The Hermann Express bus line began operation Oct. 5, traveling a fixed route through New Ulm on an hourly schedule. There are over a dozen stops across the city.

From the first day of operation, there has been no cost to ride the bus. Anyone can get on any stop without charge. The city intended to allow free rides through the end of the year to help residents get used to the service, but last month it was decided to extend the free ride service through March 31.

Whenever a city starts a new bus line, it can take time for a community to adapt to the new service. New Ulm had not anticipated heavy use of the Hermann Express line at first; however, usage during the first two months has been encouraging.

At the New Ulm Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting, committee chairman and Heartland Express Transit Manager Pat LaCourse said the state was pleased with usage. The starting numbers for New Ulm’s fixed-route bus were better than those of Marshall’s fixed-route bus.

Hy-Vee employee Zach Keim makes his daily commute to work aboard the Hermann Express. Keim said he enjoys using the bus and often uses the service on his days off.

On average, a few more than 10 riders use Hermann Express each day. Bus driver Sarah Berg said she is beginning to have regular passengers on the bus. There are individuals who take Hermann Express to work every day.

Most days Zach Keim gets on the bus at one of the downtown New Ulm stops and takes it directly to his job at Hy-Vee.

Keim said he even takes the bus on his day off. He usually takes it to Walmart. Overall, Keim is pleased with the fixed-bus route as it has made things easier for him.

Berg confirmed the two most popular pickup and drop-off locations are Hy-Vee and Walmart. The two locations are on the extreme ends of town and likely the most difficult to reach for those with limited access to transportation.

Another user trend is for riders to use the stop schedule to conduct quick errands. Some riders will get off the bus at Emerson Union apartments to visit the New Ulm Public Library. From there they can get back on the bus at one of the downtown stops.

The TAC also released a list of ridership numbers since the bus line began operation. There seems to be an increase in usage during colder or wetter weather.

Berg said there did seem to be more riders on days with rain or snow. People who have their own vehicles choose to ride the bus rather than drive in poor conditions.

At this time, Hermann Express sees few youth riders. This is because hours of operation are during school hours. This could change during the summer months.

The TAC is continuing to Furthadjust the bus schedule to be more convenient for users. The route allows for some route deviations by request. A popular deviation is to stop on Payne and Center near the traffic light. This is a few blocks from the New Ulm Rec Center.

Starting in January, the Hermann Express will expand services further in terms of hours of operation and an additional stop.

Currently, the bus only runs Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Starting in January, the bus will have extended hours and will run on Saturday.

The new schedule will be 7 a.m. to noon and 1 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

With an earlier starting time at 7 a.m., it is possible more students will use the bus. It is possible students could be dropped off at the Payne Street and Center location for a quick commute to Jefferson and Middle School.

A new stop will be added at Ridgeway/Traulich Estates. The completion of road construction on Boundary Street will allow Hermann Express to travel to the residential area. The bus will stop at Ridgeway/Traulich Estates at 52 minutes on the hour.

The full list of stops is available on New Ulm’s city website. Updates are regularly made to the Hermann Express Facebook page.

Hermann Express will run on Dec. 23 but will be shut down Dec. 24, Dec. 25 and Dec. 26 for the holiday. It will also not run on Jan. 1 and Jan. 2 for the new year holiday.

The new bus schedule will go live Tuesday, Jan. 3.