We're going to start this the distance advisory on transit uh meeting.

We don't currently have quorum, but in efforts of the time, we will be having our presenter begin his presentation, and that's Matt Lynch.

And as we uh if more advisory committee members come, we can um start the meeting officially.

So, Matt, uh the floor is yours.

Thank you.

And uh as Rachel said, my name is Matt Lynch.

My title is Mode Shift Coordinator.

I report to community development on behalf of the city of Rochester.

And I want to thank you for the opportunity to present to Cis and Advisory and Transit in the public.

And first I'd like to update the Citizen Advisory Own Transit that City of Rochester was awarded a MINDAT Act Transportation Planning Assistance Grant and support from MINDAC consultants to complete that work.

So thank you for the letter of support that was approved several meetings ago.

That was a successful grant uh application.

And what I'd like to focus on in today's presentation is how mode shift and transportation demand management abbreviated as TBM support a stronger transit system and better access for destinations across Rochester.

So for this audience, uh what I want to be clear is that I'm not telling people uh is that this presentation is not telling people how they should travel.

Driving remains an important and will remain important for many trips.

Uh this is about whether Rochester as a city we can give people real workable options for how they move about the city, especially when transit could serve a trip well.

And so I want to ground uh this presentation in adopted direction and the ideas that I'm sharing today are not new policy direction.

They are about implementation and about making our transit uh and access investments work better together for a more efficient system overall.

So I just like to ask that you might consider uh recent transit trip or even a trip that could have been taken by transit.

What would have made it easier?

Um would it have been uh safer to walk to the staff, a shorter weight, easier information to gather and understand the trip uh overall, maybe more comfortable transfer or perhaps even a lower cost.

So I want to start there because transportation can become abstract very quickly.

And this uh is about uh this this thought keeps us grounded in lived experience, how we travel and what in what makes a trip actually usable for real people in real needs.

So this the reason this work exists is that Rochester already recognized the need to improve how people access downtown and major destinations or activity centers.

And Rochester's growth and constrained downtown access is a key issue uh that's guiding these these initiatives.

So transit is part of the solution as you see here in the targets uh for mode shift and link and fixed uh local transit investments, they all need to work as intended.

So downtown planning, destination medical center, and link all reflect this very same underlying reality that in a growing city, especially in a constrained downtown environment, we cannot rely only on everyone driving alone for every trip and still expect the system to work well.

Um so for this this group, I just want to emphasize that the conversation is really about access.

How do we help more people reach uh jobs, uh healthcare services and daily destinations in ways that are practical, uh affordable, uh, and transit is a key part of that answer.

So I want to define these two terms more simply.

Mode shift is what we want to see as an outcome.

It is uh more people have the option to walk, roll, bicycle, take transit, or share rides for trips where those options make sense.

And so transportation management or TDM is the tool set.

It includes these policies, programs, it could be pricing, the information, the design of the facilities, the maintenance choices that make those options options practical, uh reliable and attractive.

So for this group, TDM is not about it's not separate from transit, it is one of the ways to help transit succeed.

So TDM can support things like employer transit benefits, better wayfinding to transit access, first and last mile connections, uh, parking management, and coordination with major destinations so that transit is more competitive for all the options available and easier to use.

So the progress I'll show here is is mixed.

And I do want to be careful not to overplay precision here where the data is merely directional.

Uh the big takeaway is that Rochester still very much relies heavily on driving.

You could see that in the top yellow line.

Uh that means that transit and other options still have significant room to grow, but only if they're useful, connected, and durable to different uh issues or pressures.

That means that transit and other options still have significant room to grow, but only if they're useful, connected, and durable to different uh issues or pressures.

So we're consistently hearing through planning efforts and engagement that people want more practical choices beyond driving.

So the question is not whether there is interest, the question is whether the system supports that interest enough for people to actually act on it and have that be a viable option.

So by the data from the American Community Survey that we see here from the Census Bureau, you see two statistics that we can take here is in 2019 remote work or worked at home did increase substantially.

And then the drove alone rates did decrease slightly, but they still remain quite plateaued.

Uh still about 65.5% of the drove alone in 2023.

And then the remainder of the uh legend that we see the different modes that were taken in the survey, there was too small of a uh sample taken on those modes that we can't the margin of error was too great for us to be able to take statistics from those alone.

