Daily bus service could be established later this year between Fargo-Moorhead and Wahpeton, N.D.-Breckenridge, Minn.
Clay County Rural Transit and the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments hope to set up a three-month trial weekday service between the two communities that would begin in October.
The service - which would be launched only if there's sufficient public interest - would collect riders in Wahpeton-Breckenridge, take them to Fargo-Moorhead for work and then take them home at day's end.
The cost per rider is tentatively pegged at $110 for monthly rides and $10 for daily rides.
About 950 residents in North Dakota's Richland County and 320 residents in Minnesota's Wilkin County work in the Fargo-Moorhead metro area. Wahpeton is in Richland County; Breckenridge is in Wilkin County.
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Wahpeton-Breckenridge is about 50 miles south of Fargo-Moorhead.
Clay County Rural Transit and MetroCOG last year researched potential demand for a commuter bus service between Wahpeton-Breckenridge and Fargo-Moorhead.
Officials of the two organizations said then that they would revisit the issue when more federal funding became available this year.
Gas prices have risen about 30 cents per gallon in the past year, which should increase interest in a trial service, said Mikel Kunzel, MetroCOG regional transportation coordinator.
"Now would seem to be the perfect time to try this," Kunza said.
Clay County Rural Transit already operates two weekday commuter routes.
One route, between Detroit Lakes, Minn., and Fargo-Moorhead, averages about 15 to 20 passengers daily.
Ridership has been rising slightly, though it's hard to say how much of that is due to higher gas prices, said Georgia Beaudry, coordinator of Clay County Rural Transit.
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The other route, between Barnesville, Minn., and Fargo-Moorhead, averages eight to 10 passengers daily, a rate that Beaudry said is holding steady.
The Wahpeton-Breckenridge and Fargo-Moorhead route would need about 12 riders daily to be feasible, Kunzel said.
For more information on the potential trial service, contact Kunzel at (701) 232-3242, ext. 28, or Beaudry at (218) 299-7708.
Kunzel said a decision on launching the three-month trial service most likely will come by the end of August.
Beaudry said it's difficult to predict whether the trial service will be implemented.
"But we'd sure like to give this a try," she said.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Jonathan Knutson at (701) 241-5530
