Wheelchairs added to State Bus Roadeo course,

From the PresidentPresident’s ColumnIn the aftermath of the 20-daystate government shutdown, manyorganizations are working to getback on track and assess the impactof the agreement reached betweenthe Governor and the Legislature fortransportation spending.During the shutdown, most transitservice operated as scheduled. Riderswere able to count on their bus or theirtrain showing up on time. We knowthat providing dependable service— service that doesn’t come and goor change dramatically — is key toincreasing and maintaining ridership.While the general fundappropriations for transit for bothGreater Minnesota Transit andMetropolitan Area Transit werecut — again — the overall levelof funding for FY2012-13, whenthe sales tax on motor vehiclesis included, provides additionalresources over and above the levelof funding provided in the previousbiennium. Of course we know thatfuel costs are rising and that motorvehicle sales tax receipts often donot meet the forecasted levels, sowe have to use caution in looking atthe numbers. We should have furtherclarification of the impact on transitservice in Greater Minnesota verysoon. The Metropolitan Council hasannounced that transit service will notbe cut and fares will not be increasedas a result of the deal reached toTony Kellen, PresidentMinnesota Public Transit AssociationDirector of Operations & TechnologySt. Cloud Metro Bustkellen@stcloudmtc.com320.529.4481end the government shutdown. TheCouncil will make use of existingreserves and some other programsunder its jurisdiction to maintain theservice metropolitan area riders relyon every day.The biggest threat to our fundingat the moment is coming from thefederal government. The controversythat arose over raising the federaldebt ceiling has led to an agreementto significantly cutback on federalspending along with the appointmentof a 12-member committee thatwill come back to Congress with aproposal to cut another $1.2 trillionin spending. If the recommendationsof the committee are not adopted byCongress, then across-the-board cutswill be implemented.When Congress returns toWashington, there will be 11 days fordecisions to be made on legislationthat expires at the end of the month,including the latest extension ofSAFETEA-LU, the authority to keepcollecting the federal gas tax andthe level of funding for the comingfederal fiscal year which beginsOctober 1st. We need everyoneinvolved in transit to contact yourmember of Congress and our two USSenators regarding the importance oftransit funding and the need to ensurethat federal transit funds continue toflow to the states without interruption.Looking toward our transitfuture will be the focusof this year’s MinnesotaPublic Transit Conference.With a theme of Together TowardTomorrow, this year’s conferencewill be held Wednesday through Friday,October 12-14th at the RiverCentre inSt. Paul. Don’t miss out on this importantopportunity to learn new skills, catch upwith your colleagues and get the latestinformation on transit funding and issuesthat will impact the future of your system.Sign up online at: www.mpta-transit.org/event/conference The grand finale to thisyear’s event will be a luncheon presentationat Target Field on the Interchange Projectthat will connect all of the transit linesleading into the Target Station. It will bea great opportunity to see this major newfacility first-hand and to learn more aboutthe future of transit in our state.The need for entire new surfacetransportation authorization actcontinues to be ignored as short-termextensions of the existing act —SAFETEA-LU — keep all of us on anuncertain path of maintaining previousprograms and funding with no ideawhat the future will look like.

