Hermann Express began as a free transport option on Oct. 5, 2022, with 17 stops total served in a loop through the city. From then to December 2022 the bus line ran from 8-noon and 1-4 p.m. The new year saw an increase in hours from 7-noon and 1-6 p.m.

The city began charging $1 for everyone except children younger than school age, who are charged $0.50, on Apr. 1, 2023. Veterans can still ride for free with identification. Up to this point, 1,787 free rides had been given. In the six months after this change, the number increased to 2,126 rides given. In the year since its creation, 3,913 rides total have been given.

Paul Scharbach is one of the drivers for Hermann Express, of which there are two full-time and four fill-in drivers. Scharbach had previously been a driver for Heartland Express, the on-demand bus ride service, for five years. He said driving for Hermann is different than for Heartland.

“With Heartland, they’d say ‘you gotta do the wheelchair lift,'” Scharbach said. “They give you the extra time for that. For people with electric carts, we have to tie the carts in to secure them. With Heartland, you know what you’re getting because it’s like a dial service and people tell you ahead of time. With Hermann, you’re not always sure what you’re going to get and what you’ve got for time.”

Checking in at each stop is an important part of Driver Paul Scharbach’s job, as it helps to ensure he stays on time. Traffic, special requests, and assisting riders with disabilities make this one of the hardest parts of his job.

Even with drawbacks such as this, Scharbach said he enjoys what he does for the people of New Ulm

“I like communicating with the passengers,” he said. “After a while you get to know a little bit about your passengers. I got one who’s supposed to be a grandma this weekend. She’s excited about that.”

Getting to all the stops in an hour loop is a challenge identified by several members of Hermann Express. A common ask from community members is for additional stops. Lead Driver Sarah Berg said the most common requests are for Garden Terrace, the Rec Center, the Senior Community Center, Colonial Inn, and the Civic Center. Transit Manager Pat LaCourse said there is nothing they can do currently, but they are always listening to feedback.

“Right now, we have one bus and need to keep the route to under an hour,” he said. “Because of these reasons, we are unable to add any additional stops. There is not enough time to add more stops. Unfortunately, this means there are areas in New Ulm currently not being serviced by this fixed route. We do keep track of suggested stops to include in future planning and this information is shared with the city Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC).”

There are plans to expand and provide service to unserviced areas in the future. The current plan for Hermann Express is to buy two electric buses in 2025. With a fleet of three buses, they would create a new north and south route intersecting in the middle of town. LaCourse said several factors are being considered.

“This is still in the early planning stages,” he said. “The questions we need to find answers for are ‘What would work better for the ridership?’ Add more stops with a transfer point? Would it be better to have busses run opposite times or have one bus start at the top of the hour and the next bus follow a half hour later?”

Currently, the belief is adding a north and south route would add additional stops. Running opposite times or having one bus start followed by another 30 minutes later would cut down on rider time. Nothing is set in stone, but TAC member and City Councillor Eric Warmka said the city is happy with the program’s progress.

“I believe the Hermann Express route is exceeding the expectations of the community,” he said. “I am very pleased this need is being fulfilled in the community. I didn’t know it was as pressing as it was, but I am glad it is being fulfilled. I hope people can start to utilize it more in the future as they see this dedicated bus exists, is reliable, and is there when people need it.”

For more information, visit https://www.newulmmn.gov/553/Hermann-Express-City-Bus-Service.