Recent Changes in Intercity Service Delivery in Minnesota

18th National Conference on Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation

Gerry Weiss, State Program Administrator Principal

Minnesota Department of Transportation

Historic Trends in Intercity Bus Service

• Predecessor of Greyhound Lines began service in Hibbing (1914)

• Intercity service decline started in the late 1960’s

• Bus deregulation in 1983

• Service miles decreased by 43% between 1981 and 1985

• Passengers decreased from 1.4 million in 1980 to 140,000 in 1994

Changes in Minnesota Intercity Bus Service

ISTEA Created 5311(f) Program

• Authorized funding for intercity bus transportation under Section 5311(f)

• Required each State to administer program

• Required States to spend 15% of Section 5311

• Federal match requirements are the same as the rest of the 5311 program

Geographic Coverage and Frequency of Existing Plan

• Seventy-nine percent of ridership lives within 20 miles of a terminal or stop

• Ninety percent of population lives within 20 miles of terminal or stop

• Unserved areas generally in northern Minnesota

• Smaller gaps exist in other parts of state

Proximity of Key Generators to Intercity Bus Service

Minnesota’s Existing Program

Eligible Projects include:• Operating costs (50% of deficit)

• Capital costs, both facilities and vehicles (80/20)

• Marketing (80/20)

• Pilot Demonstration Program

Relative Transit Needs

Types of Projects Funded

• Multi-modal bus facility in Minneapolis

• Retro-fit wheelchair lifts on Greyhound Lines buses

• Refurbish Jefferson Lines buses

• Route specific and regional marketing

• Operating assistance

• Pilot demonstration program

Program Administration

• Solicit projects every two years

• Conduct training for prospective applicants

• Require applicants to obtain letters of support from local communities

• Conduct periodic meeting (s) with applicants

• Work with applicants to modify projects

Intercity Bus Plan Update

• Assess and evaluate current plan

• Identify best practices from other states that could be applied to Mn/DOT program

• Identify portions of plan that are working or not working

• Assess and evaluate existing application process

• Conduct on-board ridership surveys

Intercity Bus Plan Update

• Identify major trip generators and existing intercity bus service

• Map populations of potential intercity bus users

• Map statewide population densities and determine if served by intercity bus

• Map and rank population density of potentially transit dependent persons

Intercity Bus Plan Update

• Recommend improvements in project selection

• Identify potential modifications to existing program

• Role of Pilot Program concept

• Role of feeder service

• Plan scheduled for completion in early summer of 2009

More Information

• Contract Mn/DOT Office of Transit, 395 John Ireland Boulevard, MS 430, Saint Paul , Minnesota 55155

• Gerry Weiss: 651-366-4183

email: ga.weiss@dot.state.mn.us