Transit Frequently Asked Questions

Call Dispatch 507-454-6666 IMMEDIATELY.  Dispatch can radio drivers who can look for your item at their next opportunity.

If you have a smartphone, download the Transit App, which will plan a trip for you.  Maps with timetables are available at city hall or online if you want to plan your own trip.  

You are also welcome to contact the transit department by calling 507-457-8200 for assistance.

Even if you never personally use public transit, it can still benefit you by reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality, providing access to jobs and services for others in your community, and potentially lowering your own driving time due to less crowded roads when more people opt for public transportation; essentially, a well-functioning public transit system can positively impact the overall quality of life for everyone in a city, even those who choose to drive most of the time.

 Key points to consider:

Economic benefits: A strong public transit system can attract businesses and residents to a community, boosting the local economy. Retail, restaurants, custodian, production and all manner of service industries benefit from public transit by to getting their employees to work.

Without reliable transit, many positions could not be filled, leaving you without the services you need. Businesses can also get tax credits by suppling or supplementing transit passes for their employees

Traffic relief: When more people use public transit, it means fewer cars on the road, which can alleviate traffic jams and make your own commutes quicker.

Environmental impact: Public transport emits less carbon dioxide per passenger mile compared to individual cars, contributing to cleaner air quality for everyone.

Accessibility: Public transit can provide crucial access to jobs, education, and healthcare for people who may not have access a car. Public transit also allows seniors to be independent longer and enjoy a higher quality of life.

Our Dial a Ride service will pick you up and drop you off if you are coming from or going to a location four or more blocks from our normal routes. This service is meant to fill in where our normal bus service doesn’t go. Dial a Ride needs to be scheduled a day or more in advance by calling Dispatch, 507-454-6666.

For more information

https://www.cityofwinona.com/529/Dial-A-Ride-DAR-Service

Our buses will pick up anywhere on the four bus routes as long as it is safe to do so. Bus schedules contain Time Point for common stops. These times can be used to estimate when the bus should be anywhere along the routes.  Be sure to wave down the bus as it approaches if you are not at a bus stop sign or shelter.

Our buses can go up to four blocks off the normal routes for a pickup or drop off. These are call Deviations. Deviations must be scheduled with dispatch: 507-454-6666. Deviations may be limited if the bus is running behind schedule. Deviations cost $0.75 per deviation per passenger.

Please Note: Due to the space needed to navigate a bus, Dispatch and Drivers may refuse service to dead end streets, narrow streets, privately owned property such as trailer parks and parking lots or other areas that will not allow the driver to move the bus safely.  

Above the windows on both sides of the bus is a cord.  Pulling the cord signals the driver someone wants off.  Be sure to pull the cord at least a block before you want to disembark.

If want to deviated drop off, scheduled with dispatch: 507-454-6666.  As you board the bus, tell your driver you have a deviation schedule and confirm the drive has time to deviate. Deviations cost $0.75 per deviation per passenger.

Our buses can go up to four blocks off the normal routes for a pickup or drop off. These are call Deviations. Deviations must be scheduled with dispatch: 507-454-6666. Deviations may be limited if the bus is running behind schedule. Deviations cost $0.75 per deviation per passenger.

Please Note: Due to the space needed to navigate a bus, Dispatch and Drivers may refuse service to dead end streets, narrow streets, privately owned property such as trailer parks and parking lots or other areas that will not allow the driver to move the bus safely.  

Our buses can go up to four blocks off the normal routes for a pickup or drop off. These are call Deviations. Deviations must be scheduled with dispatch: 507-454-6666. Deviations may be limited if the bus is running behind schedule. Deviations cost $0.75 per deviation per passenger.

Our Dial a Ride service will pick you up and drop you off if you are coming from or going to a location four or more blocks from our normal routes. This service is meant to fill in where our normal bus service doesn’t go. Dial a Ride needs to be scheduled a day or more in advance by calling Dispatch, 507-454-6666.

For more information  https://www.cityofwinona.com/529/Dial-A-Ride-DAR-Service

All Winona Transit bus are equipped with a lift.  A lift is a mechanical platform that the driver lowers to the ground for wheelchairs, walkers or anyone needing mobility assistance.  Usage of ADA equipment is a right regardless if the need is obvious. Be sure to tell the driver the us of the lift is need.  

Winona Transit’s bus routes and Dial a Ride operates 6:00 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. Monday-Friday and Saturday, 9:00 am to 5:00 p.m.  

Neither service operates on the following holidays: 

• New Year’s Day 
• Memorial Day
• July 4th
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas Day

Riders can bring on mobility/medical aids, closed food/drink containers and any packages they can carry and secure for safety. 

This includes wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, car seats, and bottled water on the bus. Oxygen tanks are also acceptable, as are grocery bags, and other small packages as long as the rider can carry them. Customers are expected to store any items brought on the bus beneath their seat, on the floor next to their feet or on the window seat as they sit in the aisle seat. Loose items must be secured to the extent that they do not roll around on the bus, and nothing may be placed in the aisle.

Bicycles, non-service animals, weapons, hazardous materials, and other large objects are not permitted on the bus. Also, food and drink cannot be consumed on the bus unless needed for medical reasons. If you have any questions about what you can bring on the bus, please contact 507-454-6666.

Bus fares can be paid when you board the bus, or Riders can purchase a monthly pass or tokens from the Finance Department at City Hall. If you pay on the bus, you will need cash. Be sure to have the exact payment, as drivers are unable to make change.

When you cannot get to your final destination on the first bus you board and need to transfer to a second bus. Use only for continuous trips. Not valid for a return trip.

Transfers are issued by the driver when entering the bus. Transfers are free but must be used before the expiration. Any passenger may ask for a transfer when boarding. If you need a transfer, please tell the driver as you board and let the driver know which bus route you will be transferring to. Transfers can be made at Winona’s three Transfer Hubs at Maplewood Townhomes, 3rd & Center, and Menard Road.

No.   At this time, our buses do not have bike racks nor are bicycles allowed on the bus since they cannot be safely secured in the bus.

Contact Houck Transit Advertising, Phone: 800-777-7290

https://houckads.com/ad-options/