CyRide's namesake is Cy the Cardinal, the mascot of the Iowa State Cyclones athletic teams.

In 2023, CyRide provided over 4.1 million rides, making it the most-used public transit system in the state of Iowa.

[3] Additionally, CyRide consistently ranks as one of the most productive transit agencies in the United States, as measured by annual passenger trips per resident in its service area.

From the 1860s until the early 1890 college students were taxied to and from campus by a horse-drawn carriage that was operated by brothers, Nichols and Maxwell Livery.

The town committee published a report on November 1, 1890 stating that there would be a benefit to create a railroad to replace the current system.

[5] On July 4, 1892, the rail line, named the Dinkey (in reference to the size of the engine) departed from its barn on the East end of 5th Street, for its first 2-mile (3.2 km) trip to the Iowa State University campus.

Other sources include the city of Ames and Iowa DOT, and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

“Entering the new decade, CyRide ranked third in the nation in ridership per capita, standing at 110.2 rides per capita, trailing only New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority and San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Agency.”[4] The anticipated decline in ridership in early 2020 reflects ISU’s expectation of a decline in student enrollment over the next five or ten years.

Iowa State University charges a fee each semester to all undergraduate students for CyRide service.

[13] Ticket books can be bought at local grocery stores, Ames City Hall, and CyRide headquarters.

[13] Ticket books can also be bought at local grocery stores, Ames City Hall, and CyRide headquarters.

In 2005 Dial-A-Ride was turned over to the Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Authority (HIRTA) which is operated out of the Heartland Senior Services site in the Ames area.

CyRide maintained a few GM New Look 40 foot buses for training purposes but none currently remain on the active fleet list.