Photo: Arrowhead Transit

By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - June 10, 2026

In May 2026, Arrowhead Transit launched a new rider app and updated transit management software. The app, available on the App Store and Google Play, allows passengers to book and manage trips, track Arrowhead vehicles in real time, and receive live trip updates and notifications. 

On the operational side, Arrowhead Transit staff shared that the new software provides dispatchers and drivers with improved routing, scheduling, and communication tools while gathering detailed travel data. According to the organization, this data will be used to fulfill reporting requirements for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and help guide future administrative decisions regarding route coverage, timing, and structural adjustments based on actual rider usage.

To mark the launch, Arrowhead Transit hosted a public celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 4, 2026, at its facility in Hibbing, Minnesota. 

A month after the app's initial rollout, Arrowhead Transit shared ridership data showing that May had 704 individual trips in Cook County. This is an increase over April (650), March (627), February (566), and January (638). Students represent the largest passenger category in Cook County, accounting for 1,403 out of the 3,185 total rides between January and May 2026. Adults comprise the second-largest demographic with 1,190 rides.

While it's too soon to tell whether the May ridership increase was due to the new app, passengers generally reported a favorable first experience, Arrowhead Transit shared. They said they received initial feedback last month, including positive comments on the new scheduling feature in the app, even as riders continued to familiarize themselves with specific features, such as notification settings.

According to Arrowhead Transit, the organization is the largest rural public transit system in Minnesota and is one of the largest in the U.S. It operates more than 120 vehicles across a 10-county area, employs over 150 staff members, and provides more than 500,000 rides annually across 20,000 square miles. 

Learn more about the app here: https://arrowheadtransit.com/app/