Council approves microtransit feasibility plan despite council concern about costs

The East Grand Forks City Council approved a microtransit feasibility and implementation plan aimed at extending service into areas not currently covered by fixed-route buses, including the point area and some industrial park locations.

Council member Dale Helms said he would vote against the plan, arguing it appeared likely to be "a very, very costly venture" and questioned why existing routes could not be extended instead. "If we're not handling the job we're doing right now with the buses we're running, I don't understand why we can't just improve those routes," he said.

A transit representative, identified in the meeting as Cooper, said microtransit differs from fixed routes because it can shorten mileage and travel time per passenger by using smaller vehicles and flexible routing to serve low-density or hard-to-reach areas. Cooper said microtransit also targets areas the city is not covering now, and noted the plan contemplates matching vehicle type and mileage to demand and service patterns.

After discussion, the council approved the microtransit plan; Helms cast the lone no vote. Staff will proceed with the plan’s implementation steps per the feasibility study.