$133 million grant will help ease traffic congestion

The state of Minnesota will receive a $133 million federal grant to improve transit and ease traffic congestion in the Twin Cities metropolitan area under a new U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) program.

A coalition led by Gov. Tim Pawlenty, the Metropolitan Council and the Minnesota Department of Transportation won the grant under the department’s new Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) program. The Minnesota proposal was one of five selected from 26 submitted in a competitive process that began last April. The other winners were Miami, New York City, San Francisco and Seattle.

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Under the program, USDOT’s “urban partners” agree to use aggressive congestion reduction strategies under the umbrella of four “Ts” — tolling, transit, telecommuting and technology.

“Over the past several years, we’ve tackled congestion by adding capacity in key corridors and implementing new technologies, like MnPASS on I-394,” Pawlenty said. “We’re pleased that the federal government accepted our application and is providing additional resources to help turn the tide against traffic congestion so people and goods can get around the Twin Cities faster.”

Peter Bell, chair of the Metropolitan Council, said the grant will help accelerate the Council’s plans for bus rapid transit (BRT) in the I-35W and Cedar Avenue corridors. “We are pleased that the federal government recognizes the positive impact transit can make in these heavily traveled corridors,” he said.

Bell said the grant is “a strong vote of confidence in the Council’s vision for transit” and a major boost for Metro Transit, the Council’s transit operating division. With a fleet of 830 buses and 27 light rail vehicles, Metro Transit provides more than 90 percent of the region’s transit service. Last year, it provided more than 73 million rides.

The UPA grant, announced Aug. 14, will help fund:

Dynamically priced shoulder lanes, similar to the I-394 MnPASS, on I-35W from 46th Street to downtown Minneapolis.
Conversion of the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lane on I-35W south of 46th Street, including the Crosstown section now under construction. Tolls in the HOT lane also will be priced dynamically, meaning they will be adjusted based on the level of demand.
Construction of three additional park-and-ride lots on I-35W south of downtown Minneapolis and two on I-35W north of downtown.
Acceleration of the Cedar Avenue BRT project between downtown Minneapolis and Lakeville, including the construction of five new park-and-ride facilities.
Purchase of 26 new buses to help provide transit service in these corridors.
Construction of double-lane dedicated bus lanes in downtown Minneapolis on Marquette and Second Avenues, along with wider sidewalks, improved passenger waiting shelters, improved lighting and streetscaping.
Partnerships with major employers along the I-35W corridor to promote flex-time and telecommuting programs.
Use of additional Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technology.

MnPASS is one of the most sophisticated road-pricing facilities in the world, according to a federal expert.

In 2005, Minnesota successfully opened its first priced lane, the I-394 MnPASS HOT Lanes, using dynamic pricing and innovative enforcement technology. As a result, the HOT Lanes now carry a third more trips during peak periods, while maintaining free flow speeds for transit and HOV users and cutting the rate of violations to less than 10 percent.

The UPA will assist the state in replicating this success on the system’s remaining HOV lane, located on I-35W.

“The goal of the program is to use the four T’s to slow the growth in congestion,” Bell said. “In 2003, traffic jams in the nation’s 85 largest urban areas cost Americans 3.7 billion hours of wasted time and 2.3 million gallons of wasted fuel.”