Arrowhead Transit joined transit leaders in St. Cloud for CTAA’s Small Urban Network (SUN) Conference—a working day built for executives to trade practical solutions. Our Director Brandon Nurmi spent the day networking with Minnesota transit partners and national colleagues to bring home ideas that strengthen service across the Iron Range.
Focused networking, real takeaways
Brandon met one-on-one with:
- St. Cloud Metro Bus leadership to compare notes on rider education, mobility training, and customer experience—insights we’ll apply to our Travel Training and “Transit Champions” efforts.
- MnDOT staff on aligning facility planning and project delivery so we can move faster on capital needs while staying compliant.
- Industry partners at New Flyer about vehicle supply, maintenance, and training—key inputs to keeping our rural fleet reliable.
Across sessions and side conversations, themes were consistent: use clear data to tighten schedules and transfers, keep customer education front-and-center, and design facilities that scale with demand.
Listening to FTA, sharing the rural perspective
Brandon also had the opportunity to connect with newly confirmed FTA Administrator Marcus J. Molinaro during the New Flyer tour and luncheon briefing. Conversation centered on practical ways FTA can help small-urban and rural agencies deliver projects more efficiently—lowering construction costs, empowering local decision-making, and streamlining processes. We appreciated the chance to share how those priorities directly impact riders in northeastern Minnesota.
What this means for our riders
- More reliable connections: Applying scheduling and data insights to reduce waits and improve transfers.
- Stronger facilities plan: Incorporating peer lessons and state guidance into our capital roadmap.
- Continued rider education: Expanding Travel Training to make first-time and returning riders more confident on our system.
We’re grateful to CTAA and our Minnesota hosts for a productive, solutions-oriented event—and to the many peers who traded ideas with us throughout the day.