Central Corridor committee holds first meeting

Members of the Community Advisory Committee for the LRT project were briefed on their role and some of the challenges ahead.

With a mix of enthusiasm, realism and encouragement, Metropolitan Council Chair Peter Bell addressed the inaugural meeting of the Central Corridor Community Advisory Committee (CAC) on Jan. 18 in St. Paul.

Getting light rail up and running in the Central Corridor “will be a Herculean task; we shouldn’t kid ourselves,” Bell told the 42-member committee. “But I am convinced it will happen.” He emphasized that Central Corridor LRT will be his “No. 1 priority” for the next several years.

Modeled on the community advisory committee for the Hiawatha LRT project, the Central Corridor CAC comprises representatives of a variety of constituencies, including neighborhood councils, educational institutions, disability advocacy groups, businesses and nonprofits with a stake in the corridor. As the members introduced themselves, several commented about their hopes for the corridor.

Margot Imdieke Cross, representing the Minnesota State Council on Disability, said she is participating to ensure that Central Corridor LRT is fully accessible to people with disabilities. Cross consulted closely with project staff for the Hiawatha Corridor, which she called “one of the most accessible LRTs in the country.”

Peter Bell visited with members of the new Central Corridor Community Advisory Committee in St. Paul Thursday. Seated, from the left, are community members Julie Wild, Denise Fosse and Joshua Bunker.

“Many of our clients tell us that transportation is the No. 1 barrier to education and employment,” said Denise Fosse of Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota. “I want to make sure that the development that occurs [in conjunction with LRT] is something that benefits our community and our participants.”

Helping to pare down costs

After introductions, Bell and Project Director Mark Fuhrmann gave the committee an overview of the project and the CAC’s role during the two-year preliminary engineering phase, which started with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approval in mid-December, a month ago.

In the first seven months of 2007, the CAC’s major task will be to advise the Corridor Management Committee on how to pare down the estimated $932 million cost of the project so that it meets federal cost-effectiveness requirements. Major possibilities include shortening or eliminating the tunnel on the U of M campus; stopping the line before it reaches the Union Depot in downtown St. Paul; and cutting back the scope of reconstruction on University Avenue. The CAC also needs to look at the possibility of adding other costs, such as purchasing additional LRT vehicles to better handle expected ridership.

Securing funding for the project will be one of the biggest challenges, Bell said. If the FTA approves the project for final design and full funding, the FTA will provide 50 percent of the capital costs. The remainder would be split as follows: state, 33 percent; Ramsey County, 12 percent; and Hennepin County, 5 percent. A project that will meet FTA cost-effectiveness requirements could require as much as $280 million from the state. “We will need to work hard and diligently” to ensure state funding, Bell said.

“The FTA wants to see local funding committed before the project moves into final design [in two years],” Fuhrmann said. In a perfect world, he added, that would mean securing the state commitment in the current and next legislative sessions.

Ensuring the project has “a positive impact”

CAC chair Jerry Blakey, a former St. Paul City Council member, told the committee that it is participating in “a great historic opportunity.” LRT will have “a huge impact” on the future of the corridor, he said, “and we want to make sure it’s a positive impact.”

“It’s important that we listen to each other and hear each other out,” Blakey said. “I believe in the community process. Sometimes it can get messy, and that’s OK. In the end, the product will be good.”

“I can’t stress enough the importance of having significant community input,” Bell said. “This project will not be a viable, legitimate project unless the community embraces it.” CAC meetings will be held from 5-7 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at Goodwill/Easter Seals, 553 Fairview Ave., St. Paul. Visitors are welcome.