OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Citizens Advisory on Transit Meeting - August 19, 2026

Boards and CommissionsWednesday, August 19, 2026
BodyRochester, Minnesota
SessionBoards and Commissions
DateWednesday, August 19, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 59:44
Transcript — Verbatim
0:10

And we have Josh DeFrank here.

0:12

He's a project manager for MINC.

0:14

He'll just give us a note of you, and you guys can ask any questions you have.

0:18

Sure.

0:18

Yeah, thanks for having me.

0:20

Um, I'll try to make this brief and we'll get through it.

0:23

Uh, you know, a lot of construction happening in the city of Rochester.

0:26

Link BRT is one of the uh largest infrastructure projects in the history of the city of Rochester.

0:32

Um, and so it's uh multi-uh funded through different uh partnerships through the city of Rochester, Destinates Medical Center, um, and the Federal Transit Administration.

0:42

Um next slide there.

0:44

Um, and so you know, just to remind everybody, you know, what Link BRT is um in August of 2027 uh or later fall in 2027.

0:53

Um, you know, what we'll be doing is it's a bus rapid transit um operation that will be operating down 2nd Street Southwest, a 2.8 mile corridor from Cascade Lake down to 6th Street Southeast along 2nd Street.

1:07

So with stops, um, there's seven different stops, 12 different uh platforms and stations, so one on either side of the road on 2nd Street, and then bookended by um stations at each one.

1:20

So um operationally, it'll operate uh during the week 5 a.m.

1:24

to midnight and on the weekends 8 a.m.

1:26

to midnight.

1:27

And so those buses will be um we're trying to reach each one of those stations in the uh five to 10 minute head times of uh during the peak times, uh 6 a.m.

1:37

to 9 a.m.

1:38

3 p.m.

1:39

to 6 p.m.

1:40

Um, and then outside of those peak times, it'll be arriving at the stations every 10 to 15 minutes.

1:45

This is a periphery service for all riders, so anyone in the city can use Rochester Public Transportation and get down into the downtown network and then be able to use the BRT for free uh going up and down.

1:57

So if you're shopping or going for appointments or living in the area, you can get up and down the corridor.

2:02

Um, each one of our buses that we are getting, we're getting 12 60 foot articulated buses.

2:08

They are fully electric buses and they hold about 40 to 45 people sitting and another 40 to 45 people standing.

2:17

Each one of our stations are about 14 by 80 feet long, and they uh all have an enclosure in them where people will be able to sit and have um keating, um comfort benches, uh, and then we'll have lighting in there, um enhancement at each one of the stations so you'll be able to uniquely identify each one of the stations of where you're at, so you'll have confidence in being able to ride it.

2:41

And then we'll also have real-time signage out there so you'll know when the next bus is coming with audio and visual cues that will be able to tell you the bus will be arriving in two minutes.

2:51

Um, and so you'll be able to get on this platform and be ready for the next bus.

2:55

Otherwise, it's just a short uh 10 to 15 minute wait after that.

2:59

We'll go to the next one.

3:02

Um, and before we click on this, I just want to show this is uh an orientation video that we've shown to all of our construction workers.

3:09

Um it's part of their uh orientation that they have to be familiar with what they're working on, why they're building it, what the city is trying to achieve by creating this project.

3:20

Um so we made this orientation video to real drive purpose behind it and so that they can be reminded every day of what they're working on.

3:30

Welcome to the Rochester Link Bus Rapid Training Project.

3:34

Breaking ground in the heart of Rochester with a vision for the future.

3:38

You, your safety, and your interactions with the public and impacted businesses are key components to the success of this project.

3:45

Let's start with you.

3:47

We are committed to having the state project.

3:49

This starts with how each of us shows up to work to ensure this minimum guidelines were established in the project plans.

3:58

Should you have any questions regarding these guidelines?

4:01

Ask the supervisor before taking alternative actions.

4:04

We want you to utilize best practices set out like a link BRT.

4:09

After all, your choice is in fact not just yourself, but others around.

4:15

This project takes place in one of the busiest corridors of the city.

4:20

As a team member on this project, you should expect to be on every moment you are on the site.

