You are here: Home / Focus Topics / Transportation

Transportation

Transportation Score Card

Data Source: MN Compass

Transportation Costs

<h2>Transportation Costs</h2>

Efficient, cost-effective transportation in SE Minnesota is crucial to its growth. We are building out this portal to demonstrate how technology can beam up (Build Enable Activate Model) transparency, accountability, responsiveness and project/process-centric execution of individual transportation plans, and to point out the need to have a systematic approach involving multiple public, private partnerships (PPP) to harmonize the various efforts.

Click => Immediate Actions

Per August 20, 2015 Randy Shaver's letter to DMCC Board the following issues are to be addressed:

  1. A Transit and Street Capacity Study to further refine the work in the development plan to determine the feasibility and impact of reducing important urban arterials such as 2ND Street for transit lanes.
  2. Initiation of the federally required Project Planning study for a downtown circulator, looking into more detail into routes, modes, funding, design and operation.
  3. An integrated study of Downtown Parking and Park and Ride needs to determine overall parking needs, the phasing of new parking, changes to parking management structure, funding and more detailed look into the shared parking concept.
  4. Work with the DMCC and DMC EDA to determine the feasible and appropriate Phase 1 priority infrastructure projects and funding. A DMCC budget and CIP needs to be developed, refined and submitted to the DMCC and the City.
  5. Policy and ordinance studies to determine changes in parking requirements, how parking integrates with transit, and land use requirements.
Rochester City Transit Plan

Rochester, MN Transit Development Plan Update

Plan Description

The Rochester Transit Development Plan 2022 Update will provide recommendations for how Rochester’s transit system can improve and build upon Rochester’s 2017 Transit Development Plan. The plan will evaluate and make short- and long-term recommendations for:

Results (Work Products)

Same as DMC Transit? 

Status/News

January 02, 2019 Rochester City Transit Planning: Rochester Transportation Plan References

Found the following links on Rochester City Website.  The City of Rochester is conducting four integrated transit studies to refine the concepts identified in the DMC Plan.

Read more
February 23, 2017 Rochester City Transit Planning: City Transit Plan ready for public review

Bryan Law presented the latest Rochester city transit planning status to CNG's Feb. 2017 meeting.

Read more
October 11, 2016 Rochester City Transit Planning: Rochester City Transit Development Plan Public Feedback Sessions

Five public meetings are scheduled to discuss Transit Development Plan here in Rochester. The RPT is asking for people's input on how to make the new Transit Development Plan successful.

Read more
October 18, 2015 Rochester City Transit Planning: Joseph Kapper, AICP Senior Transportation Planner SRF Consulting Group, Inc. Conducting Focus Groups

Rochester Transit Development Plan – Focused Discussion Groups Date:Tuesday, October 27th Times:Option #1: 9:30a.m. – 11:00a.m. Option #2: 1:30p.m. – 3:00p.m. Location: Rochester City Hall, Conference Room #320 201 4th Street SE, Rochester, MN 55904

Read more

DMC Transportation Framework

LINK - Bus Rapid Transit

Plan Description

Link is a proposed 2.8 mile route along 2nd Street that will connect downtown Rochester, Mayo Civic Center, Mayo Clinic campuses, and the Downtown Waterfront Southeast area. Link will be operated by Rochester Public Transit and will be free for all users. Link buses are high amenity, 60-foot electric buses which will provide service to 7 stations across the city. Service intervals will be every 5 minutes on weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m., and every 10 to 15 minutes at other times. Link will operate from 5 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and 8 a.m. to midnight on weekends.

Strategies (How)

Why is Link necessary?

The 2nd Street SW corridor is one of the most heavily-used corridors in the City of Rochester, carrying more than 21,800 vehicles and 13,000 transit riders each day. The corridor is already near capacity, and congestion causes significant delays for transit users, drivers, and others traveling through the area. Link Rapid Transit will:

  • Expand transportation options.
  • Reduce the need for expensive parking.
  • Alleviate future congestion.
  • Prepare for downtown growth and support sustainable development.
  • Improve quality of life for residents, employees, and visitors.

 

BRT was selected in 2019 as a result of the Alternatives Evaluation. The preferred route follows 2nd Street SW from the Mayo West Lot to downtown Rochester and will primarily operate in dedicated bus lanes. The current phase of work includes:

  • Environmental review.
  • Preliminary engineering.
  • Communication and public engagement.

Results (Work Products)

  1. Efficient, convenient and accessible transportation systems that provides favorable cost structure commuters, employers and the public sector
  2. More marketable downtown properties
  3. More efficient and effective use of existing and future parking supplies
  4. Better efficiencies in the use of land and reduced parking development costs (for both private and public sectors)
  5. Greater transit ridership
  6. Reduced traffic congestion
  7. A strong partnership between the public sector, Mayo Clinic and the downtown business community
  8. Measurable success based on consensus targets for access and growth

Indicators (How do we know we are achieving the results?)

  1. Organization that effectively supports and advocates the long-term economic vitality and livability of the downtown
  2. Downtown parking to support economic development goals
  3. Increased percentage of downtown employees commuting by transit from 10% (2008) to 23-30% by 2035
  4. Increased number and percentage of commuter bike trips to downtown Rochester from an existing bike/walk mode split of 7% (2008) to 13% by 2035
  5. Increased percentage of downtown employees commuting by carpool/vanpools to downtown Rochester from 12% (2008) to 14% (2035)
  6. Increased employee awareness of the Rochester Access Management Authority and alternative mode transportation options
  7. System-wide partnerships to support parking and TDM efforts/mission

Status/News

October 26, 2024 City of Rochester and DMC EDA: "Link BRT a milestone project for Rochester

City of Rochester Receives $84.92 Million Federal Grant for Transformative Link Bus Rapid Transit Project

LINK Progress Report to City Council 

Read more
December 08, 2023 City of Rochester and DMC EDA: Mobility Updates

October 23, 2023 City Council Study Session 

May 2022; February 2022 and November 2021 Rapid Transit Updates and Upcoming milestones presented to DMCC. 

