Southwest Light Rail: Making Good Progress

By Barb Thoman, Executive Director

 

Southwest light rail will be an extension of the new Green Line. 

 

The Southwest LRT (METRO Green Line Extension) project took a big step forward in December when the Metropolitan Council awarded a $117 million contract to AECOM for advanced design and design assistance during construction. AECOM was also the Metropolitan Council’s engineering services consultant for the Green Line.

The AECOM contract will move the Southwest LRT project from a 30 percent level of detail to 100 percent. Designs are needed for everything from bridges over major roads (of which there are many!) to the location of bike and pedestrian connections and electrical substations.

Project funding is also coming together. Of the $1.65 billion project budget, the Counties Transit Improvement Board, the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, and the state legislature have formally committed $705 million, or 85 percent of the local match. The project still needs a 50 percent match from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The Metropolitan Council will submit a federal New Starts grant request in 2016.

Now that the route and station locations are set, station design and public art will be a major focus of community input in 2015. Many of those community meetings will occur next spring and summer. An additional focus of public input in 2015 will be the selection of a design concept for the bridge over the channel between Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis. One goal is to create more space for skiers, canoeists, and kayakers under the bridge. All three recently shared design concepts would reduce the number of rows of bridge piers from six to three.

The Southwest Project Office and local communities also will consider how to increase safe and direct access for bicyclists, pedestrians, and people using a wheelchair (or other device) to and from the new stations.

While a lawsuit has been filed to stop or delay Southwest LRT, lawsuits are common with many major transit projects, and often major highway projects. Despite past legal action by Xcel Energy, Minnesota Public Radio, and the University of Minnesota, our region’s first two light rail lines are operating successfully today.  

See the project website for more news and upcoming meeting notices.

 

Transformative Transit Projects Move Forward this Fall

 

By Dave Van Hattum, Advocacy Director

 Updated: 11/04/14

Photo credit: Allison Osberg

 

The Twin Cities metro area continues to make important incremental progress toward building a regional system of transitways and strengthening the bus system. Many transformative projects are moving forward—though our region still needs a significant increase in dedicated funding to meet growing demand for transit service and bike/ped connections, and to implement new projects on a reasonable timeline.

Here is a quick rundown of what’s new with transit plans and projects in the Twin Cities this fall:

 

Light Rail

Green Line Extension (Southwest LRT). After receiving municipal consent from Hennepin County and all cities along the proposed light rail line, this project is moving forward with Phase II environmental testing to determine (and plan for remediation of) any contaminated soils or water near planned project construction sites. There is also extensive work to gather property and title information leading up to acquiring approximately 150 private-properties along the route. Most of these are partial acquisitions, and very few are residential. (Project staff confirm that all of the residential acquisitions are partial and do not involve taking single-family homes.) To-date, $705 million of the $1.65 billion budget is committed from three sources: Counties Transit Improvement Board ($496 million), Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority ($165 million), and the State ($44 million). Though not yet secure, the remaining funds are expected to come primarily from the Federal Transit Administration (half of the $1.65 billion) as well as from the State. Engineering will begin next year, and service is scheduled to open in 2019.

 

Blue Line Extension (Bottineau LRT). There were two recent milestones for the Blue Line Extension: In late August, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approved moving this 13-mile line into the Project Development phase. Then, in late September, the Metropolitan Council chose Kimley-Horn and Associates to engineer the line—from Project Development through construction. Ultimately, the Blue Line Extension is expected to open in 2021.

An open house on November 12 is the next major opportunity for the public to be involved. The event will focus on:

1. Planning efforts underway around the proposed line’s four southernmost stations (in North Minneapolis and Golden Valley).
2. Ideas for bike, pedestrian and transit connections and development that will help neighborhoods near the stations thrive.
3. A related planning initiative for arterial bus rapid transit on Penn Avenue.

Get involved: Attend the open house on Wednesday, November 12, 5:30-8 p.m., at University of Minnesota’s Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (2001 Plymouth Avenue North, Minneapolis).

Future Transit Corridors

Riverview Corridor. A Pre-Project Development (PPD) Study of the Riverview Corridor (between downtown Saint Paul and the MSP Airport) will be completed by December 2015. This study will determine the preferred mode (light rail, bus rapid transit, streetcar, or some combination), as well as the alignment and number of transit stations for this corridor. As is typical with a PPD study, lots of data will be crunched, including ridership projections and capital costs for different options.  There also will be opportunities for stakeholder and public input, including the upcoming open house on Nov. 6. Transit improvements for this corridor are expected by 2024.

 

Get involved: To learn more and show your support for transit improvements in Saint Paul, attend the upcoming open house on Thursday, November 6, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Nova Classical Academy (1455 Victoria Way, Saint Paul).

 

Credit: Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority

 

Rush Line Corridor. A PPD Study of the Rush Line Corridor, which travels north from the Saint Paul Union Depot to Forest Lake, is also underway. This study is expected to determine a preferred mode and alignment by summer 2015. Last month, Rush Line planners held a walking tour for residents to gather feedback on the Bruce Vento Trail section (between Larpenteur and Arlington Aves.) and on the East Larpenteur Avenue section of the corridor.

