Council chooses LRT for Central Corridor

Members urge cost-cutting decisions early in engineering process

Citing its promise of reliability, high ridership and capacity for future growth, the Metropolitan Council on June 28 chose light rail transit (LRT) for improving public transit in the Central Corridor between downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis.

“LRT along the Central Corridor has the potential to be an even bigger success than Hiawatha and will help put the Twin Cities in an elite class of cities such as St. Louis, Salt Lake and San Diego,” said Council Chair Peter Bell. “It will provide expanded access and opportunities all along the corridor, as well as the destinations served by the Hiawatha line and the soon-to-be built Northstar commuter rail line.”

The proposed LRT line along University Avenue is part of the Council's 2030 plan for a network of rail and bus "transitways" to serve heavily traveled corridors in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The LRT investment is intended to improve mobility, build transit ridership, slow the growth in traffic congestion and reduce travel times.

Light rail chosen over bus rapid transit

Light rail was selected for the corridor over bus rapid transit (BRT). While BRT would be much less expensive than LRT, the corridor cannot accommodate enough buses to meet the projected transit demand in 2020 and beyond, explained Arlene McCarthy, director of transportation services for the Council. LRT is expected to serve 38,100 riders by 2020 and 43,270 by 2030.

A section of the Central Corridor route along University Avenue

A section of the Central Corridor along University Avenue in St. Paul. See full Central Corridor map (pdf).

In addition, LRT is expected to accelerate redevelopment and revitalization taking place along University Avenue, creating jobs, housing and economic opportunity.

As currently proposed, the 11-mile line will have 16 new stations, plus five stations shared with the Hiawatha line in downtown Minneapolis. It will be served by 31 new LRT vehicles with trains operating every 7.5 minutes during peak travel periods, and a travel time of 35 minutes between the two downtowns.

Council members urge early decisions to cut costs

Because of the extended length of time it took to complete the draft environmental impact statement, the estimated cost of the project, adjusted for inflation, has risen from $840 million to $930 million. The earlier estimate was based on the assumption that the line would be built in 2006-08. It now appears that construction will start in 2010 and be completed in 2013.

Light-rail cars used in the Central Corridor would be very similar to those used today on the Hiawatha line.

The Council now applies for federal approval to begin preliminary engineering. During this phase, the Council and planning partners will finalize station locations, refine the estimates of project costs, benefits and impacts, finalize management plans, and identify and commit local funding sources. The total cost of the phase is estimated at $40 million. Council members urged planners to identify, early in the preliminary engineering process, how to cut the overall capital cost of the project in order to meet federal cost-effectiveness guidelines and earn federal matching funds.

“I’d hate to see us spend a lot of money before we determine that the project can’t be done,” said Council Member Russ Susag.

If the project moves forward into final design and construction, the capital costs are proposed to be split as follows: 50 percent federal and 50 percent local, with the state covering two-thirds of the local costs and Ramsey and Hennepin Counties one-third. But state funding is by no means guaranteed. “If the Constitutional amendment [to dedicate 100 percent of the motor vehicle sales tax to transportation] does not pass this fall, we have to go back to the drawing board on this project,” said Bell. “Even if it does pass, we still will need some bonding dollars from the state.”

Corridor Management and Advisory Committees to be named soon

In coming months the Council will name a Corridor Management Committee, chaired by the Council, to provide oversight. The Council will also establish a Community Advisory Committee to include representatives of the community, businesses, and ethnic and other groups in the corridor.

Council Member Mary Hill Smith noted that Metro Transit has a history of taking community input and often revising plans as a result. “But community input does not mean community design,” Smith said. “The fiscal responsibility is here...at this board. Sometimes we have to make decisions that aren’t popular, but they get the job done.”

Sometime this fall, the Council expects to receive federal approval to proceed with preliminary engineering.