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I-35W MnPASS lanes open in late September

Express bus service from Lakeville to start as well

Commuters traveling to and from downtown Minneapolis from points south will experience some big improvements starting in early fall.  

On Sept. 30, new I-35W MnPASS high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes open in both directions between Burnsville Parkway and I-494, and northbound between 42nd St. S. and downtown Minneapolis.

MnPASS signs are ready for service on I-35W south of Minneapolis.

Like the MnPASS lanes on I-394, registered solo drivers can choose to pay an electronic toll to drive in the lane. The price for single-occupant vehicles will increase when traffic volume is greater. Buses, carpools and motorcycles will drive in the lane at no charge.  

“We expect the same, positive impact on traffic flow in the I-35W corridor from the MnPASS lane as we have along I-394,” said Metropolitan Council Chair Peter Bell. “With the addition of more park-and-ride spaces and new express bus service in the corridor, commuters’ travel experience will improve significantly.”

Real-time signage helps traffic flow

Roughly every half mile travelers on I-35W will see signage above the freeway with the current HOT lane price, advisory speed limits based on traffic and weather conditions, and alerts about lane closures or incidents. By the end of the year, additional signs will provide real-time estimates of travel time to downtown in both the HOT lane and regular lanes, as well as park-and-ride lot space availability.

As of Sept. 1, 500 drivers had registered with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) to use the HOT lane, according to Nick Thompson, Mn/DOT UPA program manager. Current incentives to register include $25 worth of free toll lane credits, and $20 free bus or train rides with the purchase of a Go-To electronic fare card.

The remainder of the HOT lane, between I-494 and 42nd St., will open in late 2010 concurrent with completion of Mn/DOT’s Crosstown/I-35W junction reconstruction.  

New park-and-ride to open in Lakeville

A construction worker pressure washes the side of the Kenrick Avenue park-and-ride ramp in Lakeville, which opens Sept. 28.

Also starting Sept. 28, commuters from Lakeville will be able to hop on new Metro Transit Route 467 from a new 750-space park-and-ride ramp at Kenrick Avenue and I-35W. Starting sometime in October, buses will have special lanes to access the freeway to and from the ramp to shorten travel time. The route will make six morning and six evening rush-hour trips.

All of these projects and others are funded with federal and state dollars through the Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA). The Twin Cities was one of five metro areas to be awarded funds ($133.3 million, with a $50.2 million state match) in the federal pilot program, which aims to combat traffic congestion through a combination of transit, road pricing, technology and telecommuting.

The focus of UPA project funds is I-35W, downtown Minneapolis and Highway 77/ Cedar Avenue in Dakota County.

A smoother commute through downtown

One of the largest UPA projects is the complete storefront-to-storefront reconstruction of Marquette and Second avenues in downtown Minneapolis, slated to re-open in December.  The new streets will each have two contra-flow bus lanes (contra-flow means they will travel in the opposite direction of two lanes of auto/truck traffic). This will allow buses to leap-frog each other and speed up their trips. Each route will have designated stops every other block.

The reconstruction also includes 28 new transit shelters, public art, more trees and more attractive landscaping and streetscaping on the avenues.  Several of the transit facilities will have real-time electronic departure information signs.

When the project is completed, north-south commuter express buses will be moved from Nicollet Mall, 3rd Avenue South and other north-south streets to Marquette and 2nd. The number of buses on the mall during peak periods will be reduced by about 35%. 

Once the expresses buses are off the mall, bicyclists will be able to use it 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. By the end of 2010, all buses operating on Nicollet Mall will be hybrid electric buses, resulting in a quieter, cleaner mall environment for pedestrians, shoppers and diners. 

Reconstruction of 2nd and Marquette avenues in downtown Minneapolis is nearing completion. Workers will construct transit shelters and complete streetscaping this fall.

“The speed with which these projects have been planned, engineered and constructed is stunning, and reflects the outstanding cooperation between the U.S. DOT, Mn/DOT, Metro Transit and other project partners,” Bell said. “These projects will be a model for other metro areas and make commuting a better experience for everyone.”

New park-and-rides to open along Cedar Avenue

The first UPA projects to emerge on Cedar Avenue are at the north and south ends of the corridor. Last fall, a special transit access lane was built to allow northbound express buses on Cedar Avenue to bypass traffic back-ups leading to the cloverleaf entrance ramp to westbound Hwy. 62. Instead, buses are able to turn left and cross southbound Cedar Avenue to enter the highway.

By the end of the year, two new park-and ride facilities will open at the southern end of the Cedar Avenue corridor. The first, a 191-space surface lot at 181st St., will open Sept. 28. The second, to open in December, is a new Apple Valley Transit Station with 750 park-and-ride spaces, a pedestrian overpass and side platforms to accommodate the future bus-rapid transit line in the corridor.

Next year, a new park-and-ride lot is scheduled to open at Cedar Grove near Highway 13 and Highway 77. In addition, buses driving along the shoulder lane on Cedar Avenue will be equipped with special lane guidance technology to help operators navigate the narrow shoulder.