4:26

The simple act of clients will help soften the disruption of impacted businesses.

4:31

And everyone who's here enjoying Rochester.

4:34

So we're really excited that our partners and this are not only the FTA, which is helping your funding, but also our local partners can't the mail planning camp destination medical center.

4:42

All three partners together have created a project that not only will provide access 2.8 mile corridor.

4:49

This is going to be transformational, the independence that it can get for people.

4:53

We received that there's about 123.

4:56

People are literally all over the world come here.

5:00

So our goal is to make sure that this experience is equitable and accessible regardless of all your reason for coming here.

5:08

Rochester is known for its history, community spirit, and world-class medical care.

5:15

Since the establishment of Mayo Clint in 1864, the city has become a global symbol of hope in times of uncertainty.

5:25

We talked a lot about getting to this moment of construction of VRT, a lot of work behind envisioning the project, designing the project, but really a lot of thanks both to those people that are in the building.

5:41

And whether they realize it or not, laying that concrete, installing that electrical system.

5:47

Every single one of the contractors working on this project is making a difference in the lives of people who live here and the millions of people that will come and experience BRT over decades.

5:57

With anticipating growth of the city of Rochester, we know that we're going to be having elevated amounts of traffic and start to alleviate that traffic.

6:05

We're building a BRT project to have reliable, efficient and needs of the public to be able to get in knowledge down.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Transportation█████████████████████████████████████████████70%
Public Works██████████15%
Public Engagement█████7%
Community Engagement██3%
Affordable Housing██3%
Infrastructure And Capital Projects2%
Summary of Proceedings

Citizens Advisory on Transit Meeting - August 19, 2026

Note: The agenda for this meeting listed the date as August 14, 2026, but the official record and the user-provided metadata indicate the meeting took place on August 19, 2026. This discrepancy is noted here.

The Citizens Advisory on Transit (CAT) meeting on August 19, 2026, featured presentations on the Link Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project and the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for 2027-2030. Committee members discussed ridership, accessibility, funding, and community impacts.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of the minutes from the July 10, 2026 meeting was adopted without discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were recorded during the open comment period of the meeting.

Discussion Items

  • Link BRT Overview (Josh DeFrank, Project Manager, MINC):

    • The project is a 2.8-mile corridor from Cascade Lake to 6th Street Southeast along 2nd Street, with 7 stops and 12 platforms.
    • 12 fully electric, 60-foot articulated buses will operate 5 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and 8 a.m. to midnight on weekends, with 5-10 minute headways during peak hours and 10-15 minutes off-peak.
    • Service will be fare-free; riders can bring bikes on board and use bike racks at stations.
    • Construction progress: West Transit Village station is nearly complete (mid-November 2026), 19th Avenue station work ongoing, St. Mary's Transit Center includes an underground pedestrian tunnel, and Civic Center Drive stations are underway.
    • Opening day ridership estimated at 8,000-10,000 daily.
    • Committee members raised questions about affordability for low-income residents, access to grocery stores (e.g., needing to transfer to routes 18 or 11), and integration with existing fixed routes. A member noted that the West Transit Village development includes senior housing with TIF financing but affordability details are pending.
    • Josh DeFrank and Sandra (RPT staff) clarified that the BRT is part of a holistic network, with transfers available at 6th Street to reach Olmsted Medical Center, and that a marketing campaign will launch soon.
  • Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) 2027-2030 (Matt, Transportation Planner, ROCOG):

    • The TIP is a federally required annual document covering four fiscal years, with a total program investment of $270 million in the ROCOG planning area.
    • $111 million is transit-specific, split between capital (e.g., bus purchases, station construction, traffic signal priority systems) and operations (including bus driver funding for the first time in 2027).
    • Funding sources: local dollars cover the majority of operations; federal FTA funds cover most capital purchases.
    • Committee members expressed concern about potential federal clawback of funds for zero-emission buses under the current administration. Matt noted that obligated funds are considered committed, but acknowledged that some projects may face risk.
    • The public comment period for the TIP is open through August 26, 2026, with a virtual open house on August 26 and an in-person open house on August 27, followed by a public hearing at the ROCOG Policy Board meeting on August 26. Final adoption is scheduled for September 23, 2026.
  • Integration of Active Transportation: Matt (from Pedestrian Bicycle Advisory Committee) offered a presentation on active transportation connections to transit, which was shared with the committee for future review.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes were taken during the meeting. The committee received information on both the Link BRT project and the TIP and asked clarification questions.
  • The committee will review the TIP document and submit comments via the ROCOG website or open houses.
  • The meeting was adjourned at the scheduled time.

