Northfield Transportation Advisory Committee Meeting Date: April 15, 2026
To: Members of the Northfield Transportation Advisory Committee
From: David Bennett, Public Works Director/City Engineer
Title
Hiawathaland Transit - Expanding/Improving Transit Service in Northfield.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield Transportation Advisory Committee receives an update from Hiawathaland Transit related to Expanding/Improving Transit Service in Northfield.
Summary Report:
One of the primary core focus areas of the Northfield Transportation Advisory Committee is to further enhance and improve transit for the community. We have asked Hiawathaland to present to the committee to further elaborate on the following items:
• Shortening trip times on the Red & Blue Routes.
• Demand Study - determine if 3rd Route could be added and does it align with MnDOT funding needs? Gap in demand, understanding of how funding works.
• How does 3rd route function?
• Can a Hospital stop be added?
• More evening service beyond 6 p.m. when Blue and Red route stop service.
• Expanding express route (doesn’t run when St. Olaf & Carleton are out).
• Limited amount of goods on bus (storage).
• How does Hiawathaland funding formula work? Why does Northfield pay vs. Dundas Pay, should they pay if stops are added in Dundas?
• Who helps design the routes, Blue, Red, and Express Routes?
• St. Olaf/Carleton - route gap or missing locations.
• Update of payment technology.
• Ridership user breakout.
City Plans & Policies Relevance:
This work is supported by the City’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan, Transportation Plan, and Strategic Plan.
The 2045 Comprehensive plans identifies these challenges:
• Community engagement identified a strong unmet need for reliable and effective public transit in Northfield.
• Public transit is provided by Hiawathaland Transit, offering two limited fixed routes, dial-a-ride services, and a weekday regional route to Faribault every two hours.
• Current transit routes and transfer locations do not align well with areas of highest need, particularly census tracts with the greatest number of households without vehicles.
• Fixed routes are infrequent, have limited coverage, and only connect at the Transit Hub, resulting in long wait times and complicated transfers.
• Service hours (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) do not accommodate second- and third-shift workers.
• Limited transit access creates time, convenience, and financial burdens, especially for households that depend on transit.
• Major destinations (hospital, shopping areas) are located at opposite ends of the city, making cross-town trips difficult.
• While centrally located, the Transit Hub requires safer crossings of Highway 3 to better connect to downtown and east-side destinations.
• Future transit planning should add stops near shopping and medical services and involve key user groups such as older adults, youth, people with disabilities, and college students.
• Transit is essential for affordability, regional connectivity, climate goals, and should be integrated with compact, connected land use and walkable development planning.
In addition to challenges, the 2045 comprehensive plan identifies specific actions related to access and equity related to transit:
• Implement a community-based evaluation of the existing transit routes-either to expand or reroute existing services- for better connectivity, coverage and ease of use.
• Commit to funding and improving transit services and ridesharing options. Encourage partnership between Hiawathaland Transit, healthcare providers, rideshare companies, or other private/public entities for paratransit services and/or providing last-mile connections from transit stops.
Alternative Options:
NA
Financial Impacts:
NA
Tentative Timelines:
NA