Don’t expect bus to Duluth anytime soon

Talk about it

The plans for the Duluth Transit Authority to have commuter routes between Two Harbors and Duluth are a little ways off. DTA general manager Dennis Jensen said “it’s a long-range plan.”

At a Lake County Board of Commissioners meeting last week, Commissioner Paul Bergman said DTA officials are interested in a commuter route.

Jensen said the DTA wants to become a regional bussing authority, branching out from the Duluth area. Routes to Moose Lake and Cloquet have also been discussed.

He said studies in the past didn’t show enough ridership to make extending service viable. Jensen didn’t rule out the idea of having commuter buses meeting with connector buses.

“A lot of it is on the indication of need,” Jensen said.

The budget plays the most important role. The DTA gets funding from the state.

In August the DTA approved a fare increase to expand evening service and add holiday service. The increase was needed because of a demand for expanded service with a freeze on state and federal subsidy levels.

Lake County public transportation is provided by the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency. It offers some routes from Two Harbors and Silver Bay to Duluth on scheduled days during the month.

Voni Smolke, supervisor for AEOA transportation in Lake, Cook, and Carlton counties, said there is a commuter bus route from Grand Marais to Grand Portage for casino workers.

“It’s never been brought to my attention there’s a need,” Smolke said about a Two Harbors-Duluth route.

Tags: two harbors, duluth, transportation, news