So the next few maps that I'll share use replica model data, and that is a strategic planning tool.

It's not a direct count of uses, it should just simply be used with judgment alongside operations, safety, and design context.

And so, what this helps us do is understand where track where access demand is concentrated, and where some trips may have realistic potential to be served differently for the network, if only if the network works.

And so uh for this group, I think these maps are useful because they do help us improve and move beyond a narrow commute lens.

They almost think about how people access downtown and major destinations more broadly throughout the community.

That could be for appointments, it could be for errands, school, work, or just everyday life.

And so I start with this map intentionally because it does show the motorized access and circulation where they're concentrated today.

You see that these are all trips that work to the downtown area drawn just about in this general area.

And so uh this matters because downtown Rochester have has we can't we have to acknowledge it.

It has real uh motor vehicle access needs, including patient visitor service, freight, and pickup and drop-off activity on a routine basis.

So the goal is not to deny that reality, the goal is just simply to understand where vehicle access will matter, continue to matter, and where some trips might be better served by transit and connected low stress multimodal networks.

So where the question that the citizens value in transit can routinely ask is where can transit realistically carrying more of the access burden, especially where street and parking space may be limited.

And this map here shows where trips under about one uh 1.1 miles.

So it's not about it's it is about 1.1 miles.

Uh, these are trips that could feasibly be walked or rolled in about 20 minutes.

So for this group, I would just simply frame this as a first mile, last mile map.

Uh, consider all that concentration to the downtown core.

Not necessarily not necessarily saying that those trips could all be last mile or first mile, just simply the pressure on the downtown.

Look at how many of those trips could be absorbed effectively by walking trips.

So very short, very short trips point us towards simple crossings, sidewalks, curb ramps, comfort, winter reliability, and more direct pedestrian routes.

And in a downtown and medical district setting, those details matter a great deal.

So some of the strongest opportunities uh to support transit may simply be making it easier and safe for people to walk and roll, where transit already exists, making those access points easier.

So, what I'll show next is a map where a similar concept where this just expands in trips to about 3.6 miles, which replica identifies as trips that may be feasible within a bicycle ride that takes about 20 minutes.

That does not mean that every short trip should suddenly shift to cycling.

It does show though that cycling and micromobility become more realistic if the network is connected direct and comfortable.

So for this group, that matters because bicycling, e-bicycling, and micromobility, they can all extend the reach to transit uh beyond a comfortable walking distance.

In other words, this can help the transit work for more people by improving access to stops and destinations.

And I do want to emphasize to reinforce the point that from a Brookings Institute study, cities are planning now around total access, not only commute access.

In Rochester, people who travel not only for work but also for appointments, clearance, school, meals, and daily life.

Those are real needs that we can be planning for.

We're seeing the vast majority of trips are those types of trips rather than commutes.

So this is important context because nothing, like I said, is just describing today as new policy.

At the foundation, we have our comprehensive plan that supersedes all other planning documents that the city of Rochester holds and has adopted.

So taken together these plans support a more integrated transit system and transportation system and with realistic options and stronger access, it becomes a more integrated and efficient system overall.

So for this group, the most important point is that Rochester has adopted these plans already and supports transit as a part of a broader access strategy.

They already point toward a connected system with reduced dependence on driving alone and also a more practical transportation choice menu of options available to the community.

So the question is not whether transit should be a part of the future, the practical, the question is how to implement that future in a more coordinated and practical way.

That's where TDM comes into play.

So mode shift and TDM are not transportation ideas, tend to be in isolation.

They connect directly to outcomes that we already care about as a city and as a transit community.

And there are also household cost dimensions to this.

Transportation is one of the biggest recurring expenses for families.

And when households rely on owning, insuring, fueling, maintaining, and parking multiple vehicles just to meet everyday needs, that creates some real financial pressure in a household.

So transit matters in part because it can reduce that pressure and expand access without requiring every trip to depend on a personal vehicle.

So from an access and equity perspective, not everyone can drive, whether that's due to age, to disability, income, or other life circumstances, uh jobs, health care, and education, and those daily needs, though, they still have to be reached.

So from a health and safety standpoint, the way we're designing these system, it affects stress, injury risk, and everyday physical activity.

We can make those benefits and mitigate some of those risks by having more connected uh different.

