Shared mobility in Greater Minnesota | Resources | Shared Mobility Public-Private Partnership Guide
8: Case studies of shared-mobility solutions in Minnesota
This section includes case studies of shared-mobility solutions that have been implemented in Minnesota, including links to more information about these programs and services.
Grand Rapids: goMARTI
The City of Grand Rapids, MN partnered with MnDOT, The PLUM Catalyst, May Mobility, Via, and others to offer a self-driving shuttle loop called goMARTI during an 18-month trial period. There are 70 pick-up and drop-off points within a 17-square-mile service area. The fleet includes five May Mobility autonomous vehicles, three of which are wheelchair accessible.
Riders can also request free on-demand rides using the May Mobility app. Although the vehicles are self-driving, a vehicle operator is onboard at all times to ensure safe operation and assist passengers as needed.
The goals for the goMARTI pilot program include the following:
- advance and inform the operation of automated vehicle technology in rural, winter conditions
- engage and educate the local community by providing real-world automated vehicle experiences
- provide safe, accessible mobility for residents, especially those with transportation challenges
- understand what economic development this innovative pilot brings while attracting future talent and technology to the Iron Range
In May 2023, the Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resource and Rehabilitation received a $9.3 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration’s ATTAIN fund to extend goMARTI for another three years and expand service to two other towns.
SouthWest Prime: Owning your own
In 1986, the Twin Cities suburbs of Chaska, Chanhassen, and Eden Prairie chose to enter into a joint agreement to create their own transit system, SouthWest Metro Transit, which is now called SouthWest Transit. The agency provides service between the three cities, downtown Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota, Normandale Community College, and Best Buy headquarters. It also offers seasonal service for sporting events, the Minnesota State Fair, and select concerts.
In 2015, SouthWest Transit began operating an on-demand microtransit service called SouthWest Prime. The agency needed a way to serve a low-density community of over 80 square miles at a lower cost and higher level of service than a traditional fixed-route circulator service would provide. The new service allows the general public to request a curb-to-curb ride within the service area at the time they need the ride, with no advanced scheduling required. Rides are bookable by phone or app. Using the app, rides can be booked within 20 seconds and allow riders to receive arrival notifications and see vehicle locations in real time.
SouthWest Transit uses passenger vans and SUVs owned by the system and driven by transit agency staff. The system is managed by the transit agency using scheduling software from Spare, which also provides the app for ride requests. The cost to the general public for a ride is $4.00, with SouthWest Transit providing an additional operational subsidy that averages $8.63 per trip. SouthWest Prime is currently available in the cities of Eden Prairie, Chanhassen, Chaska, Victoria, and Carver.
City of Willmar: BikeWillmar
In 2019, the City of Willmar launched BikeWillmar, a docked bike-share program. The City opted to purchase 40 bikes, and contracts with a software company to run the program. City staff described the bike-share service as primarily for recreational purposes. Bikes are docked at 10 locations throughout the city, and must be rented from and returned to one of the stations.
Willmar faced several challenges that could be instructive to other communities that are considering providing bike-share service using a similar model. First, City staff noted that the customer service relationship with the software and management contractor has been challenging. For example, they have recently been less responsive when notified about an issue such as a broken bike. Willmar’s larger challenge, however, has been the increasingly expensive contract package. The City wants to keep the costs for renting bikes low (it currently costs users of the service $1.00 per hour or $20.00 for a season membership). However, the City struggles to pay for the software package from a small and limited municipal budget.
More than any other factor, the increasing cost threatens the long-term viability of the program.