Government Records
The Regional Transit Board [RTB] was established in 1984 by the Minnesota Legislature to administer the transit needs of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, particularly short-range planning and a light rail transit project [Laws 1984 c654 art3]. It was granted all of the powers of the Metropolitan Transit Commission [MTC], which it superseded for transit planning and oversight functions. The RTB's membership consisted of 14 people elected by the Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities Area, and one chairman appointed by the governor. Among its first assignments, the RTB was required to develop a transit service implementation plan to carry out the Metropolitan Council's transit policy plan. In 1985, the RTB's membership was reduced to nine members [Laws 1985 1Sp10 s94 d4].
In 1987, the RTB's purpose was redefined to cover the following: 1) to foster effective delivery of existing transit services and encourage innovation in transit service; 2) to prepare implementation and financial plans for the metropolitan transit system; 3) to set policies and standards for implementing the transit policies and programs of the state and the transit policies of the Metropolitan Council in the metropolitan area; 4) to conduct transit research and evaluation; and 5) to administer state and metropolitan transit subsidies [Laws 1987 c278 s11 d1a]. Two years later, increasing transit services to suburban areas and working cooperatively to coordinate all transit modes and increase the availability of transit services were added to its duties [Laws 1989 c339 s7 d1a].
As overseer of light rail transit, the RTB was ordered to prepare regional coordination, development, and financial plans [Laws 1989 c339 s12 d1-3]. The Legislature created the Joint Light Rail Transit Advisory Committee to aid the RTB in planning and coordinating light rail facilities and activities [Laws 1989 c339 s13 d1] and the Light Rail Transit Joint Powers Board to implement light rail design and construction [Laws 1991 c298 art7 s8].
The RTB was also charged with providing services to all metropolitan area residents. In 1991, the Paratransit Advisory Committee was created to aid the RTB through investigation of transit accessibility for the handicapped and elderly [Laws 1991 c298 art7 s9 d1].
In 1994, the RTB, as well as the MTC, was abolished and all its duties, responsibilities, property, interests, and obligations were transferred to the Metropolitan Council, to be assumed by the Council's newly created Transportation Division [Laws 1994 c628 art2 s4 d1].
The records include the board's annual reports; minutes and agenda packets of both the board and many of its committees and advisory groups, particularly those involving administration and finance, legislation, marketing, policy, local officials, and paratransit; subject files and publications; and MTC background files.
The subject files and publications include audits, budgets, contracts, environmental impact statements, funding and grant materials, legal opinions, legislative documents, planning initiatives, resolutions, maps, studies, information packets, reports, and brochures. Topics covered include the I-494 and I-35E reconstruction, a 1991 Ilium Associates marketing study of bus ridership, federal funding, Metropolitan Rideshare, public transit, and light rail transit.
The MTC background files mainly detail projects and programs later (post-1984) run through the RTB. They contain budgets, correspondence, meeting summaries, program studies, and guidelines and policies relating to such topics as buses, waiting shelters, community development, interstate highways, and transit planning. There are also files relating to the transportation development program and the Transportation Advisory Board.
The collection is organized in the following sections:
Accession numbers: 2000-22; 2001-41; 2008-1; 2013-25; 2020-10; 2021-21
Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant
awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission
Digitized by: Minnesota Historical Society, January 2022.
Digitization was made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008.
Catalog ID number: 001736794
These files may or may not include the reports and other support documents reviewed at the individual meetings. They may also contain scattered minutes of the board's various committees, particularly the Committee of the Whole, the Administration and Finance Committee, and the Policy Committee. When the researcher encounters gaps in the individual committee files, the corresponding files in this series should be checked.
