New Ulm’s new city bus service will be known as the Hermann Express.

The community selected the name through a voting process that started with residents submitting name ideas in August. The Transportation Advisory Committee narrowed the nearly 100 options to three and asked the community to vote for their favorite. The winning name was submitted by a Heartland Express rider.

A soft launch of service starts Oct. 5, with a bus running 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“When another driver is hired and trained, we will extend weekday hours and add Saturday service to the schedule,” said Patrick LaCourse, Brown County transit director. “The route will extend to serve Ridgeway on 23rd and Traulich Estates once construction in that area is complete.”

The route will start at Heartland Express offices at the Brown County Licensing Bureau, then travel on a set path and stop at marked bus stops. The loop will take about an hour to complete and serves numerous convenient stops for riders to access stores and community sites around town.

“The bus may go off route one or two blocks to drop off passengers upon request; however, these deviations will be limited to keep the bus on schedule,” LaCourse said.

The city is sponsoring free rides until the end of the year. In 2023, each ride will cost $1 cash.

Heartland Express will continue its demand-response service in addition to operating the fixed route service. Watch for service updates on the city website, NewUlmMN.gov.