 

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

Gateway BRT. With Washington County’s approval earlier this month, all communities along the corridor officially have signed off on the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for Gateway. The approved LPA, a significant step forward for this transitway, calls for highway BRT in dedicated lanes and a preferred alignment between downtown Saint Paul and Woodbury on Hudson Road (along I-94). Gateway also achieved an important milestone when it was included in the Met. Council’s draft Transportation Policy Plan (TPP) this fall. The Project Development phase will start soon.

 

Orange Line BRT.  The Orange Line will serve riders along I-35W South from downtown Minneapolis to Burnsville. In order to make application to the FTA Small Starts program, the Orange Line recently received a commitment of $2 million from the Met. Council and $6 million from the Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB) to complete Project Development and Engineering activities. Another $2 million from the State will go toward the critical transit station at I-35W and Lake Street. The Orange Line is scheduled to open in 2019.

 

Design illustrations of the Lake Street Station transit bridge and transit plaza being planned in Minneapolis. Credit: Metro Transit

 

 

Red Line BRT. The Met. Council has applied to CTIB for nearly $10 million for a new Cedar Grove Transit Station. The new station, in the center of Highway 77, will reduce travel time for bus passengers by 10 minutes on a typical Red Line BRT trip. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2015.

 

Local and Express Bus

Bus Shelters. Metro Transit recently secured a $3.26 million federal grant to build and enhance up to 140 bus passenger shelters on 19 major bus routes. This work represents an important steeping-stone toward advancing regional transit equity goals.

Metro Transit Service Improvement Plan (SIP). This draft plan to dramatically expand bus service in the metro area was released on October 22. The SIP specifies the proposed new local bus, express bus, and arterial bus rapid transit service that Metro Transit will prioritize when new funding becomes available. The 122 projects it identifies would result in a 29 percent increase in service by 2030, with a majority happening in the next six years. We are thrilled to see planning for this level of growth in the bus system. Learn more in our SIP blog.

Get involved: Metro Transit will host and accept comments at several public meetings Nov. 5-18. We strongly encourage you to attend and to weigh in!  See the meeting schedule.

 

Modern Streetcar 

Saint Paul. The Saint Paul City Council approved the Saint Paul Streetcar Feasibility Study over the summer, but has put additional analysis of a streetcar starter line on hold until Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority completes the Riverview Corridor Study.  

Minneapolis. This fall—for the first time—the Met. Council included streetcars in its draft Transportation Policy Plan (TPP) for the metro region. The draft TPP specifically states that if the City of Minneapolis identifies capital funding for the Nicollet-Central Streetcar project, it can be added to the list of regional transit expansion projects and a policy discussion will ensue to specify the source of operating funding. Environmental and design work on this Minneapolis starter line is now underway. An alternatives analysis study is also in progress for streetcar on West Broadway in Minneapolis.

 

 

Nicollet-Central Modern Streetcar LPA. Credit: City of Minneapolis.

 

*This post has been updated to further clarify that the Gateway BRT alignment runs parallel to 1-94, but not on the highway itself.

Environmental organizations support Southwest LRT

Transportation and environmental organizations including Transit for Livable Communities, Sierra Club Northstar Chapter, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Fresh Energy, and the Alliance for Sustainability jointly drafted and submitted a letter to Mayor Hodges and Minneapolis City Council members, urging the city to support Southwest LRT. The deadline for cities along the line to consent to the current alignment is in mid-July.

Here is the letter submitted to the Mayor and City Council:

Excerpt:

We, the signatories to this letter, urge you to support the metropolitan region’s
next transit line, Southwest Light Rail (SW LRT). We call on you to consent to
the SW LRT project as the critical next step in expanding transit in Minnesota
because of the positive impacts it will have on our environment. Southwest
LRT will help reduce emissions and improve air quality, preserve open space
and habitat, and protect water quality.

The City of Minneapolis has set a goal, as approved in its Climate Action
Plan, of achieving a 15% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2015
and a 30% reduction by 2025. Transportation generates 25% of greenhouse
gas emissions in Minnesota with themajority of those emissions coming
from cars and light trucks. The Climate Action Plan, recognizing that
transportation is one of the largest contributors to Minneapolis’s green
house gas footprint, targets the sector for 16% of projected emissions
savings and a per capita reduction in vehicle miles travelled (VMT).
The Plan specifically calls for the City to support, “the build‐out and
upgrade of regional and local transit lines.”

System Update: Rail, Bus, Bike, Walk

By Dave Van Hattum, Senior Policy Advocate

As planning for transit and active transportation continues to move forward in the Twin Cities metro region this spring, there are a number opportunities to get involved. Here are the latest developments on key projects and upcoming options for sharing your support and ideas:

 

Light Rail

 

Bottineau LRT. Also known as the Blue Line extension, this planned LRT line will connect downtown Minneapolis to Brooklyn Park and could open as early as 2019. The draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which discusses this project’s purpose, need, alternatives, and impacts, is now available for public comment. We encourage you to attend upcoming public hearings and to share your support for Bottineau LRT and the many benefits of expanded transit options.

Get involved: Public Hearings, May 7, 8, 13, and 14. See details here. Send comments [email protected] through May 29.

