well as demand-response service across the counties. The service is operated by Cedar Valley Services, Inc. In 2019 the system provided 272,878 rides over 62,048 annual vehicle revenue hours with 13 buses and 15 paratransit vehicles.[1]

Southern Minnesota Area Rural Transit
Founded2014
Headquarters2803 W Oakland Ave, Austin, MN
LocaleAlbert Lea, Austin, Owatonna, and Waseca
Service areaFreeborn, Mower, Steele, and Waseca counties in Minnesota
Service typeBus service and demand-response service
Routes6
Hubs
  • Austin SMART Transit Office
  • Austin Mayo Health Systems
Fleet13 buses
Annual ridership272,878 (2019)
WebsiteSMART Bus

History

SMART transit began in January 2014 through the consolidation of transit agencies in Freeborn, Mower and Steele counties.[2] SMART transit service in Waseca began on January 2, 2016.[3] On January 2, 2019, the intercity shuttle service between Albert Lea and Austin was launched after the approval of a state grant to fund the service.[4] In 2022, SMART purchased an electric bus for service in Owatonna, the first in the fleet. Replacing a single fossil fuel powered bus will allow the agency to save 2,000-4,000 gallons of fuel each year.[5] SMART reached its millionth rider in October 2018 and two million in March 2023.[6]

Service

SMART provides deviated fixed-route and demand-response services. There are 6 deviated fixed-routes, with one intercity shuttle between Albert Lea and Austin, two providing intra-city transit in Austin, and one each in Albert Lea, Owatonna, and Waseca.[7]

Local Routes

Intercity Routes

Transfer Points
  • Austin SMART Transit Office
  • Austin Mayo Health Systems

Fixed Route Ridership

The ridership statistics shown here are of deviated fixed route services only and do not include demand response services.[8]

25,000
50,000
75,000
100,000
125,000
150,000
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

See also

References
  1. "SMART Bus Agency Profile" (PDF). Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  2. "About Us". Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  3. "Public bus service to begin in Waseca on Saturday". Mankato Free Press. December 30, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  4. Eric Johnson (December 29, 2018). "SMART Transit beginning Albert Lea routes". Austin Daily Herald. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  5. Carson Hughes (August 24, 2022). "SMART Transit adds electric bus to its fleet". Owatonna.com. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  6. "SMART celebrates 2 million rides since its start". Albert Lea Tribune. April 2, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  7. "SMART Routes" (PDF). Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  8. "The National Transit Database (NTD): Cedar Valley Services Inc District". Retrieved September 3, 2023.
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