Commuters to Fergus Falls become close friends along the 210 Express

By Lauren Radomski | The Daily Journal

Published 12:00 p.m., April 20, 2009

Stan Klug first started riding a Transit Alternatives bus when gas prices were approaching $4 a gallon.

That was late last summer, but even now that prices are down, Klug still takes the Highway 210 bus from his home in Underwood to his job in Fergus Falls.

“I like just the camaraderie of it — the visiting, the people that ride it,” he said. “It’s just a great bunch.”

Now approaching its one-year anniversary, the Transit Alternatives Highway 210 bus brings commuters from as far as Henning to work in Fergus Falls each day. And riders like Klug say there’s more to the bus than simple convenience.

Shannon Riggle became a rider last June after moving to Deer Creek. A records technician with the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, Riggle estimates she’s saved over 20,000 miles on her own vehicle the past 10 months by taking the bus from Denny’s Conoco in Henning to the law enforcement center in Fergus Falls.

She’s also made some new friends.

“We swap recipes and talk about everything,” she said. They even check up on each other when one person misses a day.

Riders’ fellowship extends beyond the confines of the bus. They gathered for a Christmas party in January and will meet for a one-year anniversary party April 23.

Riggle says the group is always looking for more riders to ensure the service continues. Some days there are as many as 10 riders, though they’ve had as few as two, she said.

The Highway 210 bus needs five to six regular riders to justify expenses, said Steve Skauge, president of Productive Alternatives, which runs Transit Alternatives. Ridership averaged eight to 10 people late last summer, he said, surpassing its initial goal.

Productive Alternatives services are funded primarily by state and federal dollars, with a 15 percent company match. Productive Alternatives must apply for a grant from the Department of Transportation annually; the 2009 grant has already come through and is slightly larger than in previous years, Skauge said.

The Highway 210 bus services riders from Henning, Vining, Clitherall, Battle Lake and Underwood, bringing commuters into Fergus Falls by 8 a.m. Riders are dropped off at the front doors of their workplaces; pick-up locations at the end of the day are determined by riders. One-way tickets range from $2.50 to $3.50 depending on the distance from Fergus Falls.

For more information on the Highway 210 route or Transit Alternatives bus service within Fergus Falls, call 998-3002.

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