Rural Transit Vehicle Condition
About the measures
To help maintain a reliable transit system in Greater Minnesota, MnDOT tracks the percent of the rural transit fleet (for 5311 transit operators) that exceed their useful life benchmark (ULB). Transit Asset Management (TAM) Plans are required by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for 5311 transit operators. In 2018, the statewide TAM Plan set a target for all rolling stock (e.g., revenue vehicles) that no more than 10% should exceed their ULB. ULB is the average number of years at which a vehicle would reach a 2.5 rating.
Where we want to go
Starting in 2022, Greater Minnesota transit ridership began to rebound. However, the increases of rural transit vehicles exceeding the ULB in 2022 and 2023 were due to manufacturing delays following the COVID-19 pandemic. Although MnDOT continued to fund and order buses throughout that time, buses ordered were delayed in manufacturing and delivery. As a result, transit providers are continuing to use older buses in their fleets while awaiting delivery of ordered buses. MnDOT is continuing to coordinate and work with 5311 transit operators to update their fleets.