 

Source: bottineautransitway.org

 

Southwest LRT. In April, both the Southwest LRT Corridor Management Committee and the Metropolitan Council voted to advance this project with an alignment of shallow tunnels through the Kenilworth Corridor. Governor Dayton unambiguously has supported this alignment, saying, “It’s the only option for the line to go forward, and I support the line going forward.”

The Met. Council is now seeking municipal consent from Hennepin County and the five cities the line travels through: Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie. Stay tuned for details about public hearings in these communities. Minneapolis municipal consent is particularly contentious, with critical negotiations underway between the City, the Met. Council, and the Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB). As Met. Council Chair Sue Haigh has stated, “Clearly, we’re not going to go forward with a project like this unless the biggest city in the region supports this project.”

Through this municipal consent process the Council is seeking approval on preliminary design plans, which show the footprint of the LRT line and its physical design components. Further engineering in 2014 and 2015 will provide greater details, such as station elements and landscaping features. 

Get involved: Joint Public Hearing, Thursday, May 29, 6 PM (Open House 5 PM). Hennepin County Government Center, Minneapolis. Hosts: Met. Council and Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority. If you live in Minneapolis, please also contact your city council member and Mayor Hodges—ask them to move this project forward!

 

Future Transit Corridors

 

Gateway Corridor. The comment period on Gateway Corridor Scoping Study closed on April 16. The study narrowed the options for this corridor to bus rapid transit (BRT) or light rail transit, with alignments adjacent to Hudson Road connecting Woodbury to the Union Depot in Saint Paul. East Metro political leaders generally support BRT in a dedicated right-of-way. This approach would shorten travel times and preserve LRT as an option at some point in the future. The Gateway DEIS, now underway, is expected in early 2015. CTIB is seeking $5 million in state general obligation bonding for Gateway Corridor design, engineering, and project development.

Get involved: Tell Chair Stumpf you want bonding for the Gateway Corridor before the 2014 legislative session ends on May 19.

 

Bus Rapid Transit

 

A-Line Arterial Bus Rapid Transit. The Governor recommends $10 million for rapid bus service along Snelling Avenue/Ford Parkway in Saint Paul. This funding will pay for stations and shelters, new buses, and signal systems and technology to speed travel and provide real time travel information. With the proposed $10 million, the A Line will be fully funded and can stay on track to open in 2015.

Get involved: Tell Chair Stumpf you want bonding for the A-Line Corridor before the 2014 legislative session ends on May 19.

  Credit: Metro Transit

Orange Line BRT. The Governor recommends $7 million to purchase right-of-way and design a Lake Street Station on the Metro Orange Line BRT, which will travel on I-35W South between downtown Minneapolis and Burnsville. This new station will provide greatly improved bus connections on the highway and at Lake Street, modern bus station infrastructure, and bicycle and pedestrian connections to local streets and the Midtown Greenway. 

Get involved: Tell Chair Stumpf you want bonding for the Orange Line Corridor before the 2014 legislative session ends on May 19.

 

Red Rock BRT. In March, the Red Rock Corridor Commission voted to proceed with plans for bus rapid transit in this 30-mile corridor from Minneapolis to Hastings. CTIB is seeking $1 million in general obligation bonding to advance Red Rock design, engineering, and project development.

Get involved: Tell Chair Stumpf you want bonding for the Red Rock Corridor before the 2014 legislative session ends on May 19.

Local and Express Bus

 

Transportation Policy Plan. The Met. Council’s Transportation Policy Plan will lay out future priorities for transit (buses and trains) across the seven-county metro region. Two advisory groups (comprised of policymakers and agency staff) have been meeting for months to draft a plan for public review. Next it will be your turn to weigh in.

 

Route 30. New bus service connecting North Minneapolis and Nordeast opened March 10. The new route 30 bus also serves the Quarry shopping center on New Brighton Ave. and connects to University Ave. at the Green Line’s Raymond Station in Saint Paul.

Get involved: Ride the 30 to great destinations and stop off at the TLC to say hi!

 

Photo Credit: Eric Wheeler, Metro Transit (Flickr)

Bike/Walk Network

 

W. 36th St. Protected Bike Lane and Pedestrian Path. The City of Minneapolis is planning improvements on W. 36^th Street to provide a pedestrian and bicycle route between Lake Calhoun and Bryant Ave. Public outreach for this project began in the summer of 2012. A public meeting on May 8 provides an opportunity to review the project design concept and provide feedback before plans are finalized and construction begins this summer 2014.

Get involved: Public Meeting, Tuesday, May 6, 6-7 PM, Saint Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church, Minneapolis.

 

Credit: City of Minneapolis

 

Hennepin County Bike Plan. The Hennepin County and Three Rivers Park District have worked to update the County’s Bike Plan to reflect comments made by city governments and the public concerning level of comfort, gaps in the current system, and design guidelines for bikeways. Public open house meetings in early May will discuss the draft plan. A finalized plan is expected late this summer 2014.

Get involved: Public Meeting, 4:30-7:30 PM. Wednesday, May 7, Minnetonka Community Center at City Hall, and Thursday, May 8, Central Library, Doty Board Room, Minneapolis. The May 8 event will cover both the Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan and the Hennepin County Bike Plan. 

