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Record of Proceedings

Citizens Advisory on Transit Meeting Summary - January 12, 2026

Boards and Commissions — Monday, January 12, 2026
BodyRochester, Minnesota
SessionBoards and Commissions
DateMonday, January 12, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:34:30

Original source
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0:00

And um four, we've got it.

0:04

In that case, you've got to head.

0:06

It's five more we have calling.

0:09

We have the meeting is called to order.

0:18

Let's do a roll call.

0:21

Rebu is not present.

0:22

Yes, Ovisco here.

0:24

Barker Akry here.

0:26

Mike Schnell.

0:29

George Millet Boy.

0:32

My apologies if I miss Brown's remaining George, but he's not driven.

0:35

Derek here.

0:38

Here.

0:39

Very well.

0:40

That is a quorum of four.

0:46

Now we move on to the approval of the agenda from the January 8th, 2026 meeting.

0:55

I move to approve it.

0:58

We were gonna ask for consideration to move number eight to right below approval of the minutes.

1:05

So after Ford.

1:08

So before someone makes a motion about that, the reason why they wanted to do that is a wonderful guest here is when you made the presentation and he is planning to move at 5 30 shard, if not earlier.

1:20

And this item number eight is the only actionable item, truly speaking on our agenda today.

1:26

And therefore, whether you care to debate it for an hour afterwards or not is preventing on it, needs to happen within the next 25 weeks.

1:36

And therefore, the idea is that it will happen between number three or the idea is it will happen right after item number four approval of the mass.

1:46

Motion seconded.

1:49

Yeah.

1:50

Is there any uh discussion?

1:53

All those in favor of the motion of moving item number eight to go between approval of the minutes and selection of secretary, say aye.

2:02

Aye.

2:03

Opposed?

2:04

No, seeing none, the motion passes unanimously.

2:08

Sweet.

2:10

And now you just need to move uh you need to approve the agenda as amended.

2:14

Yes.

2:15

Is there a motion to approve the agenda as amended?

2:18

I approve I motion to approve the agenda as amended.

2:21

Second.

2:23

Any discussion?

2:24

Any objections?

2:26

Those in favor say aye.

2:28

Aye.

2:29

Vote is unanimous.

2:30

The agenda is approved.

2:32

Now we have a 15-minute total time open comment period for any guest who is not currently on the agenda to give a comment.

2:44

Seeing no guests, we move past that.

2:48

Now we go to the approval of the minutes.

2:50

Demands and video as an official record of the citizens advisor and transit meeting of December 11th, 2025.

2:56

So I have an attack in the end of that.

3:02

It's usually posted on the bullets and commissions website between the meetings and floor these outside of meeting.

3:08

So you would let us have a view of it before we have here once we approve it.

3:15

Just to clarify, it's not been it's not in a confirmed packet, couldn't no.

3:43

Any objections?

3:45

All those in favor say aye.

3:47

Aye.

3:48

Motion passed unanimously.

3:51

Very well.

3:51

Now we move to the item citizens advisor on transit support for the city of Rochester's active transportation planning assistance program.

4:00

And our guest here will give a presentation to us on the recommendation.

4:06

I'd like to introduce uh Matt Lynch.

4:08

He's the MoShift coordinator.

4:09

We discussed his position at our last meeting.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Transportation█████████████████████████████████████████████58%
Active Transportation████████████15%
Procedural███████9%
Public Engagement█████7%
Technology and Innovation██3%
Personnel Matters██3%
Budget Equity Analysis██2%
Workforce Development██2%
Disability Rights█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Citizens Advisory on Transit Meeting Summary - January 12, 2026

The Citizens Advisory on Transit (CAT) meeting convened on January 12, 2026, to address the upcoming Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) active transportation grant application, review recent service changes, and discuss upcoming operational challenges. The committee unanimously approved a letter supporting the City of Rochester's grant application, suspended the secretary position for the 2026 term, and received detailed updates on transit ridership trends, budget shifts, and service adjustments scheduled for spring 2026.

Consent Calendar

  • No formal consent calendar items were presented; routine motions were handled under specific agenda items.
  • The motion to move Agenda Item #8 to immediately follow the approval of minutes passed unanimously.
  • The motion to approve the December 11, 2025, minutes passed unanimously.
  • The motion to approve the agenda as amended passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public provided comments during the open comment period as no guests were present.

Discussion Items

Active Transportation Planning Assistance Program Grant

  • Matt Lynch, MoShift Coordinator, requested a letter of support for the City of Rochester's application for the MnDOT Active Transportation Planning Assistance Program. He stated the grant funds an action plan to aggregate existing city plans and improve walking, cycling, and transit access.
  • Speaker Position: The committee expressed full support for the planning effort once clarifications were made regarding the grant's nature.
  • Discussion Points:
    • Barker Akry raised concerns regarding the specific dollar amount requested and the source of funding.
    • Matt Lynch clarified that the grant pool is statewide (estimated at $1 million total) and allocated based on need, not a fixed request amount. He confirmed the City Council previously approved the pursuit of the grant.
    • Speaker Position: Barker Akry noted that while the grant is for planning, the City of Rochester has already budgeted for the required cost share, alleviating immediate budget concerns. He expressed support for the initiative, noting the funds are pre-allocated by the state.
    • Speaker Position: The committee expressed trust in staff to review the draft letter and ensure the city does not accept funds they cannot manage, citing the ability to decline the grant if necessary.
  • Outcome: A unanimous vote was cast to support the application.

