ROCHESTER, MN --- Rochester's Rapid Transit Project has been a long time coming and Tuesday City of Rochester and Destination Medical Center gave the public the opportunity to ask questions and learn about its plans and progress.
This project is aimed to improve transit across the city - and help the city reach its economic goals.
The city's plan consists of a roughly 3 mile long bus rapid transit line that will serve seven stations.
This includes a new enclosed transit center at Saint Mary's with a pedestrian tunnel connecting to the hospital.
The project will require the complete reconstruction of 2nd St. SW between 11th and 16th Ave.
An initial plan has been in the works since 2010 -- but it picked up speed in 2015.
RPT says the project will address the anticipated growth and congestion expected in the downtown area in the coming years, based on the city's 2040 comprehensive plan.
Project Manager, Jarrett Hubbard, explains “Roughly 30 thousand new employees downtown by 2040 and an additional amount of new residents and some of those living downtown."
Hubbard adds, “That is the original mission of this project-- to make sure that we can minimize the amount of additional parking spaces and parking garages that occur downtown."
The Rapid Transit Project funding is estimated at 114 million dollars-- RPT says it will not proceed without federal funding.
RPT will be holding 'virtual office hours' monthly and the rapid transit is expected to be in circulation spring of 2025.
For more on this project, visit https://wikimapping.com/Rochester-Rapid-Transit-Project.html?perm=3&username=avalenti@srfconsulting.com.