 

Statewide Bicycle System Plan. Where do you feel comfortable biking? What destinations do you want to reach by bicycle? What highways affect your biking experience? How should our state prioritize biking improvements? MnDOT wants to know. Your input at a public workshop this month can inform the agency’s current work to develop the Statewide Bicycle System Plan.

Get involved: Public Workshops, 4-6 PM. Wednesday, May 14, Neighborhood House at Wellstone Center, Saint Paul, and Thursday, May 15, U of M Urban Research and Outreach Center (UROC), Minneapolis. Additional workshops in Greater Minnesota through May 8. An open house, 6-7 PM, follows each workshop.

 

North Minneapolis Greenway. The City of Minneapolis is exploring converting low-traffic streets in north Minneapolis to a greenway with a safe, accessible route for bicyclists and pedestrians. The proposed greenway route follows Irving and Humboldt Avenue N.

Get involved: Explore the proposed route during the North Minneapolis Greenway Open Streets event, Saturday, May 31, 10 AM - 4 PM. Through June 15, residents can take an online survey to weigh in on the proposed project.

 

Credit: Community Design Group

 

 

Decision time has arrived for Southwest light rail

By Barb Thoman, Executive Director

Update: On April 2, the Southwest Corridor Management Committee voted in favor of the project scope and budget for Southwest light rail. Anoka County Commissioner Matt Look and Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges voted no. Mayor Hodges called the approved plan for Southwest “a fundamental failure of fairness” for her constituents. TLC believes there are multiple benefits for Minneapolis and the entire region from this project, including affordable access to jobs for communities of color and low-income workers. As Congressman Keith Ellison and State Sen. Bobby Joe Champion stated in a recent op-ed, "To achieve our vision of a vibrant, equitable region we must extend our metro transit system and build the Southwest rail line."

 

 Photo credit: Metropolitan Council

 

Transit for Livable Communities has been a long-standing supporter of Southwest light rail. After years of study and debate, the Southwest LRT Corridor Management Committee will vote on the project’s scope and budget this Wednesday, April 2, and the Metropolitan Council votes on April 9. After that, the municipalities through which the line passes will also vote.

While it is unlikely that any outcome will please all involved, the entire metro has much to gain from this line. Southwest light rail will greatly expand access to job opportunities and education centers, reduce the high cost of transportation for many families, and reduce traffic noise and emissions in our neighborhoods. It will connect riders to key destinations from downtown Saint Paul to downtown Minneapolis to Eden Prairie, extending the reach of the Blue Line, Green Line, and local bus routes.

We understand the frustration of Minneapolis officials who long believed the freight rail line would be relocated out of the Kenilworth Corridor. After much study, that solution appears not to be possible. Southwest LRT has priority for federal funding (which will pay 50 percent of the cost) but further delay puts that prospect at risk. With the inability to reroute freight from the Kenilworth Corridor, we support the plans that call for tunneling light rail trains and the preservation of bicycle routes through the corridor as the best option for moving forward.

But, we also need to keep an eye on costs. Tunnels and additional stations, such as Mitchell Road, also push project costs higher and could affect funding for this and other projects. This region has a lot of transit system yet to build and a higher cost for this project would delay the implementation of 11 Rapid Bus lines, expanded bus service, and other transitway projects across the metro.

Southwest is one line in a system that needs to move forward. More transit options are integral to a thriving Twin Cities metro area.  We share an interest in better serving Uptown and the Lake Street Corridor with transit, which is why we also support plans for rail in the Midtown Corridor and improved bus service on Lake Street. We also believe better connections from North Minneapolis to Southwest LRT will be needed. We are happy to hear that the City of Minneapolis is preparing an application for federal funds for the Nicollet-Central streetcar line.

We can’t afford any more delay. Losing momentum on this next key line risks losing momentum for a transit system that will better connect our entire metro. There will be opportunities for public testimony at both the April 2 Corridor Management Committee Meeting (8:30-11:30 AM, Beth El Synagogue, St. Louis Park) and the April 9 Metropolitan Council meeting (4 PM, Council Chambers, Saint Paul). TLC plans to testify in strong support of Southwest LRT and a shallow tunnel in the Kenilworth Corridor. We encourage you to do the same!

 

Our 2014 Legislative Agenda

  This legislative session, Transit for Livable Communities will:

1)    Support the Move Mn Legislative Package to fund transit, bicycling, walking, and roads and bridges statewide.

• Metro area transit/bicycling and pedestrian projects
• Greater Minnesota transit
• Greater Minnesota bicycling and pedestrian projects
• Roads and bridges statewide

 

2)    Support General Obligation (GO) Bonding for transit, high speed rail, Safe Routes To School, trails.

• Southwest LRT - $81 Million
• Heywood Garage - $20 Million
• Arterial BRT - $15 Million
• 35W South BRT - $20 Million
• Transitway Capital Improvement - $60 Million
• Greater MN Transit - $8.24 Million
• Safe Routes to School - $3.2 Million
• High Speed Rail - $26 Million
• Various trail projects that have a transportation function

       

3)    Support legislation to allow electronic and photo monitoring for enforcement, data collection, traffic planning, driver education, and as a means of reducing road wear, crashes, and injuries. 