Legislative UpdateMargaret DonahoeAdvocacy DirectorMinnesota Public Transit AssociationLegislative ReportFederal Funding At Risk:Contact Members of the MinnesotaCongressional DelegationWith yet another legislative extension expiring for highwayand transit programs at the end of September, time is shortfor Congress to advance reauthorizing legislation. Actionis urgent: Federal highway and public transportationinvestments will be cut by nearly 35 percent without newlegislation and revenue. Cuts of this magnitude will have anindelible impact on job creation and a fragile economy andgreatly undermine critical infrastructure investments thatdirectly support the national economy.Another wrinkle: Authorization for collecting federal userfees also expires at the end of September.The motor fuel taxes that pay for the federal highwayand transit programs will no longer be deposited into theHighway Trust Fund if Congress doesn’t act.Congress won’t act until they hear from theirconstituents. We need you to contact your members ofCongress and encourage your friends and colleagues todo the same:• Urge them to enact a surface transportationauthorization bill in September that, at a minimum,preserves current levels of funding for transit andhighway programs, and ideally provides funding fora robust, six-year, multimodal surface transportationauthorization bill.• Remind your Members of Congress that transit projectsand services in your community are made possibleby federal funding, and drastic cuts to funding willsignificantly impede your ability to continue providingcurrent transportation services, address critical safetyand state of good repair needs, and provide access tojobs and support for a growing economy.• Describe the problems that states, communities,businesses and their employees will face without stablefunding and that investing in public transportation mustbe a priority.The latest news is that Chairwoman of the SenateEnvironment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, SenatorBarbara Boxer, is planning to mark up a clean four-mothextension of SAFETEA-LU on September 8th. It’s also possiblethat the committee could mark up its two-year draft surfacetransportation bill the same day. The Senate is still trying to finda way to come up with the additional $12 billion needed to makethe two-year proposal work. Senate Finance Committee ChairMax Baucus is reportedly searching for budget off-sets or othermechanisms to get the plan approved with Republican support, butthere does not appear to be much support for the two-year proposalin the House where Rep. Mica has been holding firm to the ideaof spending only as much revenue as is generated by the currentfederal gas tax.State Funding: State Shutdownends with better deal for transitIn a 12 hour special session, the legislature passed and the governorsigned a two-year budget based on the agreement reached betweenthe governor and legislative leaders to close the budget gap andpass a balanced budget that spends $35.9 billion rather than the $34billion projected to be brought in under previous law or the $39billion needed maintain services at current levels.The Transportation Budget bill signed into law includes thefollowing appropriations for transit:Mn/DOTGreater Minnesota Transit Cut to General Gund: $1.35Mper year or $2.7M biennium down from $3.8M per year or$7.6M cutFY2012 FY2013 TotalBienniumBase forbienniumGeneral Fund $15.023M $15.023M $30.046M $32.584MTHF $.775M $.775M $ 1.55MTOTAL $15.798M $15.798M $31.596M** While the February, 2011 forecast projected $0 from the salestax on leased motor vehicles, the recent calculation of total sales taxrevenue on motor vehicle leases conducted by the Department ofRevenue for the current fiscal year estimated $43,212,277 in totalrevenue from these leases. This calculation needs to be done byJune 30th each year, and the information on this revenue was notsent out until after the Special Session that occurred on July 20th.Legislative Report, continued...

InTransitLegislative Report, continued...After subtracting for other uses of the money, a total of $10, 411,604is available for transportation purposes. According to language passedas part of 2008 Transportation Funding bill (Chapter 152) this revenueis to be split equally between Greater Minnesota Transit and countiesin the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area excluding Hennepin and Ramseycounties for use on metropolitan area roadways.This means that an additional $5.205 million is available for GreaterMinnesota Transit — more than offsetting the $2.7 million cut to thegeneral fund appropriation.Commuter and Passenger Rail Funding restored: $500,000per year or $1M for biennium in general fundsFY2012 FY2013 Total Base forbienniumGeneral Fund $.5M $.5M $1M $1MMetropolitan CouncilBus and Rail Operations Cut to General Fund:$25.851M per year or $51.702M for the