ROCHESTER — Construction of Rochester’s
Link Bus Rapid Transit project
received the fuel it needed Friday as a ceremonial $84.92 million check was provided by the Federal Transportation Administration.
The check covers approximately 60% of costs associated with the project, which will provide a dedicated 2.8-mile bus route through downtown along Second Street Southwest.
Deputy City Administrator Cindy Steinhauser said the federal funds for the $143.37 million project will actually be released as reimbursements to work as it continues.
The remaining funds are expected to come from Destination Medical Center state funding, as well as related county transit funds committed as part of the DMC initiative.
Friday’s celebratory check presentation, which included comments from local and federal officials, stems from a 2020 grant application for the project that will feature seven stations expected to see buses arrive every 5 minutes during peak commuter periods and every 10 minutes during other operating hours.
Buses are expected to run from 5 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and 8 a.m. to midnight on weekends without a fare cost to passengers. People will be able to start or end a ride from any of the stations along the route.
The estimated annual operating cost of the system featuring specialized buses is $5.42 million, with funding coming from state and federal transit funds and Mayo Clinic, which is expected to use the public system to end the need for employee shuttles.
The system will include a
“transit village” on the west end,
where Mayo Clinic currently operates a shuttle parking lot along Second Street Southwest. The area is expected to include new commercial and residential construction, along with a Mayo Clinic employee parking structure.
Heading east, buses will stop at 19th Avenue Southwest, Saint Marys Hospital, Sixth Avenue Southwest, Second Avenue Southwest and Mayo Civic Center before turning around at the route’s planned eastern endpoint near the intersection of Third Avenue Southeast and Sixth Street. The same stops will be made heading west.
“Travel time for a complete trip west to east, or east to west, is about 20 minutes on one ride,” Link project manager Steve Sampson Brown recently told the Rochester City Council.
With multiple buses being used to ensure the timely stops are being made, the system will also create dedicated bus lanes on the route, with buses having priority at signal lights.
The federal funding will support the construction of the new transit stations, as well as other infrastructure needed for the Link operations.
The city is reviewing completed design plans and is currently working to acquire property needed for the project, with the potential for some access through eminent domain procedures.
The Rochester City Council is expected to be asked on Nov. 4 to approve efforts to start seeking contractors for civil engineering, utility and architectural work needed to be completed, with the expectation that construction will start early next year.
The Link Rapid Transit system is expected to be operational in November 2026, with an anticipated 11,000 daily rides being provided.
