3.2.7 Region 7 - Bismarck
Region 7 is North Dakota's largest geographic planning region. It consists of 10 counties and covers 14,024 square miles. With a population of 130,418, it has a population density of 9.3 people per square miles. Region 7 is the second most-populous region in the state. Counties in the region include Burleigh, Grant, Emmons, Kidder, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan, and Sioux - Figure 3.19). The region also has two Native American Reservations - Ft. Berthold in McLean County and Standing Rock in Sioux County.
Figure 3.19 Counties in Region 7
Bismarck, with 56,344 residents, is the region's retail and medical center. The adjacent city of Mandan has 16,781 residents. Both cities are county seats of their respective counties and Bismarck is North Dakota's state capital and the largest community in this region. A copy of the minutes of the Region 7 Focus Group meeting held in Bismarck is presented in Appendix G
The region's population of potentially transportation disadvantaged residents is fairly typical (Figure 3.20). The potentially disadvantaged include three groups of residents: 34,982 disabled residents or 26.8 percent of the population, 18,912 senior residents or 14.5 percent of the population, 13,993 low-income residents or 10.7 percent of the population. There may be some overlap as these are not three separate and distinct groups.
Figure 3.20 Demographics for Region 7
Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 ND Quick Facts online at www.census.gov
Bismarck and Mandan have daily east and westbound intercity bus service on Interstate Highway I-94. Daily bus service is also available between Bismarck and Minot. Local taxi service is also available in Bismarck and Mandan.
Local fixed-route bus services were initiated in Bismarck-Mandan May 2004. The service is Bismarck-Mandan Transit (Bis-Man). Bis-Man contracts with the local taxi operator for the actual operations of the system. The same operator also manages the local dial-a-ride service for Bis-Man. Six the region's rural counties receive public transportation services from West River Transportation. West River is headquartered in Bismarck and is collocated with Bis-Man Transit. Kidder and Emmons Counties and the city of Hazen operate their own transit services. Another independent service, Standing Rock Public Transportation, provides local services in Sioux County.
The region has 13 nursing homes, nine basic care facilities, six assisted living homes, and eight facilities for residents with developmental disabilities. As indicated by Table 3.13, several of these facilities operate their own transportation services.
Table 3.13 Number of Vehicles by Agency in Region 7
| Entity Name | Location | NH* | BC* | AL* | DD* | T* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baptist Home Inc. | Bismarck | 3 | 1 | |||
| Benedictine Living Center of Garrison | Garrison | 0 | ||||
| Dacotah Alpha | Mandan | 0 | ||||
| Garrison Memorial Hospital Nursing Facility | Garrison | 2 | ||||
| Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center | Elgin | NR | ||||
| Knife River Care Center | Beulah | NR | ||||
| Marian Manor Healthcare Center | Glen Ullin | 2 | ||||
| Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center | Bismarck | 2 | ||||
| Medcenter One Care Center | Bismarck | NR | ||||
| Medcenter One Golden Manor | Steel | NR | ||||
| Medcenter One St. Vincents Care | Bismarck | NR | ||||
| Prairieview Health Care Center, Inc. | Underwood | 1 | ||||
| Strasburg Nursing Home | Strasburg | 1 | ||||
| Edgewood Vista Senior Living | Bismarck | 1 | 0 | |||
| Dakota Hill Housing | Elgin | NR | ||||
| Dakota Pointe | Mandan | 2 | ||||
| Redwood Village | Wilton | 1 | ||||
| St. Vincent's Care Center | Bismarck | 2 | ||||
| Sunrise of Bismarck | Bismarck | NR | ||||
| Sunrise Cottage of Bismarck | Bismarck | NR | ||||
| Senior Suites at Sakakawea | Hazen | NR | ||||
| The Terrace | Bismarck | 1 | ||||
| Elm Crest Assisted Living | New Salem | NR | ||||
| Prairie Rose Assisted Living | Linton | 0 | ||||
| †Primrose of Bismarck | Bismarck | 0 | ||||
| Valley View Heights | Bismarck | 2 | ||||
| Waterford on West Century, LLC | Bismarck | 1 | ||||
| Bismarck Early Childhood Education | Bismarck | NR | ||||
| Community Options for Residential & Employment Services, Inc. | Bismarck | 0 | ||||
| Easter Seals/Goodwill of North Dakota | Mandan | 0 | ||||
| Enable, Inc. | Bismarck | 7 | ||||
| H.I.T., Inc | Mandan | 6 | ||||
| Knife River Group Homes, Inc. | Hazen | 2 | ||||
| Pride, Inc. | Bismarck | 8 | ||||
| Support Systems, Inc | Bismarck | 0 | ||||
| Bismarck-Mandan Transit | Bismarck | 25 | ||||
| Emmons County Council on Aging | Braddock | 2 | ||||
| Kidder Emmons Senior Services | Steele | 2 | ||||
| West River Transportation Council | Bismarck | 13 | ||||
| Taxi 9000 | Bismarck | NR | ||||
| Totals | 11 | 7 | 3 | 23 | 42 | |
* NH = nursing home, BC = basic care, AL = assisted living, DD = developmental disabilities, and T = transit
NR = No Response to Survey
†They have no vehicles but coordinate totally with Bismarck-Mandan Transit.
More than 2 million is spent on public transportation services in Region 7 each year. This amount equals $15.62 per resident of the region. As Table 3.14 illustrates, there are several major contributors including fares, local mill levies, state aid, and the Federal Transit Administration. Income in the "Other" category is much higher than other regions, primarily as a result of rental income generated by Bis-Man's multipurpose building. Renters include other area transportation services (intercity bus services, taxi, West River Transportation, etc.). JARC is pulled from "Other" in appendix B.
Table 3.14 Region 7 Transportation Dollars
| Source | Dollars ($) |
|---|---|
| Federal (5311) | 116,624 |
| Federal (5307) | 258,296 |
| Federal (JARC) | 28,632 |
| State Aid | 305,555 |
| Title III B | 70,000 |
| Local Mill | 305,370 |
| Other | 346,840 |
| Fares | 389,763 |
| Medicaid | 215,865 |
| Total | 2,036,945 |
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) - $30,364
- TANF and JOBS (DHS) - $341,405
- Workforce Investment Act (JSND) - $625
Coordination of public transportation services is relatively high in Region 7. The coordination occurs as a result of two significant factors. First, Bis-Man Transit contracts with the local taxi service to operate the local fixed route and paratransit services. All local services are therefore interrelated.
The second occurrence that facilitates local coordination is the collocation of West River Transportation with Bis-Man Transit, the local taxi operator, and two intercity bus services. This proximity to one another creates awareness and facilitates coordination.