2012 Minnesota Transit Systems Cost Per Ride Comparison

It is time once again for my annual Minnesota Dept. of Transportation Transit Report system cost comparison. As before the overall focus of this bit of information is on comparing fixed-route operations from the various agencies across the state. A comparison of 2011 costs can be seen here. This is only a small part of the information contained in the report. If you have an interest in learning more about these and other transit providers in Minnesota I recommend reading the report in its entirety.

2012 Cost Per Ride Comparison for Minnesota Fixed-Route Transit Providers
Provider	Operating Expenditures	Ridership	Cost/Ride
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TRANSIT	$6,080,021	3,197,701	1.90
WINONA TRANSIT SERVICE*	$597,320	255,132	2.34
METRO TRANSIT: LRT	$27,886,232	10,498,236	2.66
ST. CLOUD METRO BUS	$6,295,883	2,230,106	2.82
GREATER MANKATO TRANSIT SYSTEM	$1,556,183	449,930	3.46
ROCHESTER PUBLIC TRANSIT	$6,083,428	1,739,071	3.50
MOORHEAD METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT	$1,533,055	436,285	3.51
METRO TRANSIT: BUS	$245,215,781	69,069,539	3.55
DULUTH TRANSIT AUTHORITY	$12,390,741	3,155,423	3.93
METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION SERVICES	$13,477,072	3,033,902	4.44
MAPLE GROVE TRANSIT	$4,220,797	826,879	5.10
MINNESOTA VALLEY TRANSIT AUTHORITY	$17,936,636	2,575,363	6.96
PLYMOUTH METROLINK	$3,589,498	496,964	7.22
EAST GRAND FORKS TRANSIT***	$266,588	36,847	7.23
SOUTHWEST TRANSIT	$7,799,059	998,960	7.81
METRO VAN POOL**	$1,416,216	179,013	7.91
LAKER LINES	$945,816	96,513	9.80
LA CRESCENT APPLE EXPRESS****	$260,690	25,749	10.12
SHAKOPEE TRANSIT	$1,276,055	125,557	10.16
RUSH LINE	$385,081	37,015	10.40
RAMSEY STAR EXPRESS*****	$567,616	42,263	13.43
TRANSIT LINK**	$6,658,057	312,639	21.30
METRO TRANSIT: NORTHSTAR	$16,419,740	700,276	23.45
Notes: *Winona operates service under contract for WSU and St. Marys  **Not fixed-route service, included due to being part of overall Twin Cities Metro area system structure  ***EGFT service operated under contract by Cities Area Transit  ****Apple Express operated under contract by La Crosse MTU ***** Ramsey service discontinued with opening of Ramsey Northstar station
Source: 2013 Transit Report - A Guide to Minnesota’s Public Transit Systems (MnDot)
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/transit/reports/reports-publications/report-2013.pdf

If this is the A Line, then why do the stations look like a C-?

Metro Transit is currently seeking public input on station design for the A Line. While encouraging public input is commendable, the proposed choices leave something to be desired. Unfortunately it seems the A Line station designs are stuck in the ‘sometimes the end result is not so great, but we tried’ attitude already seen throughout the system. “What causes this to happen?” well here’s my educated guess on what the design teams have to work with:

For starters the rules, or at least what seem to be the rules based on my observations, regarding shelter design and placement:
 - When possible the shelter should be placed on the curb so as to be extra prone to snowplow damage, and to block the rear door of the transit vehicle.
- The shelter should be positioned with the opening towards whichever direction has the most wind and precipitation.
- There needs to be an adequate gap between the ground and the bottom of the shelter wall to ensure extra airflow through the shelter, and to allow snow and road slop to better infiltrate the floor of the shelter.
- When feasible there should also be a gap between the top of the walls and the roof of the shelter. For example, the bus shelters adjacent to the train platform at 46th Street Station.
- Benches in the shelter must be metal, to provide the customer with a complete outdoors experience, as though they are sitting on a block of ice.
- If heaters are installed in the shelter they must be placed as high from the ground as possible. Ideally a customer with above average height should just barely have their hat warmed when standing directly below the heating element.
- If extra money is available to spend on the shelter, it must be used for a feature that does nothing to further protect patrons from the elements, such as an exotic stone floor or copper roof trim.



(Examples of some of the not so nice bus shelters found at various stops. These are maintained by CBS Outdoor, with the CBS apparently standing for Crumby Billboard Shelter.)

From these rules one can understand why the shelter concepts are all basically the same. We can pick between four shelters that look as though they are designed by someone who has never had to wait at a stop for 20 minutes in a subzero wind chill, or a horizontal rainstorm, during a weather delay.

Now how about those station identifiers, or pillars, or pylons, or whatever the tall box things are? Well these are certainly an improvement over the traditional bus stop sign, but again they are fairly uncreative. Sure, they can probably pick those up cheap on the BRT Lite aisle at Transit Depot, but we can do better than a box with a curve on the top. Heck, boring old Inver Grove Heights put a similar style of pillar along Cahill Avenue years ago to notify passerby that Cahill is ‘Main Street’. (Suburbs have to label that stuff.)

We need to get creative with those station identifiers; we need something that screams, MINNESOTA! Ooh, how about a giant Paul Bunyan statue for each station? That would be unique. No, wait, if Paul hung around the stops on Snelling too much he might start wearing baggy pants dropped down to his crotch and a wifebeater shirt, and that look just wouldn’t suit him. Hmm, a giant green Adirondack chair? Nah, then Metro Transit would start getting angry calls from riders waiting by the original ones wondering where the bus was. Minnesotans like big things though, mcmansions, SUVs, Target stores, we have the biggest shopping mall, a giant spoon... Bingo! Put a huge bus stop sign at each stop, it can complement our oversized art, house a NexTrip screen, and meet ADA font size requirements.

