Bloomington Transit Board Replaces RATP Dev with Keolis

The Bloomington Transit board voted 3–2 on July 21 to replace its long-term management company, RATP Dev, with Keolis. This decision effectively ends the five-year tenure of general manager John Connell, who is scheduled to leave the agency at the end of September.

Board members justified the change by citing several operational failures, including a slow microtransit rollout and lagging marketing efforts. They also pointed to significant budget overruns for a new transit operations facility, with estimated costs rising from $35 million to approximately $55 million.

The vote occurred despite opposition from the mayor's office, with deputy mayor Gretchen Knapp defending RATP Dev and Connell during the proceedings. Before his departure, Connell is expected to complete the proposed 2027 budget.