In 1953, the St. John's Transportation Company bought the transit system from the Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and Northern Railroad (WCF&N) with the intent of establishing a financially sound operation. However, Waterloo and Cedar Falls experienced a decline in rider ship that mirrored the national postwar trend in the increased use of the personal auto.
Revenues continued to decline and the business again changed hands in 1958 and was subsequently placed in receivership in 1964. In 1965, National City Lines, a national transit management company, contracted to operate the transit system for the Waterloo Industrial Development Association which served as the representative of the metropolitan area. Later, municipal representation was further refined through the establishment of a Bus Board which governed the operations of the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Transit Company with subsidization from the cities of Waterloo and Cedar Falls.
In August of 1972, the Bus Board reorganized as the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Black Hawk County, Inc. and became a nonprofit quasi-public corporation as provided for in Chapter 388 of the Code of Iowa. Effective July 1,1981, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Black Hawk County, was re-chartered under Chapter 28E of the Code of Iowa, including the cities of Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Evansdale, and Elk Run Heights. In 1986, Evansdale and Elk Run Heights opted out of the agreement.
Today, MET serves Waterloo and Cedar Falls with fixed route and paratransit service, and Evansdale with paratransit service under a separate agreement.
