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Board approves two‑year bus pilot to replace Northstar commuter rail; three weekday round trips ordered
Summary
Sherburne County and partner agencies approved a two‑year pilot to replace Northstar rail service with express bus service between Big Lake/Elk River and downtown Minneapolis, authorizing three weekday round trips and quarterly updates; MnDOT and Met Council will partner on operations and cost‑sharing.
Sherburne County commissioners voted to proceed with a two‑year pilot to replace the Northstar commuter rail corridor with express bus service, approving a plan developed jointly with MnDOT and the Metropolitan Council that would run three weekday round trips between Big Lake/Elk River and downtown Minneapolis.
Administrator Bruce (last name not specified) and representatives from MnDOT and the Met Council presented the service plan and cost estimates. MnDOT director Sarah Gondior described the agency's support for a bus mitigation option that would allow evaluation of transit needs outside the seven‑county Metropolitan Council planning area. Ryan Heath (Metro Transit service development) and Met Council staff walked the board through routing alternatives and operational tradeoffs, including travel‑time differences if buses were extended to Elk River versus having riders drive to Ramsey or Big Lake.
The pilot is planned for 2026–2027 and would be funded by a combination of state transit funds and a local match; presenters said Metro Transit would lock in an in‑service hour rate for early planning and that fare policies would allow use of existing Metro passes and discounted fare programs. Estimated operating costs vary by service level; county staff presented an option that keeps the Sherburne County share near the board's planning target (roughly $250,000 in year one for the three‑trip option after partner offsets). The proposed start date for bus service is January 5, 2026, to create a seamless transition after final Northstar operations.
Commissioners heard that the pilot requires 3–4 buses (including spares) and that Met Council and Metro Transit offered to make existing fleet assets and scheduling expertise available. The board voted to approve the two‑year pilot with three weekday round trips and to receive quarterly ridership and performance updates. Commissioners and staff said the pilot will be evaluated at 12 and 24 months and may be discontinued if ridership and revenue fail to meet metrics.
The motion passed by voice vote; staff said more detailed service agreements and implementation steps would be brought back to the board for signature.
