Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Rochester City Council is scheduled to vote Monday evening concerning a key component of the Destination Medical Center initiative.

The council is being asked to approve resolutions identifying the preferred route and mode for the downtown transit circulator that planners hope will ease future traffic congestion in the city. The recommendation calls for the creation of a bus rapid transit system using dedicated traffic lanes on South Broadway and 2nd Street Southwest to transport people to and from destinations in downtown Rochester from two future transit hubs. Rochester Mayor Kim Norton has expressed her opposition to the plan but does not have a vote on the city council.

DMC officials say identifying the preferred route and mode now should allow time for studies need to meet a deadline for applying for federal transit grants next fall. Proponents of the plan say, if all goes as planned, the bus rapid transit circulator could be operational by March 2025.

The City Council is also being asked to approve a $1.3 million consulting contract for downtown circulator transit-orientated development planning. The firm SOM has been recommended for the work, which involves developing strategies for enhancing access and ridership for the planned transit circulator. The federal government provided almost a million dollars for the study.
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