This is really a conversation about affordability, access, health, and long-term resilience.

And transit is one of those ways that can make uh support the opportunity community interest waste.

So the framing, if you really want you in keeping, is that is perhaps the freedom not to have to drive.

So that does not mean everyone will stop driving or that driving is somehow wrong.

It means that people should have a realistic option when transit walking, rolling, or cycling or a shared trip could work for different needs and uses.

So I just want to acknowledge that reality because people have kids, I do myself, I drove our minivan to go pick up our children from child care because they weren't going to do it by themselves.

And that is what that's the trip that worked for our family in the mode that I chose to make that happen.

So we all have schedules that are not in our controls.

Uh we have uh some people have different mobility needs, and we live in a climate that's not always easy to navigate year-round.

So it's exactly why transit and connected access matters.

So the goal is not a theoretical choice, but a practical choice for the community.

But like I said earlier, I do not have my materials for you, which would visualize stuffing as many trips represented by volleyballs, golf balls, and boxes for transit or buses into a quad gallon bucket.

But I do have a visual that will get the same point across where you can see here how much space a trip actually takes.

This isn't only moving through the area, uh, the right-of-way, but it's also perhaps where you're ending your trip, where you're storing your vehicle, your device, your your goods, whatever materials you bring with you.

This is just a visual representation of what that could look like and why this efficiency could be had if we have more diverse modes in our transportation system.

So the system that uh only works for ideal users, that's not gonna be a successful system overall.

And so not every household has the same level of vehicle access and even household with vehicles may not even have easy access to it for every person or every trip.

Uh, we have we have a single car in our household, and sometimes I'll walk out expecting to use the minivan when uh it's thunderstorming or something, you know, inclement weather, and I'll see that my wife's already taken the car and I'm thinking, all right, well, I just got to suit up and ride my bike to get there, I guess.

Um, or I do plan ahead and I kind of use uh I've used the RPT bus to get there when those trips work for me.

So we have design for parents, older adults, young people who don't have the ability to drive because they are of age, uh, people with disabilities and workers with non-traditional hours that we have many of in our community, probably a disproportionate amount.

So people who simply do not have access to a car is who we have to also be planning for in our translating system.

And the simple test is this is that can someone who cannot drive make an everyday trip safely and comfortably without a car.

That's really a good pressure test that we are asking ourselves in as city staff.

Um, if the answer is no, the system is incomplete.

So for this group, this is especially relevant because transit is often the mode that fills that gap, uh, but it's only if the service in the surrounding network actually work together.

And this may be the most important slide.

Why did I save it for now?

I had to do this.

But transit does not work well in fragments.

Um, and it if sidewalks crossing the shelters, the stop access, the cycling connections, the information, the frequency.

If all that does not function as a connected system, the system fails.

And so any one of those pieces breaks down, the trip becomes harder, less predictable, less appealing, and perhaps people may default to not considering options and going to drive and park.

So a sidewalk that ends abruptly, a difficult crossing or an accessible stop, uh that can break down a trip, a total trip.

And when that happens, transit stops begin uh transit stops become less of real options for short everyday trips.

So even if that service technically exists, it's not a viable option for that trip.

Uh people are often willing to walk roll bicycle and take transit for short trips if the networks work well.

Um, so that matters a lot to the system actually supporting those everyday needs.

So, examples of what TDM is is the set of tools that help people use the transportation system more efficiently and with more choice.

So that could include policies, programs, pricing information, design of facilities or maintenance strategies that make transit walking, rolling and cycling, even carpooling more practical.

So, in these simple terms, mode shift is that outcome, and then what we have here, TDM is how part of how we get there.

So, for this audience, what I would like to emphasize the key point is that TDM is not separate from transit.

It is one of the ways to help transit succeed.

And TDM can include things like employer transit benefits, better rider information, wayfinding, even some first and last mile improvements, uh parking management, cycling, bicycle parking, or or uh scooter parking and maintenance practices that help keep those transit stops and access routes usable year-round.

So TDM is not about uh anti-automobile, it is about making the whole system work better and giving real people real workable options.

So, what I want to close by is bringing this back to citizen advisory on transit role.

I'm not here only to make a case for mode shift, um, but I'm also here because citizen this this commission can help identify where transit breaks down or when that access breaks down and which near-term changes would matter most when different projects and issues are presented.