 

• Legislation is expected to allow cities to use this technology if they desire. Cameras would photograph a vehicle license plate and the driver of the vehicle. Tickets could only be issued for red light running and nothing else. This legislation would comply with current state law, unlike the former program in the city of Minneapolis.

 

4)     Join and support the Minimum Wage Coalition working to raise the minimum wage in Minnesota to $9.50 per hour in 2015.

 

 

Move MN Campaign Launches

By Hilary Reeves, Communications Director

 

The Move MN campaign is taking off. The web site (www.movemn.org) launched in early January. The following week several organizations (including TLC) co-hosted a forum focused on transportation, jobs, and equity (read about the forum here and here—and watch a short video here). Around the state, people and organizations interested in transportation got together at Move MN meetings in Rochester, St. Cloud, Willmar, Duluth, and Mankato. And this week, the campaign officially kicked off with a press conference at the Capitol.

 

TLC’s Barb Thoman at January 23 launch of Move MN. (Photo courtesy of Move MN.)

 

Multimodal in scope—transit, roads, bridges, bicycling and walking—and statewide in its reach, Move MN brings together more than 130 organizations, including members of the Transit for a Stronger Economy coalition that pushed for increased transportation funding in 2013. 

Why do we need to fix transportation this session?

1. the high cost of transportation—getting around—for working families
2. jobs
3. aging infrastructure
4. competition
5. our environment
6. public health and active transportation

In 2008, after the I-35W bridge collapse, the legislature over-rode Governor Pawlenty’s veto to pass new funding to repair bridges and roads and put some money toward transit. Those funds have made a difference. They allowed MnDOT to address the worst bridges. They funded the Red Line BRT in the south metro and the soon to open Green Line LRT between Saint Paul and Minneapolis and continue to fund operating costs for transitways. Statewide, there is some level of transit service in all but one county. But, the funds only go that far. 

The calendar has been full lately with opportunities for feedback about transportation projects:  Southwest LRT alignment, Gateway corridor plans, Midtown corridor alternatives, Metro Transit’s Service Improvement Plan for local and express bus service, Saint Paul bike plan, MnDOT statewide bike plan, federal bike/ped funds under Transportation Alternatives, and more. 

The bottom line is that if we don’t go forward, we will go backward on transportation. 

If you like the progress the Twin Cities is making on transit but want more bus service and the kinds of LRT, BRT, or streetcar routes you’ve seen in other cities, please let your elected officials know.

If you like communities where it’s possible to ride your bicycle or walk to get places—and for kids to get to school on foot or bicycle—it’s time to call for funding for more bike routes and safer sidewalks in communities across the state.

If you wonder why the same piece of road gets potholes every few years or wonder about the safety of the state’s bridges, make sure funds exist to do routine maintenance and complete rebuilds when necessary. 

In New Jersey political payback comes through deliberate closure of lanes on a bridge, stopping everything from school buses to ambulances to trucks. In Minnesota let’s demonstrate a different kind of transportation politics—the kind that moves us where we need to go.

How can you be involved? Take a transportation resolution to your precinct caucus on February 4! Talk to your neighbors. Call your elected officials. Get in touch with Cailin at TLC ([email protected]) to find out what is coming up with Move MN.

  

# # #

 

 

Transit System Update: Rail, Bus, Bike, Walk

By Dave Van Hattum, Senior Policy Advocate

 

With planning underway in a number of areas around the metro, our region is gradually moving toward a true system of transit, bicycling, and walking. Given recent increases in ridership, growing demand from people of all ages in our core cities and first ring suburbs, and the high cost of transportation for working families, it is essential that we continue to accelerate the build out of these options in the Twin Cities. Here are the latest developments and upcoming opportunities to get involved:

Light Rail

Green Line LRT.The Metropolitan Council has just announced that Green Line light rail transit service will launch on Saturday, June 14, 2014! A formal ceremony is planned for 9 AM, followed by festivities from 10 AM to 6 PM and free rides all weekend. TLC is involved in planning celebration activities at the Raymond Ave. Station. Stay tuned for more details and ways to be involved.

Southwest LRT. Three studies are currently underway to inform next steps in Southwest LRT project planning. These studies will assess: 1) freight re-route alternatives, 2) impacts to water, and 3) impacts on landscaping. Outside consultants are conducting the first two studies, while the Met Council is completing the landscaping study. Two recent public meetings about these studies attracted hundreds of community members. Unfortunately, attendees voiced a strident standoff between Minneapolis and St. Louis Park. TLC remains supportive of the project overall on the Kenilworth alignment with light rail in a shallow tunnel or at ground level if a safe, cost effective, freight re-route can be deigned. We believe it is imperative that Minneapolis and St. Louis Park reach an agreeable solution and keep this project moving forward. Draft study results are expected in late January, with another opportunity for public comment. Met Council staff is still hopeful that the Met Council could reach a decision on the alignment and seek municipal consent from cities along the line in the first quarter of 2014. Noticeably, this project was not included in Governor Dayton’s 2014 bonding proposal. Rather, the Governor directed the Met Council to assess other financing options, including an increased metro-area sales tax.