biennium downfrom $54.641M per year or $109M for bienniumGeneralFundFY2012 FY2013 TotalBienniumBase forbiennium$39.038M $39.038M $78.076M $129.940MThe bill would allow the Met Council to avoid layoffs, fare increasesand service cuts “other than routine reductions due to low ridership/route performance,” according to the Metropolitan Council.The council will cover the $51.8 million gap with:• $15.3 million in new money for transit operationsfrom the Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB);• $7.2 million in reduced money for suburban transit providers;• $29.3 million from Metro Transit administrative reductions,converting federal and regional capital money to operating dollarsand dropping reserves to a minimum level.Bill LanguageMetropolitan CouncilThe Metropolitan Council shall provide financial assistance to transitproviders (suburban systems) in an amount that is $1.65M less per yearthan the amount of assistance that was provided to these systems bythe Metropolitan Council in fiscal year 2011. (This is on top of $3.7Mincrease in MVST they will not receive for a total cut of $7M for thebiennium.)Metropolitan Transit FinanceOf the revenue collected by the Counties TransitImprovement Board (CTIB), the Board shall allocateto the Metropolitan Council in fiscal years 2012 and2013, an amount not less than 75 percent of the netcost of operations for those transit ways that werereceiving metropolitan sales tax funds through anoperating agreement on June 30, 2011. (Previously,CTIB provided 50 percent of operations cost.)The Metropolitan Council shall expend any fundsallocated for the operations of the specified transitways within those counties that are in the metropolitantransportation area. CTIB shall allocate all revenuesfrom the metro sales tax so that payment of debtservice for the fiscal year on bonds or other obligationsissued prior to January 1, 2011 have the first priority.After July 1, 2011, the council may issue regionalbonds in an amount not to exceed $35M for capitalexpenditures.State Capital Bonding BillPart of the final deal to end the shutdown includeda $500 million capital bonding bill. Both GreaterMinnesota Transit and the Metropolitan Transit CapitalImprovement Program received funding.• $2.5 million – Greater Minnesota Transit: Fortransit capital facilities, up to 80 percent of nonfederalshare of these facilities.• $20 million – Transit Capital ImprovementProgram – Metropolitan Council: For grantsto regional rail authorities in Anoka, Dakota,Hennepin, Ramsey and Washington Countiesto perform environmental studies, preliminaryengineering, acquire property, design or constructtransitway facilities and infrastructure includingroadways for: Northstar Ramsey station; Gateway(I-94 east) corridor; Minneapolis Interchangefacility; Red Rock corridor; Newport park andride; Rush Line; Robert Street corridor; 35WSouth Bus Rapid Transit; and Cedar Avenue BusRapid Transit.

Let’s Build a Vision for Tomorrow’sTransit!Join your colleagues for inspiration and learning opportunitiesRegister Today: www.mpta-transit.org/events/conferenceOctober 12—14, 2011St. Paul RiverCentreSt. Paul, MNtWeeddnneessddaayy,, Occttoobbeerr 1122 hh• Get the latest news on importanttransit issues• Network with new and old friends12:30 p.m. Training Session – Updates to ADA2:30 p.m. Training Session – Commercial Drivers License Requirements4:00PMMinnesota Public Transit Association (MPTA)–Association Meeting andAward Ceremonies –6:00 p.m. Welcome ReceptiontThhuurrssddaayy,, Occttoobbeerr 1133 hh8:30 a.m. Opening Session and Keynote SpeakerNational Teacher of the Year 1986Noted Motivational SpeakerUplifting and Inspirational10:20 a.m. Break-Out Sessions12:00-3:00 p.m. Vendor Exhibition: Great prizesIce Cream Social3:30 p.m. Break-Out Sessions5:00 p.m. Tour of Central Corridor LRT Construction6:00 p.m. Sixteenth Annual First Transit ReceptiontFFrri iddaayy,, Occttoobbeerr 1144 hh8:30 – 10:15 General SessionMarisol Simon – Federal Transit AdministrationMnDOT Office of Transit UpdateMetropolitan Council UpdateClosing Lunch at Target Field10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Break-out Sessions12:00 Noon Lunch and Tour of Target Field/Transit InterchangeCLICK TO REGISTERLearn all aboutThe Interchangea major multi-modal hub

M e mories from last year’sMPTA ConferenceNetworkingThe Conference is a greatopportunity to network —whether you are new totransit or have been in theindustry for years.FunLearningEXPO!Stop by the Expo to meetwith vendors, enjoy lunchand stay for the ice creamLearn about the futuresocial and prize drawings.of transit and get ideas forways to improve your service.See page 5 for conference info.This year is the 16th AnnualFirst Transit Reception. Last year,the Dweebs band entertained thecrowd by pulling a few of ourcolleagues on stage. This year,be entertained by the Chicago tributeband, Transit Authority.

