Expanded Public Transit Service in Rochester Starts Sunday
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Widespread changes to enhance bus service in Rochester will start Sunday.
According to a news release, Rochester Public Transit is restoring the last of the routes that were suspended at the onset of COVID-19, and also completing a long-planned system renumbering.
The changes implemented by RPT will improve the availability and efficiency of operations. The transit service will also be serving new areas, bringing new transit services to an additional 2,200 Rochester residents.
“Like every transit system in the country, RPT is recovering from ridership loss due to the pandemic. With this service launch on Sunday, we are rebuilding our service levels to meet current and future needs,” said RPT Communications Coordinator Nick Lemmer.
“We are also completing system renumbering and expanding to new areas—work that was included in our current Transit Development Plan—as we prepare for the adoption this summer of a new 5-year plan, and a new set of recommended enhancements.”
RPT said that the timetables for all routes will be adjusted to improve on-time performance and to add more frequent service. All weekday routes will now work on a three-digit naming convention.
New routes—numbered 103, 202, 204, 206, 306 and 309—will replace previous route variations, take on service removed from one or more existing routes, and in some cases, expand service into new areas.
There are some service routes that will see no significant route path changes including; Express service Routes 150X, 250X, and 560X; Shopper service Routes 505 and 506; and Weekend/evening/holiday service Routes 21-26, with the exception of Route 24.
Riders should visit Rochester Public Transit's website for complete new schedule information, where new route maps and timetables are available.