July 25, 1984
August 1, 1984
August 6, 1984
August 20, 1984
August, 1984
September 4, 1984
September 17, 1984
September 24, 1984
October 8, 1984
October 15, 1984
November 5, 1984
November 14, 1984
November 19, 1984
December 3, 1984
December 10, 1984
December 17, 1984
January 7, 1985
January 21, 1985
February 4, 1985
February 19, 1985
February 25, 1985
March 4-7, 1985
March 18, 1985
April 1, 1985
April 15, 1985
May 6, 1985
May 20, 1985
June 17, 1985
July 15, 1985
July 29, 1985
August 6, 1985
August 19, 1985
August 26, 1985
September 3, 1985
September 9, 1985
September 16, 1985
September 30, 1985
October 21, 1985
November 4, 1985
November 18, 1985
December 2, 1985
December 16, 1985
January 6, 1986
January 27, 1986
February 10, 1986
February 24, 1986
March 3, 1986
March 17, 1986
April 7, 1986
April 21, 1986
May 5, 1986
May 19, 1986
June 2, 1986
June 16, 1986
July 7, 1986
July 21, 1986
July 28, 1986
August 11, 1986
August 18, 1986
September 2, 1986
September 15, 1986
September 29, 1986
October 20, 1986
October 27, 1986
November 3, 1986
November 17, 1986
December 1, 1986
December 15, 1986
January 5, 1987
January 15, 1987
January 26, 1987
February 2, 1987
February 17, 1987
March 2, 1987
March 16, 1987
April 6, 1987
April 13, 1987
April 20, 1987
May 4, 1987
May 18, 1987
June 1, 1987
June 15, 1987
July 6, 1987
July 20, 0187
July 27, 1987
August 3, 1987
August 10, 1987
August 17, 1987
September 8, 1987
September 21, 1987
October 5, 1987
October 19, 1987
October 21, 1987
October 26, 1987
October 27, 1987
November 2, 1987
November 16, 1987
November 30, 1987
December 7, 1987
December 21, 1987
January 4, 1988
January 19, 1988
February 1, 1988
February 8, 1988
February 11, 1988
February 16, 1988
February 18, 1988
February 25, 1988, Folder 1
February 25, 1988, Folder 2
February 29, 1988
March 7, 1988
March 21, 1988
April 4, 1988
April 14, 1988
April 18, 1988
April 25, 1988
May 2, 1988
May 16, 1988
May 31, 1988
June 6, 1988
June 17, 1988
June 27, 1988
July 5, 1988
July 12, 1988
July 18, 1988
July 21, 1988
August 1, 1988
August 11, 1988
August 15, 1988
August 22, 1988, Folder 1
August 22, 1988, Folder 2
September 6, 1988
September 19, 1988
September 26, 1988
October 10, 1988
October 24, 1988
November 1, 1988
November 7, 1988
November 21, 1988
November 28, 1988
December 5, 1988
December 19, 1988
January 3, 1989
January 17, 1989
January 30, 1989
February 21, 1989
March 6, 1989
March 20, 1989
April 3, 1989
April 17, 1989
Special Meeting, May 1, 1989
May 8, 1989
May 22, 1989
June 19, 1989
July 10, 1989, Folder 1
July 10, 1989, Folder 2
July 24, 1989, Folder 1
July 24, 1989, Folder 2
August 7, 1989
August 14, 1989, Folder 1
August 14, 1989, Folder 2
August 14, 1989, Folder 3
August 21, 1989, Folder 1
August 21, 1989, Folder 2
September 5, 1989
September 12, 1989
September 18, 1989
October 2, 1989
October 18, 1989
October 23, 1989
November 6, 1989
November 20, 1989
December 4, 1989
December 18, 1989
January 2, 1990
January 16, 1990
February 5, 1990
February 15, 1990
February 20, 1990
March 5, 1990
March 19, 1990
March 26, 1990
April 2, 1990
April 23, 1990, Folder 1
April 23, 1990, Folder 2
May 7, 1990
May 21, 1990, Folder 1
May 21, 1990, Folder 2
May 29, 1990
June 4, 1990, Folder 1
June 4, 1990, Folder 2
June 18, 1990, Folder 1
June 18, 1990, Folder 2
July 9, 1990, Folder 1
July 9, 1990, Folder 2
July 9, 1990, Folder 3
July 23, 1990, Folder 1
July 23, 1990, Folder 2
August 6, 1990, Folder 1
August 6, 1990, Folder 2
August 13, 1990
August 20, 1990, Folder 1
August 20, 1990, Folder 2
September 4, 1990, Folder 1
September 4, 1990, Folder 2
September 10, 1990
September 17, 1990, Folder 1
September 17, 1990, Folder 2
September 24, 1990
September 27, 1990
October 8, 1990, Folder 1
October 8, 1990, Folder 2
October 22, 1990
October 29, 1990
November 5, 1990
November 14, 1990