InTransitDTA’s U-PASS Program helps grow UMD CampusBy TOM ELWELL, Duluth Transit AuthorityThe Duluth Transit Authority’s(DTA) U-PASS Program at theUniversity of Minnesota, Duluth(UMD) is going strong after 11 yearsand UMD enrollment continues togrow.The U-PASS Program at UMDbegins its 12th year this fall semester.UMD ridership has flourished underthe U-PASS Program, accountingfor 4,171,000 rides in only 11 years.It wasn’t always that way. Beforethe U-PASS Program at UMD wasestablished in the fall of 2000, DTAridership at UMD was just 4,000a month. UMD provided a partialsubsidy for students, faculty andstaff purchasing monthly passes oncampus at that time; but sales wererelatively weak, considering the sizeof the campus. Enrollment at UMDin 2000 was 9,087 and on-campusparking was readily available.In 1999, UMD was planning acampus expansion and would needto build more residential units forstudents, along with additionalparking lots. Both were costlypropositions. In order to expandthe campus, UMD would have tobuild on existing parking lots, as thecampus had limited space availablefor expansion. This presenteda unique challenge to UMDadministrators and bringing in theDTA to help seemed like a good idea.The U-PASS Program at UMD wasintroduced in the fall semester of2000 and by 2011 enrollment atUMD had increased by more than30 percent to nearly 12,000 students.This would not have been possiblewithout the transportation of studentsliving off-campus on the U-PASSProgram. The only expansion of oncampusstudent housing since 2000was an addition to Griggs Hall in2010. No additional campus parkinglots were constructed and more than4,000 UMD students, faculty andstaff were riding the DTA every twodays.Also participating in the DTA’sU-PASS Program are the Collegeof St. Scholastica, Lake SuperiorCollege and University of Wisconsin,Superior. U-PASS services inthe Twin Ports are financed on acontractual basis by these institutionswithout directly passing on the costto the students. The U-PASS Programprovides unlimited access to DTAservices for students, faculty andstaff with their college I.D.

InTransitEast Creek Site PlanPlans to build a parking ramp and enclosedstation at the current East Creek Transit Stationsite in Chaska are in their beginning stages.Construction would begin in 2012. SouthWest is alsoin discussion with private developers to developapproximately one acre of land currently set asidefor a future development use. Options for the siteinclude office, neighborhood commercial,and day care.SouthWest Transit celebrates25 years of service to its communitiesBy Linda Spevacek, SouthWest TransitChanhassen Transit Stationis under constructionnear the Chanhassen DinnerTheatre and will be openfor service in late 2011.On July 21, 1986, theSouthwest Area TransitCommission (later renamedas SouthWest Transit) wasformed through a Joint PowersAgreement between the Citiesof Eden Prairie, Chaska andChanhassen to provide transitservice to the residents of thosethree Cities and surroundingareas.On July 21, 2011, SWTcelebrated its “RiderAppreciation Day” thankingits riders for their support ofthe system. Staff greeted ridersat all Park & Ride facilitiesin the morning with juiceand a breakfast bar, and in theafternoon with a free ride asthey got off the bus and a coldbottle of water for their ridehome.“Our service has evolved fromjust a few buses providingservice from various surfacelots to an award-winningagency serving over one millionriders a year,” said Len Simich,CEO of SouthWest Transit.“Our coach buses accommodateour riders in comfort and style,and our enclosed transit stationsin Eden Prairie and Chanhassenadd to their transit experience.”“We are proud of our manynational, state and localawards for service, safety andsecurity,”he continued. “Eachyear, our rider survey resultsindicate that 99 percent ofSWT riders are satisfied or verysatisfied with our service. Theyrate our reliability and customerservice very high.”Even though facing achallenging financial situation,SWT continues to look forwardas they anticipate more demandfor service from riders in thesouthwest suburban area.Chanhassen Transit Station isunder construction near theChanhassen Dinner Theatre andwill be open for service in late2011.A grand opening ceremony inDecember will celebrate boththe beginning of new servicefrom Chanhassen TransitStation as well provide a publicrecognition of the 25 years offirst-class service SouthWestTransit has provided to itscommunities.SWT is very proud of what ithas accomplished in the pasttwenty-five years and has everyintention of continuing toprovide first-class service to thearea for many years to come.SouthWest Transit provides serviceto Money Magazine “Best Small Places to LiveIn 2007, Chaska was included in Money Magazine’s listof the top ten “Best Places to Live.” In 2010, Eden Prairiewas part of the same list. This year’s list, as well as the2009 list, included Chanhassen.A key factor in being awarded this honor was thetransit service available. SouthWest Transit is proud ofour three Cities and proud to be a part of making eachof them one of the “Best Places to Live.”