So, what would help pressure test where the Rochester's uh city's transit supportive network is strongest, or where it breaks down and which near-term change would make the biggest difference is by simple asking excuse me, asking some of these simple questions around what you are what you are considering at each patient, each project or uh crossroads.

So, with that, I would like to just simply ask if there are any questions I can answer them now, or this is also a uh presentation you wish to digest at a later time, it's been recorded.

I'm happy to follow up and provide my contact information.

Matt, would you mind?

I know um Parker and Jesse can have missed the beginning, but trying to big catalyst for that.

Um for inviting you here tonight, which was an update on that grant that we support it.

Can it?

Yes, so uh Minnesota Department of Transportation Planning Assistance Grant, the assistance by Board of Transit approved a letter of support.

That application was successful, and we were granted the actual transportation planning assistance grant.

It will consolidate the outcomes of many of the Rochester City Rochester plans that have been adopted, and we will consolidate into a framework of implementation around transportation demand management.

So we will determine what are those effective uh high impact, perhaps low resource, even high resource steps we could be taking to provide more transportation options here in Rochester.

So thank you.

So you are not a lot.

You all have uh a lot more uh man hours available to you with the expertise to be able to uh logistically get these things together.

That's the plan.

And by September, we plan to have a framework uh for implementation.

So that's part of the action plan that we have at the city that we will be working towards that timeline.

Framework by September.

Okay.

Will there be an update later on that or would it just be putting them back there?

Once the plan is done, Matt will come back and provide the preliminary report.

Happy to do any other questions for Matt?

Yeah, okay.

No, um at this time.

If we don't want to rewatch the first part of the presentation, I had a question about the uh the sidewalk part.

I had a question about the uh the sidewalk part.

Um if you're able to go back to that slide, it was I I do really appreciate how we need to use things to show.

Um the whole thing there, that reminds me a lot of the times, you know, I imagine going to city government offices don't always connect to each other in those fast way.

So have you guys considered trying to make a case to either the relevant office or the city council itself to remove the ordinance or to uh undo the uh ordinance regulation, whatever that prevents that basically tells people they can't touch the sidewalk whatsoever because I know there was um I remember one time I was uh learning some things and some people in neighborhood, there was this one sidewalk where it was just you know, really often it was a tripping hazard, and the lady there just had to wait until the city would finally get around to that that being on a priority list because if she took the soil underneath it to level it out and make it accessible for wheelchairs, she'd be great with the law.

Yeah, no, I think that that it's not breaking the law, but it's it's it's putting the city at a high amount of liability.

And it's not, I want to kind of remain refocus the way that that's looked at.

The the sidewalks are evaluated on an annual basis, and we'll see that you'll see like stripes on the sidewalk for those.

And so there's an annual sidewalk improvement program that everyone that lives within the city pays into, and that used to be physically assessed.

And so if that sidewalk was in front of your property, you'd be charged the entire rate of the repair of that sidewalk.

And now that's distributed amongst every resident.

So people aren't being hit with $4,000, $5,000 repair fees.

But I think it's important to look at it with a network framework in mind.

The city only has limited resources and a limited crew, and they do go out in a sense that we cannot have private homeowners making repairs to the sidewalks because that also throws up the database that we have to maintain those sidewalks.

So, and it's also city property in that easement.

And I have routine agreements with sidewalk improvement district program reads within public works, and then they get individual notices of like in the springtime, some heaving that may occur with our three thaw cycles.

Uh, that group cares deeply about providing that access to the community.

And so when there might be those ad hoc instances and they're contacted, it's reported through 301 or whatever mechanism, it does get addressed because we know how important that network connectivity is.

And I'll I'll expand upon what Matt said 311 is the report full of our trees that are overgrown.

If there's uh one of the things I recently learned is that you know, like a limb of a tree branch falls and that limb is over two inches, that's like when it kind of triggers the tree to be looked at for like additional investigation.

But if a homeowner clears that branch and doesn't report it that it was over two inches and never gets logged into the system.

And so, like we need that data to be able to build a sufficient system as well.

But every one of those things is reported through 311, and you can do it by calling, or you can do it through the app.

What chap would this one be?

The 311 app.

Okay.

