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Councilmember Stewart said she feels like they are going backward by going away from rail <br />services and back to buses. <br />City Administrator Hagen shared that in recent years there has been pressure from the legislature <br />to eliminate the Northstar Commuter Rail. He noted that this is a highly subsidized service. <br />Mr. Lamothe added that travel is different post -pandemic and Northstar was not even hitting its <br />expectations before the pandemic. He said they are adapting their service based on what they are <br />hearing from their customers and one of the things they are looking for is all -day service in both <br />directions, which is not something they could provide on the commuter rail. <br />Councilmember Olson asked if they anticipate increased usage by switching back to a bus service. <br />Mr. Lamothe shared that they are hopeful that they will see more ridership with this service. He <br />noted that there are likely a lot of people who do not ride the commuter rail due to their limited <br />ride options who may start using the bus service because of its wide offerings. <br />Councilmember Riley asked if the Elk River service would come to Ramsey at all. <br />Mr. Lamothe explained that the Met Council has the authority to operate bus services within the <br />metro area and Northstar has special legislation to operate the commuter rail. He said they do not <br />have the ability to operate bus services without new legislation. He stated there is still a lot of work <br />to be done. <br />Councilmember Peters asked how this will be communicated to residents. <br />Mr. Lamothe shared that they have heard loud and clear from citizens who use this service that <br />discontinuing it will be a life change. He said they want to give everyone as much advance notice <br />as possible. He noted they are looking at landing on a date that the services will transition and they <br />plan to announce that date soon. <br />Councilmember Peters shared his concern that people could move to Ramsey because they see the <br />existing public transportation service and them not being informed before they move to the area. <br />Mayor Heineman asked if they are planning to have any flexibility with the bus service for large <br />events or sporting events that the bus service would take riders directly to the venue, like Target <br />Field or the State Fair. <br />Mr. Lamothe said they are not currently proposing this; however, they have heard this voiced by <br />citizens. He stated if the demand and the desire are present for these types of rides then it is <br />definitely something they would explore. <br />City Administrator Hagen asked if he should submit a formal feedback letter containing all of the <br />Council's opinions discussed this evening. <br />City Council Work Session / May 13, 2025 <br />Page 2 of 9 <br />