2017 was a big year for the Rochester International Airport (RST), which saw a 27% increase in passengers over 2016.
Why the significant year-over-year increase?
In 2017, RST introduced several new flight options. United Airlines added new service to Chicago O’Hare, Delta increased frequency on routes to Atlanta and Minneapolis, and American Airlines continued to offer daily flights to Chicago O’Hare as well.
For one week each January, tens of thousands of innovators, tech pioneers, and business leaders from around the world gather in Las Vegas for CES 2018* to introduce their next-generation ideas to the global marketplace.
This year, #AccessibleOlli made the journey to Las Vegas. If you’re not yet acquainted with Olli, it’s the future of autonomous public transportation. The electric, self-driving shuttle holds up to 10 people and is 90-percent 3D-printed. Olli offers transportation solutions for individuals with mobility limitations, cognitive disorders, and vision and hearing impairments.
Driving alone may seem like the most convenient way to get around Rochester, but traveling solo is not always the best – and certainly not the only – travel option.
Currently, about 40,000 people travel downtown for work each day, and local transportation studies show that around 75% of those employees drive to work. But with DMC expected to attract 30,000 additional jobs during the course of the initiative, planners have been looking at other modes of transportation to reduce traffic congestion and parking issues.
“What we learned time and time again from other cities across the nation is that transit is number one,” says DMC Economic Development Agency Executive Director Lisa Clarke. “It’s really critical to get it right on the front end.”
Short-term and long-term planning efforts to enhance Rochester’s transportation are underway. The week of November 13, the city of Rochester is promoting a fall Commuter Challenge to encourage workers and residents to explore different means of transit to get to work or around the community.
For the second year in a row, more than 40 leaders from organizations in and around Rochester traveled to the Twin Cities for a DMC-organized site visit. This year’s trip focused on topics of transportation and public spaces and included discussions and presentations from key experts in those fields. Attendees included staff from the DMC Economic Development Agency (EDA) staff, the City of Rochester, Mayo Clinic, Coen+Partners, RSP Architects, the University of Minnesota, the Rochester International Airport, and other local organizations.
Improving options for year-round transportation is key to the DMC Development Plan.
From walking and biking in the summer to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter, people are looking for fun ways to get fit, stay healthy, and – as a bonus – leave their cars parked in the garage.
The future City Loop is an ideal way to safely connect residents, employees, visitors, patients, and companions to places and spaces throughout the DMC District all year long.
Smart growth means anticipating what lies ahead, and that’s exactly what local leaders did at the recent DMC Transportation Work Session.
Members of the DMC Corporation Board of Directors, the DMC Economic Development Agency (EDA) Board of Directors, the Rochester City Council, and the Olmsted County Board of Commissioners came together with nearly 40 community members for a highly-engaged exchange of information about the future of transportation for Rochester.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (June 14, 2017) – The Destination Medical Center Corporation (DMCC) Board of Directors held a Transportation Work Session today to provide an update on findings since the DMC Transportation Workshop in April.
“A sustainable, comprehensive transportation plan is essential to the success of DMC. Today, we had a valuable discussion about Rochester’s needs, now and in the future,” said Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, chair of the DMCC Board. “Together with the Mayor, City Council, Olmsted County Board, and the EDA Board, we looked closely at design options, with the goal of making transportation work better for people in the DMC district and throughout Rochester and the region.”
Transportation is at the forefront of urban planning and growth, and Rochester leaders are exploring how to best meet the needs of all as the Destination Medical Center initiative continues to take shape.
Transportation goals for Rochester include moving 23-30% of the workforce downtown via transit by 2035, connecting downtown districts with a circulator, and creating a world-class place for regional transit arrival and departure.
By air
Rochester International Airport recently welcomed its first-ever United Airlines flight bringing the city another step closer to creating the high quality of service necessary to support the growth expected as a result of DMC.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (Feb. 8, 2017) – Highlighting the growing momentum of the Destination Medical Center initiative, the DMCC Board of Directors today approved a $38 million mixed-used development project. The development would bring 156 market-rate apartments, retail shopping, public parking and pedestrian access to downtown Rochester.
“The Destination Medical Center and Rochester continue to attract private investment and innovation, as our actions at this Board meeting demonstrate,” said Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, chair of the DMCC Board. “The momentum with Discovery Square, which will be a nation-leading center for life science innovation, is especially encouraging. We need to keep this momentum going and continue working with Rochester, Mayo Clinic, and the private sector to expand jobs and opportunity in America’s City for Health, and all of Minnesota.”
A sustainable transportation model is pivotal to the success of the DMC vision. And from practical solutions like dedicated bus lanes to more futuristic ideas like driverless shuttles, the topic brought dozens of community members together for the first of four Public Conversations highlighting transit for Rochester’s downtown.
The informal open house, held on January 24 at the University of Minnesota Rochester, provided the public with a chance to hear from transportation consultants about the four integrated transit studies being conducted and offer their feedback on what they see working best for Rochester’s future.