Measuring the Economic Benefits of Rural and Small Urban Transit Service in Greater Minnesota

Status: Complete
Report Date: 04/14/2020

Summary:

Public transit systems serving rural areas across Greater Minnesota will now be able to measure and demonstrate their value in actual dollars, thanks to new research that resulted in a method for calculating the benefits these transit services provide. In every case study they reviewed, researchers discovered that the benefits of public transit outweighed the cost to the community, with a cost-benefit ratio ranging from 1.5 to 4.2 for every $1 spent on public transit, the return to the community served is at least $1.50, and in some cases as much as $4.20. With hard evidence of their value in hand, these public transit agencies will be better-equipped to compete for and secure much-needed funding at the city and county levels.

Final Deliverables:

Measuring the Economic Benefits of Rural and Small Urban Transit Services in Greater Minnesota (Report #2020-10)
Spreadsheet Tool for Measuring the Economic Benefits of Rural and Small Urban Transit Services in Greater Minnesota (Spreadsheet #2020-10S)
Executive Summary (Other #2020-10E)
Measuring the Economic Benefits of Rural and Small Urban Transit Services in Greater Minnesota (Research Summary)

Related Materials:

Summary: Summary of Statewide Societal Benefits (Brochure/Handout)
Summary: Societal Benefits of Community Transit (Brochure/Handout)
Summary: Economic Impacts to Local Economies (Brochure/Handout)
Summary: Societal Benefits for the Regional Transit Systems (Brochure/Handout)
Summary: Societal Benefits for Very Rural Transit Systems (Brochure/Handout)
Summary: Societal Benefits for Small Transit Systems (Brochure/Handout)
Summary: Societal Benefits for Multi-County Systems near the Twin Cities Metro Area (Brochure/Handout)
Summary: Health Benefits (Brochure/Handout)
Summary: Benefits of Work Trips (Brochure/Handout)
Summary: Equity Benefits (Brochure/Handout)

Related Research:

Project Personnel:

Principal Investigator: Jeremy Mattson
Technical Liaison: Sara Dunlap
Project Coordinator: Thomas Johnson-Kaiser
Panel Members:
    Craig Rempp - Isanti County
    Dorothy Bliss - Minnesota Department of Health
    Elizabeth Bina - Minnesota Department of Health
    Ellen Pillsbury - Minnesota Department of Health
    Frank Douma - University of Minnesota Humphrey Inst
    John Wilson - Transportation System Management
    Melinda Estey - Transit and Active Transportation
    Noel Shughart - Transit and Active Transportation
    Shelly Pflaum -
    Timothy Mitchell - Transit and Active Transportation