Selection of Secretary

  • Rachel noted that while not required by statute, the secretary position had been vacant since December 2025 when Tracy's term expired.
  • Discussion Points:
    • Concerns were raised about the value of the role for public representation and skill development.
    • Staff clarified that city staff handle minute-taking and that the committee already approves minutes.
  • Speaker Position: The committee expressed support for suspending the secretary role for the year 2026 unless a member nominates a replacement.
  • Outcome: Unanimous motion to decline filling the secretary position for 2026.

Fall Service Changes Update and Spring Changes

  • Sandra presented a review of the service changes implemented in November 2025 and outlined plans for spring 2026.
  • Key Metrics:
    • Ridership: Dropped from over 2 million in 2019 to approximately 650,000 in 2025, attributed to the pandemic, pandemic shuttles, and system inefficiencies.
    • Cost Structure: The local match required from the city increased from 5% to 15% of operating costs starting in 2026 due to state funding changes.
    • Operational Improvements: Mistrips decreased significantly from 96 (Sept) to 22 (Nov) following route consolidations and frequency adjustments (e.g., reducing frequency on routes 20, 21, and 102).
  • Spring 2026 Plans:
    • Speaker Position: Staff indicated intent to restructure routes based on efficiency, targeting routes with fewer than 8 boardings per hour.
    • Loop Routes: The committee discussed concerns regarding the complexity of loop routes; staff proposed converting loops to bi-directional routes to improve rider understanding and efficiency.
    • Holiday Service: Staff noted very low demand (150 boardings vs. 3,000 weekday) and are evaluating the reduction or removal of holiday service.
    • Fare Increases: Speaker Position: Staff expressed opposition to increasing fixed-route fares to maintain affordability, noting the fare would become the highest in the state. They are exploring alternative revenue through advertisements, park-and-ride leasing, and fare increases on paratransit (currently $3 vs. potential $4-$5).
  • Driver Recruitment: The committee discussed a driver shortage (current fleet requires ~37 drivers; goal is 95 for future Link operations). Staff confirmed active recruitment and the availability of CDL training programs.
  • Social Media: Staff proposed closing the separate RPT Facebook page and consolidating content to the City of Rochester page to maintain engagement, with public input suggesting the city page may offer better reach.

RFP for Transit Operations

  • Sandra updated the committee on the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the operation of fixed-route and paratransit systems.
  • Details:
    • The current contract with Transdev (formerly First Transit) is at the end of its 10-year term. The new RFP is for a 5-year term with a 5-year extension option.
    • 12 potential bidders attended the pre-bid meeting; 5 are companies.
    • Speaker Position: Committee members expressed interest in having the new operator discuss driver retention and pay structures.
    • Speaker Position: The committee recommended inviting an operator to discuss driver recruitment and retention at the next meeting.

Link BRT Project Updates

  • Second Street remains open with partial lane closures for utilities.
  • Link Schedule: Project remains on track for summer 2027 operation.
  • Service Changes: Pre-canned detour routes were implemented for steep uphill routes (102, 104, 307) during winter; the committee expressed satisfaction with the app-based notifications and reduced wait times.

Key Outcomes

  • Motion Passed: Unanimously approve a letter of support for the City of Rochester's Active Transportation Planning Assistance Program application (Deadline: Jan 13, 2026, 12:00 PM).
  • Motion Passed: Unanimously suspend the secretary position for the 2026 term.
  • Motion Passed: Unanimously adjourn the meeting.
  • Action Item: Matt Lynch will draft the letter of support for committee review and signature by the Acting Chair.
  • Action Item: Staff to bring a presentation on driver recruitment and retention to the February meeting.
  • Next Steps: Spring service changes will be presented after public engagement is finalized; an RFP update is scheduled for March.

Meeting Transcript

And um four, we've got it. In that case, you've got to head. It's five more we have calling. We have the meeting is called to order. Let's do a roll call. Rebu is not present. Yes, Ovisco here. Barker Akry here. Mike Schnell. George Millet Boy. My apologies if I miss Brown's remaining George, but he's not driven. Derek here. Here. Very well. That is a quorum of four. Now we move on to the approval of the agenda from the January 8th, 2026 meeting. I move to approve it. We were gonna ask for consideration to move number eight to right below approval of the minutes. So after Ford. So before someone makes a motion about that, the reason why they wanted to do that is a wonderful guest here is when you made the presentation and he is planning to move at 5 30 shard, if not earlier. And this item number eight is the only actionable item, truly speaking on our agenda today. And therefore, whether you care to debate it for an hour afterwards or not is preventing on it, needs to happen within the next 25 weeks. And therefore, the idea is that it will happen between number three or the idea is it will happen right after item number four approval of the mass. Motion seconded. Yeah. Is there any uh discussion? All those in favor of the motion of moving item number eight to go between approval of the minutes and selection of secretary, say aye. Aye. Opposed? No, seeing none, the motion passes unanimously. Sweet. And now you just need to move uh you need to approve the agenda as amended. Yes. Is there a motion to approve the agenda as amended? I approve I motion to approve the agenda as amended. Second. Any discussion? Any objections? Those in favor say aye. Aye. Vote is unanimous. The agenda is approved. Now we have a 15-minute total time open comment period for any guest who is not currently on the agenda to give a comment. Seeing no guests, we move past that. Now we go to the approval of the minutes. Demands and video as an official record of the citizens advisor and transit meeting of December 11th, 2025. So I have an attack in the end of that. It's usually posted on the bullets and commissions website between the meetings and floor these outside of meeting. So you would let us have a view of it before we have here once we approve it. Just to clarify, it's not been it's not in a confirmed packet, couldn't no.

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