 

Early this month, TLC joined hundreds of community members at the Southwest LRT meetings in Minneapolis and St. Louis Park.

Bottineau LRT. Last week, the Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB) approved funding for Bottineau LRT project development. Combined with money from the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, this $27.6 million commitment from CTIB allows project leaders to move Bottineau LRT forward. Pending approval from the federal government, preliminary design and engineering work could begin later this year.

Future Transit Corridors

Gateway Corridor. The Gateway Corridor Commission is considering two route alignments for bus rapid transit (BRT) or light rail transit (LRT) through Oakdale, Lake Elmo, and Woodbury. Local planners want the BRT buses to travel in dedicated lanes, which would both improve travel time and preserve the future option of LRT. MnDOT and the Met Council have proposed BRT on highway shoulders as a far less costly option. As with other transitways being planned around the region, increased funding (beyond the current ¼-cent sales tax) is needed to build the best project for the long-term. In a related development, the McKnight Foundation recently awarded a grant to East Metro Strong, a public-private partnership that will focus on transit-oriented economic development in the Gateway Corridor and elsewhere in Ramsey, Washington, and Dakota counties.

Get involved: Open House, Thursday, Feb. 6, 5-7 PM, Globe University, Woodbury.

 

The two alignments, called D1 and D2, being considered for the Gateway Corridor will be the focus of an open house on Feb. 6. The public is invited to learn more and provide input on these alternatives.

Red Rock Corridor. The Red Rock Corridor Commission has selected BRT as the preferred transit mode for this 30-mile corridor from Hastings to Saint Paul and Minneapolis (with a possible future extension to Red Wing). The new transit station in Newport, which broke ground last November, will provide a key foundation for expanded transit service in this corridor.

Get involved: Public Hearing, Thursday, Jan. 23, 4 PM, Cottage Grove City Hall.

Midtown Corridor (Minneapolis). On February 12, the Midtown Corridor Policy Advisory Committee is expected to recommend a locally preferred alternative for transit improvements in the Midtown Corridor. The three alternatives under consideration are 1) Lake Street rapid bus, 2) a Midtown Greenway streetcar, or 3) a combination of both, with an extension of the rapid bus route to the Green Line at University and Snelling Aves.

Get involved: Public Meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 8:30-10:30 AM, Colin Powell Center, Minneapolis.

 

Bus Rapid Transit

Red Line BRT. Open since last June, the Red Line runs between Apple Valley and the Mall of America (where it connects with the Blue Line LRT). A planned improvement near Eagan’s Cedar Grove Station has the potential to speed up the BRT line’s travel time by about 9 minutes round-trip. The plan, which features an enclosed 300-foot pedestrian walkway from the existing park-and-ride to a new stop in the center median on Cedar Ave./Hwy. 77, was approved this month by the Dakota County Regional Railroad Authority. MnDOT, the Met Council, and the Federal Highway Administration also will need to sign off before the project moves forward.

 

Snelling BRT (Saint Paul). Governor Dayton’s 2014 bonding proposal includes the final $10 million needed for the capital cost of rapid bus service between the 46^th St. Blue Line (Hiawatha) LRT Station and the Rosedale Shopping Center. New buses would travel on Ford Parkway and Snelling Ave. with a key connection to the Green Line at University Ave. In addition, the project includes improved stations, shelters, and traffic signal systems. If capital funding is secured this session, Snelling rapid bus could open in 2015.

Get involved: Open House, Thursday, Jan. 23, 6-8 PM, Roseville Library.

Orange Line (35W South) BRT. Governor Dayton also has proposed $7 million in G.O. bonding for the Orange Line, in particular for design and right-of-way for a Lake Street Station in the highway median. This station is needed to replace the current setup, which prevents buses from taking full advantage of the MnPass (free-flow) lanes and has passengers climbing steep steps and waiting along the busy freeway to board.

Highway Transitway Corridors Study. A longer-term study, to be completed by the Met Council this spring, is assessing the potential for bus rapid transit on eight highway corridors: 212, 169, 65, 36, I-94, I-394, 35E N and 35E S.

 

Streetcar

Saint Paul Streetcar. Saint Paul’s Citywide Streetcar Feasibility Study recommends a four-mile starter line from East 7th St. at Arcade to West 7th St. at Randolph. The recently completed study estimated this modern streetcar would attract over $134 million in development and ideally would eventually be connected by BRT or LRT to the MSP International Airport.

Get involved: Public Hearing, Friday, Jan. 24, 8:30 AM, Saint Paul City Hall (basement level).

Minneapolis Streetcar. The City of Minneapolis is currently working with the Met Council and the Federal Transit Administration to complete an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Nicollet-Central streetcar project—identified in 2013 as the city’s first modern streetcar line. Watch for the release of, and opportunity to comment on, the EA later this fall.

