A Transit Homecoming: Arrowhead Transit’s Distinctive Rural, Regional Network

The theme of this issue is a transit tour of Minnesota, with the goal of visiting as many public transit providers in the state as possible in four and half days, attempting to find some representative sample that highlights the state's transit successes, uniqueness and innovations. This article focuses on Arrowhead Transit, a system that connects the eight counties of the most northeastern stretches of Minnesota – spanning the shores of Lake Superior to the caverns of the Iron Range – which together form a rough outline of an arrowhead. services, destinations and trends help define the area’s trajectory. Arrowhead Transit (AT) is one of the nation’s oldest and largest rural, regional community transportation providers, and connects rural areas, small towns and scattered cities by offering extensive demand-response service that meets the needs of seniors, people with disabilities, workers, students and children. This article shows how the system transitioned from a small, rural transportation service catering largely to the needs of seniors to a substantial 8-county transit network primarily through partnerships between the various counties it served. It embraces new opportunities and innovations in order to operate efficiently. The Rural Rides program, in particular, is highlighted, as it identifies ride-sharing, volunteer driver and taxi options if transit options don’t meet their needs, especially helpful for low-income individuals. AT has also been active in responding to the mobility needs of veterans by offering free rides and working to better connect them to medical clinics.

• Record URL:
  http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/articlefiles/Summer13.pdf
• 
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/08954437
• Authors:
  • Sampson, Rich
• Publication Date: 2013

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos;
• Pagination: pp 42-45
• Serial:
  • Community Transportation
  • Publisher: Community Transportation Association
  • ISSN: 0895-4437

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Low income groups; Regional transportation; Rural transit; Transit operating agencies; Transportation disadvantaged persons
• Identifier Terms: Arrowhead Transit
• Uncontrolled Terms: Veterans
• Geographic Terms: Northeastern Minnesota
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01493667
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 20 2013 4:31PM