Map Bus transit-development update draws West Fargo questions over on-demand service and medical trips

Map Bus staff and consultant Blue Webber briefed the West Fargo City Commission on March 17 about a transit development plan that is roughly halfway through the five-year update process. The presentation described existing conditions and two high-level scenarios for service refinement: (1) realigning fixed routes and (2) deploying an on-demand zone service to connect riders to the fixed network.

Why it matters: West Fargo commissioners raised concerns about how the scenarios would serve seniors, medical trips and locations in West Fargo that currently lack frequent connections. The commission asked staff to ensure local priorities are represented as the plan is refined and to promote public feedback through an open comment period that runs through April 1.

What presenters said

Blue Webber, Map Bus consultant with Bolton & Menk, said the study combines ridership data across the Fargo-Moorhead-Dilworth-Horace-West Fargo region, demographic overlays and public feedback collected through surveys and a mapping tool. Webber said the team found higher-than-expected trip purposes for medical appointments and errands and significant transfer activity at West Acres, which he described as “the most active transfer point outside of the GTC.”

Webber described scenario 1 as a refinement of fixed routes and scenario 2 as an on-demand model similar to ride-hail services but operated by the transit agency: “This is somebody being able to call a transit bus to come and grab them and take them directly to another location,” he said, and added that the system would allow phone call reservations for riders without smartphones, comparable to paratransit access.

Commissioner concerns and questions

Commissioner Zundell pressed the team on how West Fargo neighborhoods would access major medical centers such as Sanford and Essentia and the VA hospital. Zundell said many West Fargo destinations — the new city hall, the Rustad Recreation Center (which draws 90–130 seniors for classes) and retail corridors along Cheyenne Street — currently lack direct service in the presented scenarios and expressed concern that West Fargo riders’ needs could be underrepresented if outreach primarily reaches existing riders in Fargo.

Mayor McMurray asked how a business (Hornbacher’s) could request a stop; Webber replied that contact information and tools are on the Map Bus website and that he is available for follow-up discussions. Webber encouraged commissioners and residents to complete West Fargo–specific surveys and attend an open house; he said the public engagement period remains open through April 1.

Next steps

Webber said the project will continue through August with further refinement in April based on public and leadership feedback. Staff said they will distribute a West Fargo–focused survey and work with local partners, including Civic West, to boost outreach to nonriders and senior groups who may have difficulty using an app-based on-demand service.

Provenance: the consultant’s presentation and the question-and-answer session are recorded in the March 17 transcript; evidence spans are attached in the article provenance.