1997 Minnesota Transit Report

The family of transit services in Minnesota is represented most prominently by the number of public transit systems operating throughout the state. But transit is not just buses, it is any travel mode that reduces the use of the single automobile. Volunteer driver programs, rideshare programs, bicycling, walking and telecommuting also reduce reliance on the single occupant vehicle.

The 1997 Transit Annual Report describes the activities of the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Council in developing, maintaining, and promoting the use of public transportation in the state. It is designed to serve as a guidebook for public officials, administrators, transit managers and the general public about the status of Minnesota's public transportation systems.

The Mn/DOT Office of Transit is responsible for planning and transit system administration of public transit systems in Greater Minnesota. The Metropolitan Council has similar responsibilities for those transit systems lying within the seven county metropolitan area. Funding for the state's public transit systems is provided through the Minnesota and Metro Public Transit Assistance Programs, Federal Transit Administration and local sources.

The report is divided into three sections, the Program Overview and a set of Transit System Fact Sheets for Metro Area transit programs and Greater Minnesota transit programs. These contain 1996 unaudited actual costs, 1997 program activities and current and anticipated special project descriptions. The Appendix contains a summary of the 1996 operating costs showing state, federal and local shares, as well as the budgeted contract amounts for 1997.