Finally, Mayo Clinic plans to move noisy bus route away from Rochester neighborhood

ROCHESTER – Tom Garr refuses to sit on his screened-in porch because of all the dirt kicked up by the buses.

The 80-year-old Rochester man said he cleaned off the screen three times a year before Mayo Clinic changed its employee shuttle bus route during the pandemic, bringing buses by his house on W. Center Street from early morning to late at night, every few minutes.

Now the table and chairs he has are so grimy he doesn't even bother trying to drink coffee outside.

"It was never that bad before," he said. "To clean the porch is one thing but you have to scrub it, get all of the car dirt off it."

Garr and other homeowners in the Kutzky Park neighborhood west of downtown have complained to Mayo Clinic and city officials for years over the buses. Finally, four years after the buses began, Mayo is planning to shift its shuttle routes toward an expanded parking lot at 2nd Street and 11^th Avenue SW. as part of its plans to expand in the city.

Mayo officials say the system has tried to balance neighborhood concerns with its staff's transportation needs.

"We care about our neighbors here at Mayo Clinic," said Randy Schubring, director of community engagement for Mayo Clinic. Still, he added, "we are transporting 900-plus employees to jobs that they have to get to on a timely basis."

Neighbors are happy Mayo is now taking action, but also frustrated it took so long. As Mayo works with neighborhoods on a multibillion-dollar expansion, Kutzky Park residents urge hospital officials to act faster on community complaints in the future.

Logistical issues

Mayo started running buses through the neighborhood in 2019 but ramped up the schedule once COVID hit. Starting in March 2020, the hospital system had buses making more than 250 trips from 4:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through the neighborhood. Mayo also capped the number of riders per social distancing rules.

The ensuing noise and flashing lights frustrated residents, many of whom complained to city officials. Others were concerned the buses could eventually hit children or senior citizens.

The clinic started talking to neighbors in 2021 and reduced busing hours last year — instead of 4:30 a.m., buses would start at 6 a.m. And no buses would go through the neighborhood from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., eliminating the number of buses by a little more than half.

Mayo officials say buses now make about 94 loops a day.

But many in the neighborhood felt Mayo officials weren't listening and had to be nagged into reducing bus routes.

"It took them some time to realize that it was a neighborhood problem," said Stephanie Podulke, a Kutzky Park homeowner and former Olmsted County commissioner.

Podulke and other residents have taken their concerns to the Rochester City Council several times, arguing the buses violated city noise standards; Council Member Mark Bransford canvassed the neighborhood in 2022.

A separate neighbor-driven survey found 83 out of 85 households opposed the shuttle buses, and residents offered several ideas on where Mayo could move bus routes.

Schubring said Mayo explored its options once it heard complaints — including a different route — but couldn't overcome logistical hurdles.

Solution in sight

Residents seemed resigned, albeit unhappy, to wait until Mayo ends the shuttle bus service in favor of the city's planned bus rapid transit line set to start in 2026. But Mayo saw an opportunity to turn the 2nd Street Inn, which closed last year, into an addition to a nearby parking lot that would give buses enough room to turn around — bypassing Kutkzy Park and W. Center Street altogether.

The parking lot project is part of an updated five-year construction plan Mayo recently presented to a city planning and zoning panel. The plan will go before the City Council later this month.

Schubring said Mayo hopes to get permitting to demolish the former hotel and pave the parking lot by the end of the year.

"That's the battle we're fighting right now with nature," he said.

Homeowner Jim Frost, who called his front yard during rush hour "a miserable place to be" because the buses pass every three minutes or so, is thrilled for the change. Yet he thinks Mayo needs to listen more closely to neighbors.

"I don't believe a bus route like ours should have ever happened without a city meeting, an open meeting where it could be discussed," Frost said.

Schubring said Mayo is committed to informing residents at every step of its ongoing expansion and getting feedback along the way, including any traffic changes that might happen and ways to minimize construction impact on the downtown area.

As for Garr, he looks forward to potentially using his front porch next year.

"I think it's as good as they can do at the time," he said. "As far as what the future holds, who knows?"