A group of state legislators that serve on the Transportation Committees went to St. Cloud and Willmar today to listen to the residents voice their thoughts and concerns on transportation issues.
First we stopped at the James W. Miller Learning Resources Center at St Cloud University. There we met with people from the University and St. Cloud Metro Bus authority. They have formed a strong partnership and students account for 50% of the ridership. One student said it was a lot easier and cheaper to ride the bus than spending money on car repairs and other expenses. We were told that having the bus routes also increases student safety.
We rode on one of their buses that uses compressed natural gas. The use of this fuel is a substantial cost savings and they are planning on buying more of these buses for their fleet. The buses are made in St. Cloud at the New Flyer plant. We drove over to view the Metro Bus transit hub and then over to the Mobility Center. The Mobility Center has a mockup of a bus as well as ramps. The Center gives staff the opportunity to help gage the types of help an individual needs as well as helping the visitor become accustomed to using public transit.
Next we went to the St. Cloud City Hall where Senator Scott Dibble convened the listening session. Commissioner Zelle led off with some general comments on Minnesota’s transportation situation. Then over thirty local officials and residents commented on the need to improve our transportation system and some shared thoughts on financing. Ryan Daniel, the Executive Director of Metro Bus said “Where transportation goes, the community grows.”
Our last stop was at Northern States Supply in Willmar. Here again were a number of residents and local officials that expressed their needs and the benefits of improving transportation infrastructure in that region. A priority is getting all of Highway 23 to four lanes.