Better yet, we could just accept the design given and just bundle up for the weather. Really, what is more Minnesotan than a modest transit stop, with some hardy natives bundled head to toe, waiting for a ride to the hockey game?

2011 Minnesota Transit Systems Cost Per Ride Comparison

Every year the Minnesota Department of Transportation Transit division publishes an annual report providing an overview of Minnesota public transit systems. This report includes a concise and simple look at each system operating in the state, including achievements or highlights, system information, ridership, and expenditures.

Towards the end of the report, operating statistics for each system are provided in a table format. While this is somewhat useful for comparing one specific system against another, or comparing Twin City area operators, it's not ranked specifically by cost per ride. To get a better idea of how Minnesota transit compares on a cost per ride basis, here are Twin Cities Metropolitan area systems compared with greater Minnesota urbanized area systems. A few smaller systems are included as well with an overall focus being on fixed-route service.

2011 Cost Per Ride Comparison for Minnesota Fixed-Route Transit Providers
Provider	Operating Expenditures	Ridership	Cost/Ride
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TRANSIT	$5,375,406	3,533,871	1.52
WINONA TRANSIT SERVICE*	$601,026	251,721	2.39
METRO TRANSIT: LRT	$25,755,340	10,400,864	2.48
ST. CLOUD METRO BUS	$6,047,630	2,286,392	2.65
ROCHESTER PUBLIC TRANSIT	$5,150,838	1,645,272	3.13
MOORHEAD METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT	$1,476,225	432,703	3.41
METRO TRANSIT: BUS	$240,340,513	69,023,716	3.48
DULUTH TRANSIT AUTHORITY	$11,733,880	3,081,791	3.81
GREATER MANKATO TRANSIT SYSTEM	$1,504,091	363,401	4.14
METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION SERVICES	$12,921,070	2,928,301	4.41
MAPLE GROVE TRANSIT	$4,129,402	801,442	5.15
MINNESOTA VALLEY TRANSIT AUTHORITY	$17,369,699	2,588,183	6.71
RAMSEY STAR EXPRESS	$377,505	54,097	6.98
SOUTHWEST TRANSIT	$7,401,936	1,030,018	7.19
PLYMOUTH METROLINK	$3,871,010	515,522	7.51
METRO VAN POOL**	$1,481,345	189,825	7.80
EAST GRAND FORKS TRANSIT***	$252,736	28,789	8.78
LA CRESCENT APPLE EXPRESS****	$262,064	25,996	10.08
SHAKOPEE TRANSIT	$1,202,226	116,595	10.31
LAKER LINES	$950,770	87,213	10.90
RUSH LINE	$405,739	32,410	12.52
TRANSIT LINK**	$6,774,245	329,857	20.54
METRO TRANSIT: NORTHSTAR	$15,636,739	703,427	22.23
Notes: *Winona operates service under contract for WSU and St. Marys  **Not fixed-route service, included due to being part of overall Twin Cities Metro area system structure  ***EGFT service operated under contract by Cities Area Transit  ****Apple Express operated under contract by La Crosse MTU
Source: 2012 Transit Report - A Guide to Minnesota’s Public Transit Systems (MnDot)
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/transit/reports/transitreports/12/index-2012.html

The New Flyer Advanced Style Low Floor, Mapped

Continuing on with the bus model mapping project, here is a map of known operators who operate any LFA style units built by New Flyer Industries.


View New Flyer LFA Operators in a larger map

The LFA model was produced by New Flyer from 2005-2010 and is typically found operating for bus rapid transit (BRT) type applications. Lengths included 35', 40' and 60' with various powertrain types. Diesel-electric hybrid was the most common.

Photos:

The New Flyer Xcelsior, Mapped!

Here's a basic map of all known transit authorities operating or about to operate the New Flyer Xcelsior model in their fleet:

View TAs With Xcelsior Model in a larger map
(Green markers are for operators with Xcelsior in service, yellow markers are for operators with Xcelsior on order. The exact model of Xcelsior is noted.)
Please note, this map may not include all agencies and the information may not be 100% accurate.

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays everyone!

Saint Paul Union Depot (SPUD)

The Saint Paul Union Depot was officially reopened to the public on Saturday December 8th, 2012 after months of careful restoration and reconstruction. A few years ago it was somewhat of a eyesore in the Lowertown district of downtown Saint Paul. Most recently, transport based activity from the depot site was in the form of semis hauling mail.

Today SPUD is once again a proper multi-modal transportation hub. While it is not officially multi-modal as of this writing, it will begin serving Amtrak and Jefferson Lines passengers in 2013. In 2014 Metro Green service will serve a station in front of the depot. Regional rail lines are also expected to serve the depot in future years.

In the meantime select Metro Transit and St. Paul bound Minnesota Valley Transit routes serve the depot, providing riders with an attractive location to wait for their ride.

In 2011 I had the opportunity to photograph SPUD during the reconstruction period. Here are some comparative photos:

 Concourse interior on grand opening day:



Concourse interior in 2011:


Exterior stairwell current and 2011:
 


Main platform area, current and 2011 (Note: viewed from opposite directions):



Gate cabinets:



While these few comparative photos can hardly cover the remarkable transformation, I hope folks can appreciate all the hard work and detail that went into restoring this historic building and site.