Transit Development Plan Update

Like any organization, the Mankato Transit System benefits from the occasional step back from day-to-day activities to review its business and objectives from a long-range perspective. The transit development plan (TDP) allows staff and stakeholders to reflect on changing needs, the impacts of the pandemic, and future goals. Ultimately, the plan is needed to create a clearer understanding for staff of how daily activities fit into the city's vision for transit service and a renewed focus on city priorities.

Working in partnership with Toole Design, our team led public and stakeholder engagement, developed guidance for local decisionmakers to develop transit-supportive land uses, completed a service profile for their paratransit and flex route systems, and reviewed their organizational and staffing framework. Our solutions were built on extensive outreach using INPUTiDTM to gather feedback from community members through several rounds of engagement. Our staff also brought a unique perspective from direct experience working at a transit agency. This gave the city confidence in the recommendations being provided, particularly for their flex route services.

Through our efforts, the City of Mankato now has a TDP that lays out a framework for the agency to move forward with over the next five years.