Southern Minnesota Area Rural Transit (SMART) isn’t taking too much time to celebrate its recognition as Minnesota’s top 2016 transit agency. It’s getting back to work.

SMART, which serves Mower, Freeborn, Steele and Waseca counties, was named Transit System of the Year by the Minnesota Public Transit Association (MPTA) in recognition of excellence in transit service and successful merging and expansion of service.

“We were ecstatic to find out that we were chosen,” Transit Manager Melinda Estey said. “It’s kind of a big deal in the transit community every year to see who gets the award.”

After receiving the award last month, SMART is expanding its service in its communities starting in 2017.

“We’re always happy to be out there helping as many people as we can,” Estey said.

The award comes after Austin Mower County Area Transit (AMCAT), Albert Lea Transit and Steele County Area Transit (SCAT) merged in 2014 to form SMART, which is under the umbrella of Cedar Valley Services. The three agencies consolidated to reduce costs, pool resources, and provide more extensive services to the areas served.

At the start of this year, SMART added Waseca County, which was the only remaining county in Minnesota without public transit, though it had a senior travel program that mimicked public transit but received no funding.

The award pitted SMART against all statewide transit agencies, including the biggest in the state like Metro Transit.

But Estey said the award recognizes “all that we’ve done to make improvements to system to be able to reach more people in our community.”

Across the four counties SMART serves, ridership increased 27 percent from 2013 to 2015, according to Estey. In Waseca, SMART’s newest community, Estey said they’re giving 1,300 rides a month.

“That’s way more than we expected,” she said.

Along with adding services, Estey said SMART will continue to work to streamline and simplify its efforts in 2017.

SMART is also looking for people to join its team. People interested can call 507-433-0854

Questions, comments and concerns about SMART services may be directed to the dispatch office at 855-762-7821 or SmartService@CedarValleyServices.org.

SMART’s services changes, which take effect in 2017:

•In Austin, SMART will add hours to the Rainbow Route preschool program.

•In Albert Lea, SMART will expand its city route hours to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday from the current 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and it will expand demand response hours to 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday from the current 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It’s also adding new Sunday demand response hours from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

•In Blooming Prairie, SMART will add local service between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to existing senior dining service, among other changes in its communities.

•In Owatonna, SMART will add one vehicle for peak hours of service and an additional run between Owatonna and Blooming Prairie — and Ellendale by request — between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., and 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

•In Waseca, SMART will expand demand response hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.