Read more
September 08, 2021 DMC EDA: SRF Consulting - Rochester Rapid Transit

To achieve maximum results, the project team took a unique “co-design” approach to gather the input needed for shaping the Rochester Rapid Transit Project to reflect the community’s values. 

Read more
November 20, 2020 City of Rochester and DMC EDA: DMC Transportation Plan - Circular

DMC EDA Webinar October, 2020 and DMCC Board Voted in favor of staff recommendations 2019

Read more
September 08, 2020 City of Rochester and DMC EDA: Rochester City Transit Development Seeking Co-designers

Co-designers will be Rochester residents with strong connections to their communities and local knowledge of their neighborhood and the Rapid Transit Project area. 

Read more
November 06, 2018 DMC EDA: DMC Transportation Plan Status

Status reports and documentations presented to DMCC.

Read more
June 24, 2016 City of Rochester and DMC EDA: SRF Status Reports on DMC Transportation and questions about MWO supply chain

A number of DMC Transportation RFP questions were brought up by Susan Park Rani, DMC board member.

Read more

2045 Olmsted County Transportation Plan

Transportation: ROCOG Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)

Plan Description

The purpose of the Long Range Transportation Plan is: To identify major transportation investment needs in Olmsted County over the next 30-40 years To satisfy the federal mandate that all urban areas have a transportation plan that discusses the level in investment that can occur based on reasonably available funding To coordinate the actions of cities, counties, townships and MNDOT in developing major transportation facilities and services To provide updated system planning maps reflecting current thinking on community growth and land use development

Status/News

August 08, 2024 Rochester-Olmsted County Planning (ROCOG): Transportation: ROCOG Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)

2024 - 2027 Transportation Plan 

2023 - 2026 Transportation Plan: The Rochester-Olmsted Council of Governments (ROCOG) has released a draft of the 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), for a 30-day public comment period. 

Read more

Zip Rail

Beam Project Description

The Rochester - Twin Cities Rail Corridor (Zip Rail)

Archive Description

The Rochester - Twin Cities Rail Corridor, or Zip Rail, is an approximately 100-mile corridor located between Rochester and the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metropolitan Area (Twin Cities). The corridor includes Olmsted, Dodge, Goodhue, Rice, Dakota, Ramsey and Hennepin counties. The rail corridor is planned to connect Rochester with existing and/or proposed transportation facilities in Minneapolis/St. Paul and is consistent with an eventual high speed passenger rail regional connection between the Twin Cities and Chicago. Zip Rail offers a different type of service than commuter rail or existing rail service:

Results (Work Products)

Economic Growth

  • Zip Rail would contribute annual incremental economic activity of $987 million to the State of Minnesota, $84 million of that benefiting Olmsted County. Over 25 years, this incremental economic activity would total more than $16.8 billion to the state, including more than $1.4 billion to Olmsted County.
  • Additional annual income from employment growth would be $446 million across the State of Minnesota, $45 million of that benefiting Olmsted County. Over 25 years, this additional income from employment growth would total more than $7.6 billion for the state and more than $765 million for Olmsted County.
  • Annual tax revenues would increase by $46 million to the State of Minnesota, $3 million to Olmsted County and $94 million to the federal government. Over 25 years this additional tax revenue would total more than $784 million to the state, including more than $59 million to Olmsted County, and nearly $1.6 billion to the federal government.

 

Job Creation

  • The increased economic activity described above will, over 25 years, increase employment in Minnesota by 7,888 jobs, including an increase of 610 in Olmsted County.
  • During the course of construction of the line, 3,250 jobs would be created. Over the long term, 150 rail operations and maintenance jobs would be sustained.
 

User Benefits

  • The value of time savings to businesses is estimated at $25 million in the first year of operation resulting from worker productivity while in transit on Zip Rail versus the non-productive time of driving.
  • The value of time savings to individuals using Zip Rail is estimated at $4 million in the first year of operation.
  • An estimated 40 motor vehicle crashes would be avoided in the first year of Zip Rail operations, a monetized savings of $4 million.
  • Over 25 years, 1,188 crashes would be avoided, 10 of which would be classified as fatal; total monetary savings is estimated to be $88 million.
  • Zip Rail use would reduce motor vehicle petroleum use by approximately 2.5 million gallons and emissions by 22,000 metric tons in the first year of operation with a value of $750,000 in the first year and $16 million over the entire 25-year period.

Beam Status

June 26, 2016 North American High Speed Rail Group (NAHSR): The Rochester - Twin Cities Rail Corridor (Zip Rail): if becoming more real then what?

It's full steam ahead for a private rail company looking to build a high-speed rail line from Rochester to the Twin Cities. North American High Speed Rail Group's Chief Manager Wendy Meadley said a preliminary study of the possible route has not turned up any major problems." A lot of speculation still at this point. If becoming more real, how does ZIP rail end points get connected to Rochester transit system and DMC transportation network.

Read more
October 06, 2015 North American High Speed Rail Group (NAHSR): The Rochester - Twin Cities Rail Corridor (Zip Rail)

With no federal funding for high-speed rail on the horizon, Minnesota Department of Transportation officials are considering suspending work on Zip Rail once an environmental review is done.

"We recognize that without a reliable source of funding for the planning and construction of a high-speed rail line, the project really just is in kind of limbo," said MnDOT Chief of Staff Eric Davis.

Read more