InTransitSouthWest Transitriders give agency highmarks in annual surveyBy Linda Spevacek, SouthWest TransitMore than 85 percent of SouthWest’s daily riders participatedin SouthWest Transit’s Annual Rider Surveythis past May and the vast majority of them are very pleasedwith the service.“We take these survey results and our riders’ opinions very seriously,”said Len Simich, CEO of SouthWest Transit. “These results, alongwith our own monitoring, are used as the basis for changes we willmake in the upcoming year.”Ninety-nine percent of those who completed the survey say theyare satisfied or very satisfied with the overall service provided bySouthWest Transit. In specific areas the cleanliness of the busesand transit facilities as well as the drivers’ knowledge of routes,appearance, safety and courtesy were ranked high by more than 98percent of respondents.Service reliability and on-time performance ranked well at 97 percent.Comments from riders include:• Requests for more service especially from outlying suburbs• Praise for the rider-requested quiet zone for cell phones• Requests for a mobile app for instant route information• Requests for a larger facility at East Creek in ChaskaSome other interesting results from the survey include:• Women make up 52 percent of the riders• Nearly 80 percent ride SouthWest Transit five days a week• 78 percent of the riders would drive alone if the bus were notavailable• Eden Prairie residents account for 52 percent of the riders, with14 percent from Chaska,11 percent from Chanhassen, and 23percent from surrounding communities• SouthWest customers speak a total of 24 different languagesBoarding the bus at SouthWest Station, Eden Prairie.Ninety-nine percentof those whocompleted the surveysay they are satisfiedor very satisfiedwith the overallservice provided bySouthWest Transit.After seeing decreasing ridership for a few years, ridership onSouthWest Transit has increased 3 percent through July 2011. “Weexpect to see increasing ridership as the economy improves and morepeople go back to work, also as new development once again comesback to the area,” said CEO Simich.

