DMCC Board Briefed on Transit, Parking Issues

The Destination Medical Center Corporation Board spent most of its meeting Thursday discussing the transportation portion of the proposed plan.

The board heard from transportation officials from the city, Olmsted County and Mayo Clinic and was given information about current transit and parking operations. The board was told Mayo currently has 16,500 parking spaces at its ramps and lots but still has an 18 year waiting list for its St. Mary’s employees and 14 years for its downtown sites. It was also told Mayo may have to eventually phase out on-site employee parking at some sites to meet patient demand. Mayo recently completed a survey of patient parking needs and will share the results with the board.

Members of the board agreed they need more detailed information of a proposed streetcar component of the DMC plan. They also discussed the possibility of a new governing body that would oversee the transportation portions of the DMC initiative. It would consist of the public and private sectors, including Mayo.

No decisions were made during the meeting, which was held after the board was given a bus tour of the parking sites included in the DMC proposal.