Feasibility of a Privately Funded, Underground People Mover System in Downtown Rochester

Our objective is to develop a privately funded Automated People Mover system preferably in an underground tunnel between the central downtown Mayo Clinic Campus and the remote St. Mary's Hospital with opportunities for various future extensions. Underground People Movers are rare due to typically prohibitive costs. Therefore, it is a unique opportunity to demonstrate an innovative design approach that will make this system affordable. The alignments and operational scenarios for the transit system must reflect a compromise between overall rider convenience, medical complex image, and the required level of investment. This approach requires a uniquely creative transportation solution as there are multiple desired destinations within the Mayo campus, various parking facilities, and also downtown Rochester. The project is in the engineering phase.