3.2.4 Region 4 - Grand Forks
Region 4, which includes Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina, and Walsh Counties, is located in the northeast corner of North Dakota (Figure 3.13). The region has a surface area of 4,865 square miles and a population of 90,798. With 18.7 residents per square mile, this region ranks second in the state, second only to the Fargo region. The minutes of the Region 4 focus group meeting are presented in Appendix G.
Figure 3.13 Counties in Region 4
Grand Forks, the regional trade and medical center, has a population of 48,618. Grand Forks is the third largest city in North Dakota and is the home of the University of North Dakota, the state's largest university, and the Grand Forks Air Force Base.
Segments within the region's population which are potentially transportation disadvantaged are listed below, Figure 3.14 The potentially disadvantaged include three groups of residents: 22,677 disabled residents or 25 percent of the population, 11,451 senior residents or 12.6 percent of the population, 10,654 low-income residents or 11.7 percent of the population. There may be some overlap as these are not three separate and distinct groups.
Figure 3.14 Demographics in Region 4
Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 ND Quick Facts online at www.census.gov
The city of Grand Forks has daily east and westbound intercity bus service on US Highway 2 and north and southbound services on Interstate Highway I-29. Grand Forks is also served by Amtrak and has a local fixed route bus service and local taxi service. The local fixed-route bus service also operates the local dial-a-ride / paratransit service.
Rural public transportation services are provided by four different operators, one in each of the region's four counties. Services in rural Grand Forks County are provided by the Fargo Senior Commission. Other rural service providers include Nelson County Transportation, Walsh County Transportation, and Pembina County Meals and Transportation. Each of these services operates three of fewer vehicles and provides local transportation and scheduled trips to Grand Forks.
The region has 11 nursing homes, four basic care facilities, six assisted living homes, and five facilities which serve developmentally disabled residents. As indicated in Table 3.7, several of these facilities operate vans and buses for their residents/clients. The Vocational Rehabilitation Center associated with Altru Hospital in Grand Forks also operates vans to transport patients who live in the city. The North Dakota Association for the Disabled also has two accessible vehicles which are used to transport residents in wheelchairs in Grand Forks.
Table 3.7 Number of Vehicles by Agency in Region 4
| Entity Name | Location | NH* | BC* | AL* | DD* | T* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aneta Parkview Health Center | Aneta | 0 | ||||
| Lakota Good Samaritan Center | Lakota | NR | ||||
| Larimore Good Samaritan Center | Larimore | 2 | 0 | |||
| Lutheran Sunset Home | Grafton | 3 | ||||
| Nelson County Health System Care C. | McVille | 2 | ||||
| Northwood Deaconess Health Center | Northwood | 2 | ||||
| Park River Good Samaritan Center | Park River | 4 | ||||
| Pembilier Nursing Center | Walhalla | NR | NR | |||
| Valley Eldercare Center | Grand Forks | 3 | ||||
| Wedge Manor | Cavalier | 2 | ||||
| Woodside Village | Grand Forks | 0 | ||||
| Borg Pioneer Memorial Home | Mountain | NR | ||||
| Parkwood Place Inn - Lodge | Grand Forks | 1 | 1 | |||
| St. Ann's Guest Home | Grand Forks | NR | ||||
| Country Estates | Grand Forks | NR | ||||
| Leisure Estates | Grafton | NR | ||||
| Tufte Manor | Grand Forks | 0 | ||||
| Wheatland Terrance | Grand Forks | 0 | ||||
| Agassiz Enterprise | Grand Forks | 0 | ||||
| Development Homes Inc. | Grand Forks | 6 | ||||
| Listen Inc. | Grand Forks | 0 | ||||
| Prairie Harvest Human Services Found. | Grand Forks | 5 | ||||
| Success Unlimited | Grand Forks | 0 | ||||
| Grand Forks Public Transportation | Grand Forks | 32 | ||||
| Nelson County Transportation | McVille | 3 | ||||
| Pembina County Meals & Transportation | Drayton | 1 | ||||
| Walsh County Transportation | Park River | 2 | ||||
| Grand Forks Taxi | Grand Forks | NR | ||||
| Nodak Cab Company | Grand Forks | NR | ||||
| Totals | 18 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 38 | |
* NH = nursing home, BC = basic care, AL = assisted living, DD = developmental disabilities, and T = transit.
NR = No Response to Survey
Region 4 has the highest per capita spending on public transportation of any of the state's eight regions. As Table 3.8 indicates, the region has nearly $2 million available annually to support local transportation service providers. This amount equals $21.95 per capita, nearly $5.89 more per capita than the next highest region (Fargo).
Table 3.8 Region Transportation
| Source | Dollars ($) |
|---|---|
| Federal (5311) | 56,433 |
| Federal (5307) | 717,887 |
| State Aid | 183,445 |
| Title III B | 0 |
| Local Mill | 621,577 |
| Other | 75,484 |
| Fares | 254,932 |
| Medicaid | 84,084 |
| Total | 1,993,842 |
This support comes from a variety of sources including the Federal Transit Administration, state aid, and local mill levies. The support reported in Table 3.8 does not include support provided to the Fargo Senior Commission for services provided in rural Grand Forks County. This support pushes the region's per capita spending for public transportation even higher.
As is the case with all of the state's eight regions, additional money flows into the region to reimburse area residents for transportation costs incurred to access various federal programs, including auto repair and insurance premium for personal vehicles. These reimbursements for vehicle repair and other transportation costs amount to:
- Vocational Rehabilitation (DHS) - $25,746
- TANF and JOBS (DHS) - -$250,444
- Workforce Investment Act (JSND) - $3,580
As indicated earlier, there is coordination within the city of Grand Forks concerning the operations of the local fixed and paratransit bus services because both are operated by the same entity. Local paratransit services are also supplemented and coordinated via contracts with local taxi services to provide "after hours" services to eligible residents. There is no coordination with the region's rural service providers.