Citizens Advisory on Transit Meeting - May 19, 2026

The Citizens Advisory on Transit (CAT) committee met on May 19, 2026 (note: the meeting agenda, minutes, and transcript provided list the date as May 14, 2026, though the instructed date for this summary is May 19, 2026). The meeting was called to order with a quorum of four members present. Staff member Rachel Fautsch led presentations and discussions. The committee elected a new Chair, changed its regular meeting schedule, and received extensive updates on Rochester Public Transit (RPT) operations, financial outlook, and upcoming service changes.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the February 12, 2026 meeting were approved unanimously (Moved by Acree, Seconded by Baerg).
• Order of Agenda: The agenda for the meeting was approved unanimously (Moved by Acree, Seconded by Buchholz).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public were present to speak during the Open Comment Period.

Discussion Items

Transit March 2026 Report Rachael Fautsch presented the report, highlighting a consistent uptick in fixed-route ridership. The first quarter of 2026 has already matched the total ridership increase from the entirety of 2025 (roughly 10,000 to 20,000 rides). Ridership demographics remain steady, with approximately 50% of riders being Mayo Clinic employees or staff. The recent transition from loop to bi-directional service has created confusion among riders, particularly non-Mayo riders who did not receive employer-based notifications, leading to a slight ridership drop on affected routes. An education campaign is underway. Significant construction delays are causing buses to run 15-20 minutes behind schedule; a "reblocking" (rerouting of driver assignments) is scheduled for June. A notable ridership loss of approximately 200,000 passenger trips from 2022 to 2023 is believed to be correlated with the closure of the IBM park-and-ride lot. ZIPS paratransit ridership has slightly decreased due to dispatch software and training issues, which are being addressed with new training and daily on-site support from the transit team.

• Financial Data: RPT has an operating budget of $14 million, with MNDOT providing up to $16 million in grant dollars, requiring a 15% city match. The expense per fixed route ride is $9.09, and revenue per ride is $15. The system operates 55 buses, with 42 used during peak hours.
• School Partnership: A pilot program with Rochester Public Schools (targeting John Marshall High School) has generated roughly 500 student rides per month. Students ride fare-free (reimbursed by the district at an 80-cent rate).

Election of Chair & Meeting Packet Discussion The floor was opened for nominations for a new Committee Chair. Parker Acree nominated Michael Schnell. Before the vote, a discussion occurred on the lack of detailed material in the meeting packet. Rachel Fautsch explained that the city is proactively working to meet a new federal website accessibility requirement, which has temporarily reduced the detail of packets (replacing attachments with links and text descriptions). An intern, Laura, is working on making reports and bus maps fully accessible. Michael Schnell was elected as Chair unanimously.

New Meeting Dates and Times The committee discussed poor attendance at the current meeting time (5:00 p.m. on the second Thursday). It was noted that the committee only met 2-4 times in all of 2025. A new time was proposed to improve accessibility and ensure quorum. The committee voted unanimously to change future meetings to the second Friday of each month from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Free parking codes will be provided to members.

RPT Overview, 2026 Priorities, and Spring Service Changes Update Rachael Fautsch provided a comprehensive overview of the transit system's present and future.

• Financial Urgency: Fautsch stated that without significant changes, RPT will run out of operating money within two years. The system is implementing "radical and innovative changes" to address the budget gap and double ridership.
• Upcoming Service Changes:
  • October 2026: Transit center operations will move back to 2nd Street from Central Park, improving driver and rider experience.
  • December 2026: Introduction of high-frequency routes and new park-and-ride service, including a 200-stall ramp at the North Broadway/Recreation Center site.
  • March 2027: Activation of fixed-route stops along the Link Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor.
  • August 2027: The Link BRT system is expected to come online. It is a 2.8-mile corridor with 12 stations. The service will be fare-free, with Mayo Clinic covering the local operating cost share.
• Microtransit: The committee was told that microtransit is planned to return within two years to serve areas where fixed-route coverage is reduced, feeding passengers into the high-frequency network.
• Performance Goals: The target is 15 rides per route per hour. Current best-performing routes (park-and-ride) achieve 8-9.
• Paratransit: A new app for booking paratransit rides is in development to replace the current phone-only system. Four new paratransit vehicles are being added to the fleet.

Key Outcomes

• Chair Elected: Michael Schnell was unanimously elected to serve as Chair of the Citizens Advisory on Transit Committee.
• Meeting Times Changed: The committee voted unanimously to move to a monthly schedule on the second Friday of each month at 12:00 p.m. (noon).
• Information Items Received: The March 2026 Transit Report, Brief Overview of RPT, 2026 Transit Priorities and Outlook, and Spring 2026 Transit Service Changes Update were received as information items.
• Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned unanimously.