And I actually meant to use it on my way home earlier today because there wasn't any branch over a path, but I'll make sure to submit that on the and the tree stuff can get weird because you have to put it in address, but they they're okay with you just putting in the closest landmark.

So there's church or something else that's close to it, that's the best route to go.

Yeah, but I guess the way my mind was working was just was uh I'm glad to hear about the this team and all that um and the the data aspect of it.

What my was just thinking was like if we're trying to solve this vast problem of building networks, how can you remove some barriers to it getting you know done, especially in these days when the city is having lower funds than we used to?

Um well, and I think like that's the biggest thing is just communicating that and not feeling that it's your responsibility the city is here to help, but you need to be able to report that so again there's a miles and miles of network sidewalks that's a re the people that live on those sidewalks are there more often than our street screws are so great.

Any other questions for Matt?

So really the intent is that not taking the driver's ability to drive, but the opportunity to expand on existing infrastructure to uh give them an option not to drive.

So, like when weighing and so a big item uh as uh known recently, um the road diet on Elton Hills or 19th Street.

Um obviously the very heavily trafficked, even on your slide that you had this fairly dark blue line on that one.

You know, the concept of turning it into two lanes versus four lanes would have to be thoroughly review based on single car traffic or what kind of web and flow we have deciding what would be more appropriate for both of them bike lanes or uh single person traffic webmobile.

So what also has been recently reviewed at ROCO, the Rochester Wall State Council of governance was a safety action plan where Elton Hills Drive was identified as a two to one safety issue that be speaking corridor that need to be addressed.

And safety does not apply to any one mode or individual.

It's for all users.

And so what we make what can we do for that corridor to be as safe as possible?

A lane conversion might very well be one of those solutions that's something that's being evaluated right now with public works and planned and designed, not designed perhaps planned.

But we provide the facilities, that's that's part of the intention is we would be a safe, comfortable facility to be, whether that be walking or rolling and mobility or bicycling.

That's effectively leading people to that narrative access too.

So that's where those corridors when they get converted, uh lanes be converted is intended to make it safe for all users.

Also, uh, how much do you guys uh sort of communicate about some of these uh well, you know, any plan had a lot of links, many of which could could break and make the plant faulty.

So have we how much do you guys communicate these things to say the police department, the attorney's office, things like that?

Because when we were talking earlier about the need to expand the reach of accessibility to a uh you know to a transit line, it's not necessarily having it go wiggling in all sorts of directions having a larger radius where people can safely get to it.

Um and obviously it'll be less in the winter given you know we make time, but uh you know it seems to me like that means that the public safety side is integral to this plan.

Enforcement is a part of uh a system design facility design, a system design that would be supportive of people actually wanting to use it.

Uh what also we want to acknowledge is limited resources to be enforcing, and that's where engineering can help.

And when we design uh places that people feel safe and comfortable walking uh or rolling uh or cycling, we heard consistently the active transportation plan that that is separation from motor vehicles.

And that is the biggest safety concern.

So, what can actually provide that safe space to operate to walk roll is to have dedicated facilities that are separated in or protected from other vehicle traffic.

And that can help uh reduce the burden enforcement burden on perhaps an RPD or community service farm.

Well, thank you, Matt.

Appreciate the time.

Um so we don't have a quorum.

Unfortunately, unfortunately.

So there's just a couple of um points I wanted to have for a brief like discussion.

We can't vote on anything.

Um, but one is I I've noticed that um maybe the five o'clock time doesn't work for most of the group.

So when we do have a forum, I think we should consider shifting the time to 5:30 uh instead.

So that's just something to noodle on uh for now.

Another thing is um just as we we move forward, we want to ensure that it's hard to bring things uh to vote on when we don't have a quorum.

So we want to ensure that uh we really promote promote that.

All of that being said, uh Rebu has officially resigned from the CAT committee.

Her job responsibilities have increased, and so she really wants to focus on her professional life right now.

And then also George has uh been removed from the board due to his amount of absences.

So um we are currently down to CAT committee members.

Um so I have asked the mayor's office to consider recruiting uh transit riders or um actually individuals from the biking community.

That would be a good perspective to have um on CATS.

If there's any other suggestions of areas or if you know somebody who might be interested, please send them over um to the mayor's office for that.

Um we really want this to be an active and involved board.

So uh keep all of those things in mind um as we we have those discussions.

