For many St. Olaf students, the challenge of finding reliable transportation in Northfield is a daily struggle. From costly rideshare options to limited public transit, getting to essential destinations often feels out of reach.
“If you do want Uber or Lyft, they have to come from Lakeville at the closest and, of course, they charge the minute they leave their driveway and then you’re paying for them to come down, and then you’re paying for them to take you back up to wherever they want to go,” Age-friendly Community Volunteer Nancy Just said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger.
This issue isn’t unique to students — it’s a broader problem impacting Northfield residents, including aging individuals. This problem became highlighted when members of Age-friendly Northfield, a grassroots effort conducted by community volunteers that assists Northfield in becoming more age-friendly, started looking into how to help its aging citizens.
As Just explains, in 2022 a survey conducted by Age-friendly Northfield to get more information on the kinds of in-home support and services people in the Northfield community needed, revealed a gap in transportation services.
“People wanted something that they could just get on demand that would take them to the various places that they needed to go, whether it was, you know, to a medical appointment, to get groceries, to go socializing, to go to church,” Just said.
From there, conversations sparked and they began the search for a solution. Soon into this process, the two Northfield colleges, Carleton College and St. Olaf College, were identified as essential collaborators in bridging the transportation gap.
The next step for the group was then to form a transportation-focused team and research options. During this process, they encountered another organization in northern Minnesota, Connectability Minnesota, who had been utilizing Lyft to assist disabled and aging individuals living in their rural community. From this, Age-friendly Northfield identified Lyft as a suitable option to meet the Northfield community’s needs.
Since then, engaging in community conversation has been vital to the organization. A couple months ago, they invited Director of Auxiliaries and Buntrock Commons Brian Ims to join the team as well as a Carleton staff member.
In an email to The Olaf Messenger, Ims acknowledged the benefits of implementing Lyft to students at St. Olaf.
“I do believe that we need more transportation options that fit into our student’s schedules. The option of Lyft would allow students to travel to other destinations our current transportation does not offer,” Ims said.
During these conversations, they also incorporated information collected from a Carleton College study on inequitable effects of transportation policies on minorities.
“We wanted that connection too, and that’s kind of how it has been moving forward,” Just said.
Minority students, particularly international students, face numerous issues with transportation. From rides to the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport to everyday trips, their options are limited.
“For many of us [international students], relying on friends with cars becomes a necessity. But it’s not always easy to ask for help. We know our local friends have busy schedules, and it can feel awkward or even embarrassing to request a ride. This adds a layer of isolation and limits our ability to participate in internships, attend important medical appointments, or show up for job interviews,” SGA International Senator Angela Jessa Hifume ’27 said.
According to Hifume, transportation is an accessibility issue. Lyft presents a solution to this.
“I personally believe that having Lyft on campus would be a big help. It would give us more transportation options, especially for international students like me who want to explore the city and nearby areas. Right now, it’s hard to get around without a car, and Lyft could make things easier and more convenient,” said Hifume.
In addition to their conversations with the college community, Age-friendly Community has also held several community discussions events in Northfield. In the future, they plan to hold more meetings that involve a variety of organizations, such as working with the hospital, YMCA, and city leadership.
“There seemed to be a lot of interest and enthusiasm, and so we’re just going to keep the momentum going,” Just said.
While the group is still figuring out logistics, such as finding drivers, Just is hopeful that Lyft could be introduced to the community in 2025.
