Regional transit, park projects win state funding

Mass transit received a major boost from the 2006 Minnesota Legislature with the approval of funding for transit improvements in five regional corridors, including the final installment in state funding needed to build the Northstar commuter rail line.

“It was a great session for the Metropolitan Council and for improved transit in our region,” said Council Chair Peter Bell. “In addition, the Legislature provided essential funding to continue expanding and improving our regional parks system. We are grateful to Gov. Tim Pawlenty, as well as to key legislators in both parties, for their leadership and support.”

Support for transit

The five transit projects funded in the state bonding package are all part of the Council’s 2030 transportation plan. It calls for the development of a network of rail and bus “transitways” in heavily traveled corridors as part of an effort to double transit ridership by 2030.

The legislation provides:

$60 million for construction of a 40-mile commuter rail line in the Northstar Corridor between downtown Minneapolis and Big Lake, with additional stops in Elk River, Anoka, Coon Rapids and Fridley. The total budget for the project is $307 million, with the federal government paying 50 percent of the cost.
$7.8 million to help fund an 11-mile light rail transit (LRT) line or bus rapid transit (BRT) service in the Central Corridor along University Avenue between downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis.
$5 million to help fund the development of BRT service between the Mall of America and Lakeville, including new transit stations in Eagan and Apple Valley.
$3.3 million for a transit passenger station on I-35W at 46 th Street as part of the plan to develop BRT service in that corridor.
$500,000 to study the possible development of a commuter rail line in the Red Rock Corridor between Hastings through downtown St. Paul to downtown Minneapolis.

See a previous article on planned transitways in the region.

The Met Council is expected to select a mode for the Central Corridor June 28 after it receives a recommendation from the Central Corridor Coordinating Committee, a panel of local and regional officials who have guided studies in the corridor. If the project receives the required federal approval, it could move into preliminary engineering and design before the end of this year.

In addition to the state bonding money, the Legislature authorized the Council to sell $32.8 million in regional bonds for transit capital purposes. The money will be used to match federal funds for fleet replacements, transit shelters, park-and-ride lots and other improvements.

Support for parks

The bonding bill also includes $7 million to help fund land acquisition, improvements and maintenance for the regional park system. The Council will issue an additional $4.6 million in regional bonds to supplement the state funding.

The funds will be used for a long list of park projects, including:

$1.5 million for the design and construction of picnic areas, gardens and trails at Lilydale-Harriet Island Regional Park in St. Paul.
$905,000 for trails, picnic areas, road and parking improvements at Bunker Hills Regional Park in Coon Rapids.
$700,000 for shoreline and trail rehabilitation at Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis.
Funding for land acquisition in Dakota County regional parks as it comes on the market, as a well as at Big Marine Park in Washington County, Silverwood Park in Ramsey County and Lake Waconia Park in Carver County.

See overview of Council's parks plan

In addition, the Legislature earmarked funds for several specific projects that were not park of the Council’s capital improvement request. These included $9 million for Como Zoo in St. Paul, $2.5 million for Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis, $2.5 million for St. Paul’s Great River Park and $191,000 for a regional trail connection in White Bear Lake.

The regional parks system consists of 48 regional parks and park reserves, 22 regional trails and six special recreation features that attract more than 30 million visitors per year. The parks are developed, maintained and funded in partnership with 10 county and local park agencies.