And then last on the agenda was the uh transit February report, and we are trending upward in ridership um consistently.

So we've been up around 5,000 riders both the month of January and February.

Um so that's already putting us on track to be ahead of our growth from last year.

Um which was 20,000 over the whole year.

Um, and we've already grown about 10,000 this year.

What do you think is contributed to that?

I think it's a variety of things.

Um we can't really pinpoint it, but we are hopeful that with our spring service changes coming up, we can increase ridership with increased frequency and the removal of looped routes.

Um I know Sondra presented on on all of that a couple of months ago, but um providing more direct access to the north and south ends of the city without having to transfer at Central Park is going to be huge.

Um, and so I we're really looking forward to what that looks like.

Um, I'll give a broad overview of what we anticipate the next year looking like.

So we have our spring service changes hitting at the end of this month on April 25th.

Um our next service change will come a little bit early.

Well, it'll be in October, where we're hoping to transition from Central Park back to Second Street, which will hopefully again increase our ridership numbers.

That's the biggest complaint that we get is that Central Park isn't where people work.

So by transitioning the buses back to the second street stations, we're hoping to increase ridership.

Um, and then next year it gets a little weird.

So we're still working on some additional service changes, but there will be a lot of small ones that happen over the next year.

Um, because we have a couple of um stops that are going to come online during the year, and then we have to start commissioning and testing for link BRT.

And so that'll be a service change in March to start looking at what that integration of the fixed route along second street looks like because that's also when the commissioning and testing of the link buses will start.

So the link buses will be moving up and down second street, and we'll get to see how the fixed route buses kind of work within that space during testing.

And then link will come online in August.

So we're potentially going to have four service changes between October and August to accommodate the upcoming ships in these.

They won't be big.

Um October and is like probably one in December and the one in March.

None of them will be, I would say, as notable as the spring one, but they'll have timetable adjustments and the activation of some of the stops um that are along the lake corridor.

Uh so that's what we can anticipate over the next year for that.

And then uh an update on Link is that the Link buses, the remaining 11 buses for LINC went into production this week.

Sounds a lot.

It's a lot.

And they're manufacturing memory right now.

Well, two of them.

Do we know where they're being they're being made in St.

Cloud?

Okay.

Any news on the the contract change?

Have that been finalized?

We're still um in that proportion.

We anticipate still going to council at either the last meeting in May or the first meeting in June.

So it is a confidential process until we go to council.

So as soon as the agenda for council is released, that information will be public.

But we're cooking.

It's happening, yeah.

We're um we um have moved on to the next phase of the process, and so um it's coming down uh to final selection.

Right.

Um, about the matter of uh members, uh, if we if it is fully the case that we lose design doors being removed, that means that uh we're now in pocket, right?

And we need four in a it's a your quorum doesn't decrease if you have with your vacancies.

So you would you need seven, so your quorum is still four.

Yeah.

A little bit more difficult to know.

So um, but hopefully we but again if you have anybody in mind, we recommend sending them over.

We uh like and again that we can always evaluate this if 5:30 on the second first but second two Thursday of every month doesn't work for the board, then we can evaluate that time slot too.

So if it would make more sense to do a new like a lunchtime meeting or something that um those those are all options and on the table.

So just something to be thoughtful of as we come into the next meeting.

I would probably put it back on the agenda so we make sure that we have a time that works for the group.

So we can't change that now, but we'd have to change it then.

Right, we can't vote on it.

If we have parents, yeah.

So well, um, if there's any other questions, this recording will still be posted with the agenda, and we just didn't have a quorum and we weren't allowed to vote on anything.

So the next B meeting will have to approve the um approved the minutes from the February meeting.

Okay.

Yeah.

Um great.

Go.

Oh, okay.

So that's a great question.

We're always evaluating the reintegration of microtransit.

We have decided as a collective within the the bring link online first.

Okay.

Um, so bring bring in one new mode before we bring in two new modes.

And so um, after Link is on and on board, and we can really trend how people are moving throughout the system.

It will really help us evaluate to implement microtransit.

You might see some some bubblings of it over the next um year to two years um in really targeted areas to to reduce the need of having a bus route there but not a citywide microtransit yet.

Okay.

But it's it's on the it's on the the thought process.

Cool.

Probably a wise decision given that big portion of that funding came from the state which is broke.

So but all right I will um and