Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Regular City Council Minutes - 5/12/03 <br />Page 12 <br /> <br />Mr. Rovang stated that Metropolitan Transit oversaw <br />approximately 800 shelters throughout the metropolitan <br />area, with 13 full-time staff people responsible for the care <br />of those and Park and Ride sites. Mr. Rovang advised that <br />Metro. Transit shelters are generally located to serve <br />ridership at specific locations, based on the criteria of a <br />minimum of 25 boardings per day to consider installation. <br /> <br />Mr. Rovang advised that the motivation for a shelter or <br />bench vendor was for advertising visibility; and <br />encouraged the Council to continue pursuing maintenance <br />frequency stipulations and company response times for <br />complaints, recommending each be labeled with a phone <br />number contact to report incidents, concerns, or <br />comments. <br /> <br />Mr. Rovang further advised that his staff fields dozens of <br />calls daily on shelters, and approximately half of those <br />calls were not Metro. Transit shelters, but those of <br />commercial vendors; and considered that to be a future <br />challenge for the City in enacting ordinance or franchise <br />agreement options. Mr. Rovang opined that Metro. <br />Transit encourages co-location of benches and shelters, <br />and saw no potential conflict in doing so. <br /> <br />Mayor Kysylyczyn referenced correspondence from <br />March of 2002 to the Maplewood City Council regarding <br />Metro. Transit's intent to install additional shelters <br />throughout the metropolitan area, which was prior to <br />current budget constraints. Mayor Kysylyczyn also <br />referenced an April 16, 2002 City of Maplewood staff <br />report that addressed various concerns in Maplewood <br />regarding placement of benches and/or shelters related <br />primarily to maintenance issues, which he commented on <br />in more detail later in the discussion. <br /> <br />Councilmember Klausing expressed appreciation to Mr. <br />Rovang for his insight and comments, but asked for <br />further comment regarding co-locating benches in areas <br />where there were right-of-way issues and apparent <br />conflicts. <br />