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Metropolitan Council takes public comment on transportation plan amendments

Changes would incorporate LRT on Southwest Corridor and improvements on I-94 between Minneapolis and St. Paul

ST. PAUL—Feb. 26, 2010—The Metropolitan Council is taking public comments on amending the region’s long-range Transportation Policy Plan (TPP) to include light rail on the Southwest Corridor in Hennepin County and modifications to I-94 that will improve mobility and safety on the corridor between the two central cities. The Council approved a public hearing date on these two issues of April 12 at 5 p.m. at Council offices in St. Paul.

Southwest Corridor LRT

Southwest Corridor is a proposed transit corridor between Minneapolis and Eden Prairie, providing service to Eden Prairie, Edina, Minnetonka, Hopkins, St. Louis Park and Minneapolis.

The corridor is about 14 miles in length, and would connect two major job centers and link to three other rail corridors at the Target Field Station in Minneapolis, including Hiawatha, Central and Northstar.  It would provide access to destinations such as the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Mall of America, the State Capitol and downtown St. Paul.

The Council will take comments on light rail along the Kenilworth-Opus-Golden Triangle alignment, which is the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for the Southwest transit corridor.  The alignment was recommended by the Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority (HCRRA) and the communities through which the corridor will pass. See a map showing the preferred alignment and proposed station locations (pdf).

The Council must amend the region’s transportation plan and approve the LPA for the project to advance to the next level.

“This is an important day for the Southwest Corridor,” said Council Chair Peter Bell. “It begins the process of transitioning the project to the Metropolitan Council, which will put Southwest in a position to qualify for federal funding. And, it positions the region to continue the development of a network of transit corridors that improve mobility, slow the growth in congestion and connect residents to jobs and other destinations.”

“This is a big step forward,” agreed Hennepin County Commissioner Gail Dorfman, who, as Chair of the Southwest Policy Advisory Committee, played a key leadership role in getting the project to this point in the process.

“The six Southwest LRT cities, together with broad community and business involvement, were instrumental in building support for this project,” said Dorfman.  “Southwest LRT will add a critical link to the metropolitan transportation network, providing a connection to the many jobs and housing opportunities in Minneapolis and the western suburbs.”

More about the Southwest Corridor project.

I-94 improvements

In 2007, the bus-only shoulder of I-94 between TH280 and I-35W was converted, temporarily, to a general purpose lane in response to the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis.  Previously, only buses could use the lane to provide a transit advantage to high occupancy vehicles.

Since then, the Council, Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) and the Minnesota Division of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have studied and evaluated corridor improvements that would better balance the needs of motorists and transit customers. As a result, Mn/DOT will make a series of changes on I-94 between 5th Street in St. Paul and the Lowry Tunnel in Minneapolis that will improve traffic flow and safety, and incorporate transit advantages.

The corridor is one of the busiest stretches of interstate in Minnesota and accommodates more than 171,000 vehicles a day.  To improve the corridor, Mn/DOT officials say they will resurface the roadway, rehabilitate concrete pavement and work on signage, lighting, traffic management sensors and other electronics.

Because the improvement project will encompass more than a mile of the interstate, the modifications must be incorporated in the region’s transportation plan.

Public Comment

The Council will hold the public hearing to amend the TPP at its April 12 Transportation Committee meeting at Council offices at 390 Robert Street N. in St. Paul. The full Council will vote on the TPP amendments at a Council meeting on May 26.

The public comment period closes at the end of the day April 22.  To comment on the TPP amendments members of the public may:

• Write the Regional Data Center at 390 Robert St. N., St. Paul, MN 55101
• Email the Regional Data Center at data.center@metc.state.mn.us
• Record a comment on the Public Comment Line at 651.602.1500 (TTY 651.291.0904)
• Fax the Regional Data Center at 651.602.1464. 

 

The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning organization for the seven-county Twin Cities area. The Council runs the regional bus system, as well as Hiawatha LRT and Northstar Commuter Rail, 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 Minnesota governor.

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