Following the completion of their new bus garage in Crookston, Tri‑Valley Transportation Programs is inviting the public to attend their open house celebrating its new facility and propane-fueled buses. The open house will be held on Wednesday, May 27, from 2:00–4:00 p.m. at their new garage located at 1430 Guthrie Street.
Marcia Haglund of Tri-Valley says the new garage will house five propane-fueled buses, which first hit the roads for Tri-Valley in March. She says the new buses were obtained through a federal grant from the state of Minnesota, and the buses reinforce Tri‑Valley’s commitment to sustainability and positioning the program as one of the first public transportation systems in Minnesota to transition to low‑emissions vehicles.
“The state of Minnesota applied for a grant from the federal government, and then we applied into that grant and got the funding is what it’s for. We actually are going to be applying again for the same grant, but for four buses and a propane fueling tank in Thief River Falls. So we’re taking advantage of that again to eliminate with that low emissions type stuff.”
Haglund says the 9,105‑square‑foot building features seven drive‑through bays and provides indoor storage for up to 14 Class 400 transit buses. A dedicated wash bay has also been incorporated to support long‑term fleet maintenance and care. As an added bonus, guests can get up close with the new propane‑fueled buses—and even take a short ride to the transit office building to see the new propane filling station in action.
“We have our new bus garage out at 1430 Guthrie Street, a seven bay, 14 door bus garage. The one bay is a wash station for the buses. Two can be in there washing and then the other six hold two buses each. So we’re going to have an open house to showcase that.”
The open house will include refreshments and full tours of the new bus facility, including the bays, cafeteria, and staff work area.
2025 TRANSPORTATION STATISTICS
Haglund also provided some transportation statistics for 2025, which includes over 500,000 miles traveled by Tri-Valley buses across several area communities, especially in Crookston and Thief River Falls. She says ridership increased in 2025 compared to 2024, which shows a busy and growing service that plays an important role in connecting people throughout the region.
“Our ridership from 2024 through 2025 actually increased by 9.9 percent, so we have an increase, which it’s constantly. And it’s all the different areas because you see the buses in Crookston, but we’re in Crookston, Thief River Falls, Mahnomen, Red Lake County, Clearwater County, Bagley, Warren, and then all the rural routes and stuff on there too, and it is getting there.”
In total, over 187,600 rides were conducted last year, including 88,988 riders in Crookston, 63,114 in Thief River Falls, and 3,548 rural trips. Haglund says with the expanded fleet and continued growth of Tri-Valley Transportation Services, the service is looking forward to further serving the community in 2026 and beyond.
For more information on Tri-Valley Transportation Programs or to schedule a ride, please call 800-201-3432.