 

Local and Express Bus

Metro Transit Bus Service Improvement Program (SIP). Metro Transit has begun a study to determine priorities for improvements to local and express bus service over the next ten to fifteen years. The SIP process is the time to think big, to put forward bold ideas not constrained by today’s limited funding. TLC encourages you to let Metro Transit know what would make riding the bus better or more convenient for you.According to Metro Transit General Manager Brian Lamb, the primary themes identified thus far include faster travel speeds, improved core urban bus routes, expanded urban crosstown routes, more suburb-to-suburb bus connections, and more express service. Improved amenities on buses and at stops (better signage, lighting, shelters, etc.) are also under consideration. Public input will inform a draft plan this spring 2014, with additional public engagement to follow. A final plan is expected by the end of summer. See our recent interview with Metro Transit for more details.

Get involved: Fill out the SIP survey online or email [email protected]. Comment deadline: Friday, Feb. 28.

 

Bike/Walk Network

Saint Paul Bikeways Plan. On Tuesday, the City of Saint Paul announced a draft bikeways plan that would more than double Saint Paul’s bicycling network of on-street, off-street and designated bike boulevard routes (from 144 miles to 358 miles). The 20-30 year plan includes the creation of a 1.7-mile off-street bicycle loop downtown and completing an approximately 30-mile “Grand Round” route around the city.  After public input, a final plan is expected in June.

Get involved: Open Houses, 6-8 PM, Feb. 11, 13, 18 and 20. See details here.

 

 

Keeping Southwest LRT Moving Forward

By Barb Thoman, Executive Director

Southwest LRT cleared another hurdle yesterday, with the Southwest Corridor Management Committe voting 15-1 in favor of the recommended plan for the line.

We were glad to see the vote yesterday to move forward with Southwest LRT. The Southwest Corridor Management Committee includes representatives from the communities along the line. The sole “no” vote, from Minneapolis, emphasized concerns about preserving the water quality of the City of Lakes and about whether the freight re-route options have been explored fully. Even with these concerns, it’s clear that the region’s leaders, including those in Minneapolis, support advancing transit and preserving bicycle and pedestrian access in the corridor.

TLC’s priority is building out regional systems of transit, bicycling, and walking. These networks greatly increase access to jobs and quality of life for the region’s growing population. They create connected communities less burdened by air pollution and more likely to be healthy. As we look at projects and progress, therefore, we are focusing attention on the effect on the whole system, multimodal access, and impacts on disadvantaged populations and our environment.

The system: As TLC made clear last summer, our region needs to keep Southwest LRT (SWLRT) project costs at a level that preserves our chances for federal funding and that does not adversely affect the build out of the rest of the regional transit system. We are pleased that the SWLRT project office’s proposed project budget of $1.55 billion still is competitive with other LRT projects around the US with which our region will complete for federal funding. This budget includes ending the LRT line at the Southwest Station (as TLC recommended in the DEIS process years ago), while ensuring important bus connections and express bus service from Eden Prairie and adjoining counties. A full funding grant agreement application to FTA is planned for spring 2014. We can’t afford additional delay in finalizing the alignment, stations, and other details, and also securing municipal consent from all five cities along the line. This project is competing directly for federal funds with two projects in Maryland and one in San Diego.

The SWLRT project still needs a state commitment of 10 percent of the project cost and CTIB must also approve 30 percent of the project cost. The decision yesterday avoids taking property in St. Louis Park or in Minneapolis and is cheaper than the current estimates for freight re-route. Looking to the build-out of the full system, however, the issue bigger than the SWLRT project cost is that our region still lags in overall funding for transit, bicycling, and walking. To fully build out the regional plan (for LRT, BRT, bus, bicycling, walking, and streetcars) in fifteen years requires an increase of 3/4-cent in the regional sales tax for transit. Securing this funding will require support from across the region and likely will come only when the legislature approves new funding for transportation statewide.

Multimodal access: There must be commitment to maintaining bike/ped access in the corridor as well as improving bike/ped access to stations. Shallow tunnels for LRT in the Kenilworth Corridor allow for retention of bike/ped trails at grade from just north of the West Lake Street Station to Cedar Lake Parkway. Additionally, yesterday’s decision included the approval of an amendment to maintain the "character and alignment" of the existing Kenilworth trails. The northern tunnel eliminates the 21^st Street Station, which was projected to have very low ridership and minimal bus service.

 

Shallow tunnels for LRT in the Kenilworth Corridor allow for retention of bike/ped trails at grade from just north of the West Lake Street Station to Cedar Lake Parkway.

TLC has long pushed for charging a low daily fee for parking at transit stations along this line and at other LRT stations in the system. The region continues to spend a lot of money on parking at transit stations, including 3400 spaces for this project at a cost of more than $25,000 per space. Parking fees would more fully capture the costs of driving, encourage access to stations by transit, bicycling, and walking, and provide funding for bicycle and pedestrian access and costs related to transit-oriented-development. Parking fees would also better balance supply and demand as transit ridership increases. We believe the premium service provided by LRT justifies charging for parking, and that it may make sense to expand parking charges to park-and-rides regionwide sometime in the future. Transit agencies in other regions do charge for parking including RTA in Denver, SEPTA in Philadelphia, and BART in San Francisco, among others.