Meeting Transcript

And we have Josh DeFrank here. He's a project manager for MINC. He'll just give us a note of you, and you guys can ask any questions you have. Sure. Yeah, thanks for having me. Um, I'll try to make this brief and we'll get through it. Uh, you know, a lot of construction happening in the city of Rochester. Link BRT is one of the uh largest infrastructure projects in the history of the city of Rochester. Um, and so it's uh multi-uh funded through different uh partnerships through the city of Rochester, Destinates Medical Center, um, and the Federal Transit Administration. Um next slide there. Um, and so you know, just to remind everybody, you know, what Link BRT is um in August of 2027 uh or later fall in 2027. Um, you know, what we'll be doing is it's a bus rapid transit um operation that will be operating down 2nd Street Southwest, a 2.8 mile corridor from Cascade Lake down to 6th Street Southeast along 2nd Street. So with stops, um, there's seven different stops, 12 different uh platforms and stations, so one on either side of the road on 2nd Street, and then bookended by um stations at each one. So um operationally, it'll operate uh during the week 5 a.m. to midnight and on the weekends 8 a.m. to midnight. And so those buses will be um we're trying to reach each one of those stations in the uh five to 10 minute head times of uh during the peak times, uh 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Um, and then outside of those peak times, it'll be arriving at the stations every 10 to 15 minutes. This is a periphery service for all riders, so anyone in the city can use Rochester Public Transportation and get down into the downtown network and then be able to use the BRT for free uh going up and down. So if you're shopping or going for appointments or living in the area, you can get up and down the corridor. Um, each one of our buses that we are getting, we're getting 12 60 foot articulated buses. They are fully electric buses and they hold about 40 to 45 people sitting and another 40 to 45 people standing. Each one of our stations are about 14 by 80 feet long, and they uh all have an enclosure in them where people will be able to sit and have um keating, um comfort benches, uh, and then we'll have lighting in there, um enhancement at each one of the stations so you'll be able to uniquely identify each one of the stations of where you're at, so you'll have confidence in being able to ride it. And then we'll also have real-time signage out there so you'll know when the next bus is coming with audio and visual cues that will be able to tell you the bus will be arriving in two minutes. Um, and so you'll be able to get on this platform and be ready for the next bus. Otherwise, it's just a short uh 10 to 15 minute wait after that. We'll go to the next one. Um, and before we click on this, I just want to show this is uh an orientation video that we've shown to all of our construction workers. Um it's part of their uh orientation that they have to be familiar with what they're working on, why they're building it, what the city is trying to achieve by creating this project. Um so we made this orientation video to real drive purpose behind it and so that they can be reminded every day of what they're working on. Welcome to the Rochester Link Bus Rapid Training Project. Breaking ground in the heart of Rochester with a vision for the future. You, your safety, and your interactions with the public and impacted businesses are key components to the success of this project. Let's start with you. We are committed to having the state project. This starts with how each of us shows up to work to ensure this minimum guidelines were established in the project plans. Should you have any questions regarding these guidelines? Ask the supervisor before taking alternative actions. We want you to utilize best practices set out like a link BRT. After all, your choice is in fact not just yourself, but others around. This project takes place in one of the busiest corridors of the city. As a team member on this project, you should expect to be on every moment you are on the site. The simple act of clients will help soften the disruption of impacted businesses. And everyone who's here enjoying Rochester. So we're really excited that our partners and this are not only the FTA, which is helping your funding, but also our local partners can't the mail planning camp destination medical center. All three partners together have created a project that not only will provide access 2.8 mile corridor. This is going to be transformational, the independence that it can get for people.

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