MnDOT seeks public input on Greater Minnesota transit plan update

Residents outside Duluth who rely on buses, demand-response rides or ride programs have until July 25 to weigh in on MnDOT’s draft update to the Greater Minnesota Transit Plan. A second virtual listening session is set for June 25 at 6 p.m., giving seniors, workers without cars, people with disabilities and outlying communities another chance to push for changes before the plan moves forward.

The draft focuses on access, environmental impact and innovation, with proposed changes that include adjusting fleet sizes in some areas, adding rapid transit bus lines and improving trip-planning and payment tools. Nathan Abney, MnDOT’s transit planning coordinator, said the state wants to make websites, trip planning, booking and payment easier to use so residents can navigate the system with less frustration.

MnDOT’s 2025 Transit Report counted 40 public transit systems serving 80 counties, broken down into 28 rural systems, seven small urban systems and five tribal providers. Those services are funded through a local, state and federal partnership and are used to reach work, school, medical appointments and other essential services.

MnDOT is also trying to complete a statewide mobility-as-a-service buildout. Minnesota IT Services awarded MnDOT a $481,000 grant in September 2025 to add the remaining 15 Greater Minnesota transit systems to a digital trip planner, with that work expected to finish in summer 2026.

The update builds on MnDOT’s earlier Greater Minnesota Transit Plan 2010-2030, which set a 20-year strategy for public transportation outside the seven-county metro area. In St. Louis County, Public Works is responsible for maintaining 3,000 miles of roads and 600 bridges, and the county is the largest east of the Mississippi River.