November 19, 1990, Folder 1
November 19, 1990, Folder 2
December 3, 1990, Folder 1
December 3, 1990, Folder 2
December 10, 1990
December 17, 1990, Folder 1
December 17, 1990, Folder 2
January 7, 1991
January 22, 1991, Folder 1
January 22, 1991, Folder 2
January 22, 1991, Folder 3
January 25, 1991
February 4, 1991
February 11, 1991
February 19, 1991
March 4, 1991
March 18, 1991
March 18, 1991
March 25, 1991, Folder 1
March 25, 1991, Folder 2
March 25, 1991, Folder 3
April 1, 1991
April 8, 1991
April 15, 1991
May 6, 1991
May 20, 1991
June 3, 1991
June 17, 1991 Folder 1
June 17, 1991 Folder 2
June 24, 1991
July 8, 1991
July 22, 1991
August 5, 1991
August 19, 1991
September 3, 1991
September 16, 1991
September 30, 1991
October 3, 1991
October 7, 1991
October 8, 1991
October 17, 1991
October 21, 1991
November 4, 1991
November 18, 1991
December 2, 1991
December 16, 1991, Folder 1
December 16, 1991, Folder 2
January 6, 1992
January 7, 1992
January 13, 1992
January 21, 1992
February 3, 1992
February 18, 1992
March 2, 1992
March 16, 1992
March 23, 1992
April 6, 1992
April 20, 1992
May 4, 1992
May 7, 1992
May 18, 1992
June 1, 1992
June 15, 1992
June 30, 1992
July 6, 1992
July 20, 1992
July 27, 1992
August 10, 1992
August 12, 1992
August 17, 1992
August 19, 1992
September 8, 1992
September 14, 1992
September 21-29, 1992
September 21, 1992
October 5, 1992
October 7, 1992
October 26, 1992
November 2, 1992
November 11, 1992
November 16, 1992
December 4, 1992
December 7, 1992
December 18, 1992
December 21, 1992
December 28, 1992
January 4, 1993
January 19, 1993
February 1, 1993
February 16, 1993
March 1, 1993
March 15, 1993
April 5, 1993
April 19, 1993
May 3, 1993
May 17, 1993
June 4, 1993
June 7, 1993
June 21, 1993
July 6, 1993
July 19, 1993
July 23, 1993
August 2, 1993
August 9, 1993
August 16, 1993
September 7, 1993
September 20, 1993
September 20-22, 1993
October 18, 1993
October 29, 1993
November 1, 1993
November 15, 1993
November 19, 1993
November 29, 1993
December 6, 1993
December 13, 1993
December 20, 1993
January 3, 1994
January 6, 1994, Folder 1
January 6, 1994, Folder 2
January 24, 1994, Folder 1
January 24, 1994, Folder 2
February 7, 1994
February 22, 1994
March 7, 1994
March 21, 1994
April 4, 1994
April 18, 1994
May 2, 1994
May 9, 1994
May 16, 1994
June 6, 1994
June 20, 1994
June 27, 1994
July 5, 1994
July 11, 1994
August 1, 1994
August 11, 1994
August 15, 1994
August 15, 1994, Folder 1
August 15, 1994, Folder 2
August 29, 1994
September 26, 1994
September 26 was the final meeting.
The majority of the following files are incomplete; they may or may not include the reports and other support documents reviewed at the individual meetings. As stated above, the board's agenda packets and minutes often contain minutes of the various committees and gaps in the following series should be compared against those files.
The later years are incomplete.
Includes one folder of miscellaneous correspondence.
Name changed in September 1997.
No meeting held in February 1996.
Includes one folder of operational materials, circa 1986-1988.
Name changed in 1990.
No meeting held in July 1991.
Missing August and September 1994.
No meeting held in October 1998.
Metro Mobility Policy Recommendations.
Files documenting the work of the RTB, including audit reports, budgets, contracts, 1992 I-494 reconstruction environmental impact statements, funding and grant materials, a 1991 Ilium Associates marketing study, legal opinions, legislative documents, planning initiatives, resolutions, and related correspondence, reports, and background data.
Two sets of chronologically arranged publications: miscellaneous and those related to light rail transit.
Files that appear to be background information on MTC projects and programs that were later (post 1984) run through the RTB.