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Fargo commission votes to end Link FM event shuttle after declining ridership
Summary
City staff recommended permanently ending the Link FM shuttle service because ridership has declined and downtown parking capacity has improved; the commission voted to eliminate the service effective immediately.
The Fargo City Commission on Monday approved a staff recommendation to discontinue the Link FM shuttle service, a seasonal/events route that connected parking areas with downtown Fargo.
City transit staff said the service, originally conceived about 10 years ago to connect Downtown Moorhead parking with downtown Fargo during high‑demand events, has experienced steadily declining ridership. Factors cited included additional downtown parking and construction that disrupted the route. "With additional parking ramps and other external factors including construction, we brought the recommendation to permanently end the Link FM service," transit staff said during the public hearing.
Staff also said they solicited public input at the ground transportation center and received no responses opposing the change. The proposed change affects routes that historically served events such as the Downtown Street Fair, Celtic Festival and Scandinavian Festival and other event stops listed in the packet.
Commissioner Strand framed the decision as part of broader transit budget constraints, saying the metropolitan transit system must prioritize core routes. "There are some routes and service areas that just are really not always cost effective," Strand said.
The commission closed the public hearing with no speakers and approved the permanent elimination of the Link FM event route by roll call vote. Staff indicated the elimination is effective immediately.
