Northfield's Dial-a-Ride Transit System to be Reformed

Due to expected steep cuts from the state and a loss of ridership, Northfield city staff have advised councilors to reform the dial-a-ride bus transit system Northfield uses in favor of a schedule of regular stops.

The so-called route deviation model, which operates like a larger city's bus service but allows deviating one to four blocks to pick up riders with mobility issues, will start in September, City Engineering Resources Manger Brian Welch said at Tuesday's council meeting, though the city would still retain one bus to cater to those outside the planned route.

The switch would be "more efficient and ultimately more serviceable,” Welch said, and make Northfield's system less likely to suffer cuts by the state department of transportation, which could see the program funding Northfield Transit cut up to 30 percent in some bills at the legislature.

Northfield Transit currently gets 80 percent of its budget from state and federal subsidies, according to city documents. Ridership has decreased 20 percent since 2009-10 after St. Olaf and Carleton colleges stopped using the service.

Posting support

Councilors on Tuesday approved a letter to the District Area Manager for the United States Postal Service asking the federal office to postpone its scheduled closure of the city’s historic downtown post office until an advocacy group can submit an alternative proposal. Officials from the USPS announced in April all postal business would move to the carrier annex on the south end of town.

A task force with representatives from city government and local businesses has been in talks with USPS officials and Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klubuchar and Congressman John Kline to find ways to save the agency money without closing the downtown office, built in 1936.