SMART Transit will offer shuttle services between Albert Lea and Austin hospitals beginning in January.

The round-trip service will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, along with limited additional trips on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The cost for the shuttle will be $3 per person per one-way trip, with the remaining fee covered through a Minnesota Department of Transportation grant received by Cedar Valley Services.

Garry Hart, division director for Cedar Valley Services of Albert Lea, said state grant funding for the project was first requested a couple years ago after people expressed concern over a lack of transportation options between Albert Lea and Austin hospitals.

The shuttle service is considered a partnership between the city of Albert Lea, Freeborn County, the city of Austin, Mower County, Mayo Clinic Health System and Riverland Community College.

The rides will be available to everyone.

The initial handicapped-accessible bus will hold about 16 people and have the capacity for two wheelchairs.

Hart said the shuttle service will help address concerns regarding health care access and transportation. He acknowledged though it will likely not be a cure to the issues, it is a good start.

Freeborn County Administrator Tom Jensen said the announcement will likely not alleviate transportation concerns regarding the transition of most inpatient services from Albert Lea to Austin, but called it a step in the right direction by providing a transportation option for patients to get to appointments and for other medical-related purposes.

“It’s going to assist the citizens of both Albert Lea and Austin,” he said.

Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea and Austin CEO Mark Ciota called the announcement “wonderful news,” adding the shuttle service is the result of a partnership between entities to serve patients and communities.

Ciota noted ambulance rides between the two campuses have been free since the transition of inpatient services began.

In an emailed statement, Albert Lea City Manager Chad Adams said he applauded Cedar Valley Services for receiving grant funding.

“Transit services between the two communities has become increasingly important with the transition of Mayo Clinic Health System’s hospital services and has been a goal of our City Council over the past year,” he said. “We look forward to a continued partnership with SMART Transit and others with the new services and also potential expansion of services between the communities.”