Council members, Suburban Hennepin County officials discuss transit, transportation
Fourth in District Dialogues series held in Minnetonka
Contact: Bonnie Kollodge
(651) 602-1357
ST. PAUL – Oct. 1, 2009 – Local officials from communities in southern and eastern Hennepin County expressed greater interest in and need for transit and transportation, during a meeting with Metropolitan Council members Sept. 29.
Chair Peter Bell speaks with Rep. Jenifer Loon at the District Dialogue meeting in Minnetonka.
Council Chair Peter Bell and Council members Polly Bowles, Peggy Leppik, and Bob McFarlin met with local officials in Minnetonka for the fourth meeting of the District Dialogues for 2009. The annual series provides an opportunity for Council officials to meet with city, county and state officials to discuss top local and regional concerns.
The Minnetonka meeting included communities in Council Districts 3 (Lake Minnetonka cities, Hopkins and Eden Prairie) and 5 (Bloomington, Edina and Richfield), as well as non-Minneapolis portions of District 6 (Crystal, New Hope, Robbinsdale, Golden Valley and St. Louis Park).
“This is an important opportunity for the Council to interact with local officials to provide a brief update and describe challenges we’re facing,” said Bell. “But most importantly, we want to hear any issues and concerns local communities have.”
Bell provided an update on the transit budget and ways the Council addressed the projected $62 million deficit for the 2010-11 biennium. He also outlined transit capital improvements worth $21 million in state bonds for various projects throughout the region, including Central Corridor light-rail transit, bus-rapid transit on Cedar Avenue, and the Southwest Corridor project.
Bell provided an update on region-wide transit projects, including the upcoming launch of service on the Northstar Line, and continued planning activities on the Central Corridor.
Hennepin County is in the midst of choosing the preferred route for the proposed Southwest Corridor light-rail line between Eden Prairie and downtown Minneapolis. The project will officially transition to the Council when it enters preliminary engineering.
"We believe it’s up to Hennepin County officials, and the community at large to conduct a thorough review and analysis, one that the Council can ultimately justify and defend,” Bell said.
Bell also noted that although funds through the federal Recovery Act were not available to upgrade the intersection of Highway 169 and I-494, the Council is supporting MnDOT in an effort to apply for other discretionary stimulus funds to support the project.
In terms of transit development in suburban areas, Minnetonka Mayor Terry Schneider noted that the communities in southern and western Hennepin County are now more receptive to light-rail and other transit services. In fact, he said, they’re anxious for them to come sooner.
The greater challenge, Schneider suggested, is how to provide bus service in an area like Minnetonka, where population density doesn’t support regular route service.
"We’re looking for solutions, particularly with some transit dependent clusters in our communities that are just not being served,” said Schneider. He added that a more flexible approach would also help to demonstrate to residents the value of contributing to the regional transit system.
Bell agreed that density is a key factor for providing service, and that dial-a-ride service, which operates more like a taxi service, is intended to help augment where density doesn’t support regular route transit. He also explained that the Council is currently restructuring the dial-a-ride transit service to streamline and standardize how service is provided and help to ensure that all residents have access to one form of transit – regular route or dial-a-ride.
In response to a question from Edina Council Member Joni Bennett, Bell noted that the restructuring will provide consistent hours of operation and fares, as well as other operational parameters for the system. The goal is to provide a better complement to regular route transit and to avoid duplication.
Bell also discussed the recent changes in wastewater charges. There are two sources of revenue for the wastewater treatment system – the service accessibility charge, which developers pay to connect to the sewer system, and the flow charges that residents pay for collection and treatment. The Council recently changed the way the charges are calculated, which will mean increases in municipal charges starting in 2010.
Sen. Gen Olson asks a question during the Sept. 29 District Dialogue Meeting..
A task force, chaired by Council Members Peggy Leppik and Roger Scherer, will examine these fees and make recommendations to assure long-term sustainability.
Sen. Gen Olson from Minnetrista asked about the Council’s projects to use algae from the wastewater treatment process to create a potential biofuel. Bell said the project is a partnership with the University of Minnesota, and it has already proven that a high-oil form of algae can be turned into biofuel. “It is a very exciting project,” he said. “The technology works, we’re just wrestling with the question of scale.”
The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning organization for the seven-county Twin Cities area. The Council runs the regional bus and light rail system, collects and treats wastewater, coordinates regional water resources, plans regional parks and administers funds that provide housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals and families. The Council board is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the governor.
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