InTransitSuburban Transit Providers Members: Maple Grove Transit, Minnesota Valley TransitAuthority, Plymouth Metrolink, Prior Lake Laker Lines, Shakopee Transit & SouthWest Transit.Suburban ridership strongfor first six months of 2011By robin selvig, Minnesota Valley Transit AuthoritySt. Paul, Minn. – (Aug. 5, 2011) – The SuburbanTransit Providers (STPs) experienced strong ridershipgrowth during the first six months of 2011. Ridershipfor the six providers ended June 30, up 7 percent at2,561,073 as compared to 2,393,861 at the end of June2010.The STPs represent12 communities: Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan,Rosemount and Savage via the Minnesota ValleyTransit Authority (MVTA); Chaska, Chanhassenand Eden Prairie via SouthWest Transit; Prior LakeLaker Lines and Shakopee Transit offer BlueXpressservice; along with Maple Grove Transit and PlymouthMetrolink.The increase is attributable to high gas prices and strongservice to the University of Minnesota. BlueXpresslaunched new mid-day service and Maple Grove Transitopened the new Parkway Station. BlueXpress Serviceled the STPs with a more than 15 percent increase for thefirst six months of 2011, over the same period last year.Plymouth Metrolink saw nearly a 14 percent increase;Minnesota Valley Transit was up more than 7 percentand is on pace to set a record (surpassing the record setRidership Statistics by System1/1/2010 –6/30/20101/1/2011 –6/30/2011BlueXpress72,447 85,103(Prior Lake & Shakopee)Maple Grove 377,908 402,463MVTA 1,186,182 1,270,924Plymouth 211,859 240,777SouthWest 545,465 561,806Total Ridership 2,393,861 2,561,073in 2008) and Maple Grove Transit showed a 6.5 percentincrease for the period, with double-digit increases fromthe previous year in the months of January and May.“The Suburban Transit Providers are doing a tremendousjob of meeting the needs of their local communities,”said STA Chair Willis Branning, a Dakota CountyCommissioner and Chair of the MVTA Board. “The busand customer service the STPs offer is stellar, and we areso proud of the work being done,” he said.MVTA Transports Record Ridership to State FairBY robin selvig, Minnesota Valley Transit AuthorityDespite Minnesota StateFair attendance being downslightly from previous years,the Minnesota Valley TransitAuthority (MVTA) Express BusRidership to the Fair postedrecord totals, up 24 percent from2010.Total ridership for the 12 daysof the Fair was 53,414, anincrease of more than eightpercent from the previoushighest ridership in 2008 at43,464. The first Saturday, MVTAhad 8,259 rides (highest ridershipon that day prior to this was justunder 7,000; highest ridership onany date was 7,135). The secondSunday (which had record-breakingattendance at the Fair), ridershipwas 7,976, second only to the firstSaturday in 2011).“MVTA’s State Fair ExpressBus Service is important,” saidMVTA Chair and Dakota CountyCommissioner Will Branning.“We have an opportunity toshowcase our service and our fleetto the public – many of whom don’tregularly ride transit or who travelfrom outlying areas to take the busrather than drive to the Fairgrounds.“When residents see how easy it isto ride the bus to the State Fair, wehope they will consider it for thecommute or other transportationneeds.”

InTransit39.6 Million rides on Metro Transit Buses andTrains through June; a 3.2 % increase over 2010MINNEAPOLIS – (July 27) – In thefirst half of 2011, customers boardedMetro Transit buses and trains 39.6million times – 1.2 million more ridesthan the same period last year (a 3.2percent increase). Ridership in themonth of June of this year is up 6percent over June 2010.“Transit ridership has continued togrow through the second quarter asmore commuters choose to avoidhigh gas prices and congestedfreeways,” said Metro TransitGeneral Manager Brian Lamb. “Ifthis pace continues, it appears that2011 could rival the record ridershipof 2008.” In 2008, regional transitridership was the highest in half acentury.“As the region continues its gradualeconomic rebound, Metro Transit iswell positioned to continue to growas more people return to work andassess their commuting options,”Lamb said. “Already nearly 80percent of customers are using busesand trains to get to work and school.”Lamb said bus maintenance reliabilityis at an all-time high and bus ontimeperformance is approaching90 percent despite widespread roadconstruction projects.“Real-time technology has taken theguesswork out of transit punctualityand getting timely information abouttrips is easier for customers than everbefore with our web and phone tools.The increases in ridership reflectthe improved quality of the transitsystem,” Lamb said.Comparing bus ridership with thesame period last year, urban localservice is up 4.1 percent, expressservice is up nearly 3.3 percent andsuburban local service has increased3.4 percent. Northstar commuter railhad a 4.4 percent ridership increaseover the first half of 2010. Ridershipon the Hiawatha light-rail line isdown 2.3 percent compared with thefirst half of last year. In the month ofJune, the line celebrated its seventhanniversary of service with ridershipnearly 5 percent higher than Junea year ago. Customers rode theHiawatha line a record 10.5 milliontimes in 2010.In each of the past four years,ridership on Metro Transit vehicleshas exceeded 76 million – abenchmark that had not previouslybeen surpassed since 1982.Metro Transit is a service of theMetropolitan Council. Customersboarded Metro Transit buses andtrains 78 million times in 2010.Submit news items & photos for the November InTransit newsletter to:bertahartigcommunications@gmail.com by October 21.

