Rochester launches brand for rapid transit project with model of proposed station

Randy Petersen, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·2 min read

Sep. 13—A model of a future bus rapid transit station has been built across the street from the Rochester Public Library.

Officials from the City of Rochester and Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency are touring the Second Street Southeast installation today as the prototype the project dubbed "Link."

"There are several features unique to bus rapid transit that are on display," City Project Manager Jarrett Hubbard said in a statement announcing the demonstration. "The most striking is the platform size. At 80 feet in length, Link's platform will allow the larger, 60-foot vehicles to open three doors simultaneously at a level boarding platform to allow for efficient boarding and alighting."

A group of community co-designers helped shape the design and features of Link's seven stations through a months-long effort to make sure the stations represent the values of the Rochester community.

The full-scale, branded station model is the proposed Mayo Civic Center stop along the future 2.6-mile route, which will extend west to a future transit hub where Mayo Clinic's West Lot sits near Cascade Lake.

The station model is designed to be an immersive experience — people can walk through it and learn more about the state's first BRT line outside the Twin Cities.

Features demonstrated by the Link station model include the size of enclosed spaces to provide shelter and location of the off-board fare payment system and passenger information screens. The model also will have informational displays, detailing Link's planned service features, as well as renderings of each of the planned seven stations.

"Link will provide essential service along one of Rochester's busiest corridors," Rochester City Council President Brook Carlson said prior to a planned 2:30 p.m. tour of the site. "In doing so, the service will accommodate future growth and provide a quality service for quality living — a council priority."

Patrick Seeb, DMC EDA executive director, said Monday's launch of the Link brand matches the scope of the overall project.

"The bold look of the Link brand reflects the dynamism and interconnectedness of Rochester's expanding portfolio of mobility options," he said.

The City and DMC EDA are encouraging residents to take self-guided tours of the model through Oct. 1, and project teammates are giving guided tours to interested groups who contact rapidtransit@rochestermn.gov.

The DMC annual meeting on Thursday will include a stop at the BRT station, and the city is hosting a Mobility Fair from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday on the Second Street Southeast block to highlight the model, as well as local mobility partners, including Lime Scooter, HourCar, Med City Mover and Arrive Rochester.

The Link BRT project, which could start service as early as 2025, has been submitted to the Federal Transit Agency to fund 49 percent of the $114 million anticipated cost. The remaining funds will come from state and local DMC transportation funding.