The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) recently launched a pilot project that will allow residents to plan daily trips in areas less dense than urban areas.
The project also will have payment technology.
“This pilot with Transit app focuses on rural areas because this technology has not yet been made available outside of Minnesota’s big cities,” Elliott McFadden, MnDOT Greater Minnesota Shared Mobility program coordinator, said. “The project will be the first to bring the latest technology to make it easier to plan and take trips in many communities in Greater Minnesota.”
Transit is a free app available for download in Google Play or the Apple App Store. Users can see route and travel options for public transit and connecting services. Participating transit agencies will have in-app ticketing, allowing riders to pay for fares electronically.
Anyone in southern and western Minnesota can plan for transit and intercity bus trips by using the Transit app.
The project went live on Wednesday and runs through April 2024. University of Minnesota researchers will help determine whether the technology should be used in the entire state.
The Federal Transit Administration awarded the project two grants totaling $1.9 million.