Winona Transit Service

Winona Transit Service
Winona Transit Services buses at the downtown transfer point
LocaleWinona, Minnesota
Service areaWinona County, Minnesota
Service typeBus service, paratransit
Routes4
Fleet7 buses
Annual ridership225,350 (2019)
WebsiteWinona Transit Service

Winona Transit Service is the primary provider of mass transportation in Winona County, Minnesota with routes serving the Winona area. As of 2019, the system provided 225,350 rides over 17,171 annual vehicle revenue hours with 7 buses and 1 demand response vehicle.[1]

History

Public transit in the Winona area began in the form of horse cars starting in 1883, operated by the Winona City Railway Co. In 1892, the horse cars were replaced by electric streetcars, which in turn were replaced with buses in 1938.[2]

Buses were fare-free for much of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] In 2021, the bus routes were redesigned, while fares for dial-a-ride service were increased.[4] Benches at the downtown transfer hub were removed in 2023, due to littering and other issues. The small shelter is planned to be replaced with a standard bus shelter.[5]

Service

Winona Transit Service operates four routes. Two routes begin at the transfer hub situated on 3rd Street and Center Street, while there is one east and one west route that connect with each of those routes. Hours of operation for regular routes are Monday through Friday from 6:00 A.M. to 6:15 P.M. Saturday service runs from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. There is no Sunday service. As of 2023, single fares are set at $1.25.[6]

Connections to intercity public transit are available via Jefferson Lines buses and the Amtrak Empire Builder.

Fixed Route Ridership

The ridership statistics shown here are of fixed route services only and do not include demand response.[7]

50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

See also

References

  1. ^ "Winona Transit Service Agency Profile" (PDF). Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  2. ^ "TRANSIT SYSTEMS IN MINNESOTA: SMALLER CITIES". Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  3. ^ "Winona Transit fare-free through 2020 due to COVID-19". News8000.com. May 5, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  4. ^ TJ (August 4, 2021). "Winona Signs off on New Transit Routes, Fares". Winona Radio. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  5. ^ Gabriel Hathaway (June 14, 2023). "Winona removes benches from bus shelter". Winona Post. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  6. ^ "Winona Transit Service". Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  7. ^ "The National Transit Database (NTD)". Retrieved June 21, 2023.


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