Disadvantaged populations: As with Central Corridor LRT, it is imperative to ensure that affordable housing in proximity to the line is a priority as part of future transit-oriented development. We support the plan to shift Canadian Pacific-owned freight tracks to the north side of the LRT tracks, as this strengthens transit-oriented development potential in Hopkins and St. Louis Park. As we stated in our comment letter on the SDEIS, we support locating the light rail maintenance base in Hopkins rather than in Eden Prairie. A Hopkins location provides better access from an operations standpoint and provides greater access to jobs at the facility.

Environment & Health: There are concerns that the SWLRT alignment might affect water resources in the Kenilworth Corridor. We are very encouraged by the fact that the watershed district has been participating in the process of evaluating the shallow tunnel option and approves of them. We agree with Minneapolis that all necessary precautions must be taken to ensure no harm to water resources, during construction and operation of the project. We also want to emphasize that the build-out of a regional system of transit, bicycling, and walking contributes to improved air quality, less run off from paved surfaces, retention of open space, and it fosters active transportation. These investments speak directly to our need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Metropolitan Council is expected to vote on the recommended plan for SWLRT on October 16 (3:00). We urge the Council to keep Southwest LRT moving forward while also working with residents and leaders from Minneapolis and other cities along the line to address remaining questions and concerns about this vital project. The Council will need to seek municipal consent for the project by the end of the year.

Tonight, a public open house will give community members an opportunity to ask questions and share their input on the recommended plan for SWLRT in Minneapolis. Find more information on our events calendar.

 

On Southwest LRT

By Barb Thoman, Executive Director, and Dave Van Hattum, Senior Policy Advocate
 

Photo credit: Metropolitan Council

As we’ve no doubt made clear in other blogs, TLC wholeheartedly supports the Southwest light rail transit (LRT) line. This line is a key element of what we hope will someday be a fully-realized network of bus, rail, and streetcars that serve this region, with safe, accessible connections by bicycling and walking.

With the ongoing controversy surrounding the future location of a freight rail line, we can’t forget that Southwest LRT is a good project:

1)      Southwest LRT will improve affordable access to jobs, school, recreation, and services. Particularly for low-income residents, the line will greatly expand transit access to large and growing job centers in the Southwest metro and to educational opportunities.

2)      Southwest LRT offers a high return on investment (ROI). A study by the ITASCA Project, an alliance of business organizations, projects a four three dollar return for every dollar invested in the accelerated buildout of a regional systemof transitways, including Southwest LRT. Other studies also have concluded that light rail is the right investment for the Southwest corridor.

3)      Southwest LRT is projected to carry 30,000 riders daily, providing an alternative to driving on congested roads and reducing trips by motor vehicles in the corridor and elsewhere within the region. Vehicle emissions contribute to global warming and to air quality and health impacts along highways and local streets. Driving trips also contribute to the noise and traffic about which almost everyone seems to complain.

4)      Southwest LRT better positions the Twin Cities metro region for economic competitiveness and the realities of changing demographics. This project is a major step in the right direction for young people who are driving less, our growing senior population, and employers who want access to a larger labor pool and to spend less on employee and customer parking.

As long-time advocates for transportation options, Transit for Livable Communities sees the importance of Southwest light rail as part of a system—a system that includes additional LRT lines, expanded regular-route bus and rapid bus, streetcars, as well as safe, accessible connections by walking and a network of bicycling routes.

With that in mind, we urge project planners to keep the cost of Southwest LRT at a reasonable level. TLC is working hard with our allies to secure an increase in the regional sales tax for transit, bicycling, and walking, along with new funding for roads and bridges. Even when the state legislature approves this funding, it will be a stretch to accommodate all the demand that exists for growing transportation options. We can’t let the cost of Southwest balloon to an extent that it slows the long-overdue implementation of other important transit and bike/walk projects in the region.

Nevertheless, some increased cost beyond the original capital estimate, to address local concerns and better serve future transit riders, is warranted. The latest capital cost projections for Southwest LRT range from $1.25 to 1.5 billion. These numbers are not out of line with the cities with whom we are competing with for matching federal funds. A number of these projects have costs exceeding $1 billion.

Similarly, from our system-wide perspective, as Southwest LRT planning moves forward, we recommend that bicycle and pedestrian connections to all stations be carefully assessed and that multimodal access be maintained in the corridor.

Advancing a complex project like Southwest LRT is never easy. Elected officials and agency staff are analyzing hundreds of details, from engineering to water flows to trees to travel time, and are weighing the concerns and interests of the many communities involved. We urge proponents–whether of shallow tunnel or freight reroute or other options—to be vocal, as well, about the community benefits of increased transit. And we urge all those who support progress on transit, bicycling, and walking to make sure their voice is heard in the next month as the Southwest LRT Corridor Management Committee and the Metropolitan Council comes to a decision.

While no official public comment period for Southwest LRT is currently underway, many people are still weighing in. There will be three important meetings in the next few weeks: a meeting of the Southwest LRT Corridor Management Committee on the morning of Sept. 4, a meeting of the Met. Council Transportation Committee on Monday, Sept. 23, and a meeting of the full Met. Council on Wednesday, Sept. 25. See the Met. Council web site for details on these meetings.

Also of interest, the PowerPoint from the Corridor Management meeting on August 28.