Mitchell County hears AECOM update on federally funded transit‑facility feasibility study

County staff introduced a federally funded feasibility study for a new Mitchell County transit facility and brought AECOM planners to report on outreach and site selection. The county and consultants said federal funds require a long‑term facility design; the team described planning for a 40‑year lifespan.

“We started with 10 candidate sites throughout the county…we were able to eliminate all but 4 of them,” AECOM planner Nate Sethler said, describing the firm’s accelerated schedule and outreach at local Walmart ride‑alongs. He said work includes NEPA and FTA compliance, engineering constraints (slope, floodplain) and internal site needs such as van parking, wash bays, locker rooms and office space.

Sheila Bladock and the AECOM team said outreach included rider and driver surveys, on‑vehicle interviews and a public survey with online and QR‑code options; staff also plans paper surveys and local distribution to ensure broad feedback. Commissioners asked whether paper surveys would be available and confirmed the project expects to return to the board with a recommendation in March 2026.

What’s next: AECOM will continue site screening, finalize NEPA and funding checks, and provide a recommended site and conceptual design to the board in March 2026.