InTransitAugust Message from the Chair:“What are the potential risks?”Governor asks for review of proposed stadium in Arden HillsFair bus ridership climbsDeep-fried foods and newborn farm animals weren’tthe only big hits at the 2011 State Fair.This year, customers boarded Metro Transit State Fair busesnearly 541,000 times, a 15.2 percent increase over 2010.Metro Transit exceeded its goal of 500,000 rides by 8 percent.Central Corridor LRT rails going in,stations rising upConstruction reached 20 percent completion in July;1,300 jobs createdSee “More Fairgoers Choose The Bus,” a twominutevideo on KSTP-TV.The Central Corridor light-rail construction project reacheda milestone in July: the line is now 20 percent complete.Seven of the eleven new miles of the line are under heavyconstruction; the project is on time and on budget.Commuter Challenge attractsrecord number of pledgesA record number of people – nearly 16,000 from all over theTwin Cities metro – pledged to try new ways of taking tripsduring the 2011 Commuter Challenge.The goal of the annual event is to get people to try giving uptheir solo drive and instead use transit, carpooling, walking,biking or another travel mode. On average, participantspledged to try two different ways of getting around –taking the bus and biking, for instance.Construction workers pour concrete along theCentral Corridor light-rail line on Fourth St. indowntown St. Paul.Central Corridor Making Tracks NewsRead News

InTransitOn the WebSouthwest Line must tackle freightand light railFrom Star Tribune http://www.startribune.com/local/west/129590853.htmlBike route site adds transit,plans to expand statewideFrom Minnesota Public Radio http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/cities/archive/2011/08/bike-routesite-adds-transit-plans-to-expand-statewide.shtmlNorthstar rail, bus line plan servicefor Vikings game daysOx Cart Days: RiverView sponsoringfree rides on T.H.E. BusFrom St. Cloud Times http://www.sctimes.com/article/20110830/NEWS01/108290075/Northstar-rail-bus-lineplan-service-Vikings-game-daysFrom Crookston Daily Times http://www.crookstontimes.com/news/x386660965/Ox-Cart-Days-RiverView-sponsoring-freerides-on-T-H-E-BusInTransit newsletter is a bimonthly newsletterpublished by the Minnesota Public TransitAssociation (MPTA). Opinions and viewsexpressed in this publication may not necessarilybe those of the Minnesota Public Transit Associationor its members.InTransit ContributorsMargaret Donahoe, Transportation AllianceTom Elwell, Duluth Transit AuthorityTony Kellen, St. Cloud Metro BusPeter Raeker, Metropolitan CouncilRobin Selvig, Minnesota Valley Transit AuthorityLinda Spevacek, SouthWest TransitMetropolitan Council NewsletterMN Public Transit AssociationExecutive OfficersPresidentTony Kellen, St. Cloud Metro BusVice-PresidentGregory Negard, Paul Bunyan TransitTreasurerChad Gessell, RiverRiderSecretaryAmy Repinski, Three Rivers HiawathalandBoard of DirectorsAlan Herrmann, SmartLink TransitHarold Jennissen, Rainbow RiderDave Jacobson, SouthWest TransitTim Kirchoff, Anoka CountyMike Klauda, North Central BusTony Knauer, RochesterMike Opatz, Maple GroveHelen Pieper, Timber Trails TransitKevin Raun, DARTSSubmit news items & photos to:bertahartigcommunications@gmail.com