PROJECT UPDATEPUBLIC OPEN HOUSE #5

MARCH 124:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Northern Service Center

WHY ARE WE HERE?

ALTERNATIVES STUDY WRAP-UP• Technical evaluation and recommendations• Feedback from project partners• Study conclusion• Future steps• Input from you

2

WHAT HAS BEEN COMPLETED?

PROJECT RECAP• Project Scoping• Preliminary Screening• Conceptual Definition and Preliminary Evaluation• Advanced Definition and Evaluation

3

PROJECT GOALS

4

PRELIMINARY ALTERNATIVES

5

FINAL ALTERNATIVES

6

EVALUATION

7

KEY CONSIDERATIONS

COST• Streetcar: $399 Million• BRT: $29.2 Million

RIDERSHIP ESTIMATE• About 3,100 per weekday for both modes

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT• Higher impact anticipated with streetcar

8

TECHNICAL RECOMMENDATION

LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE (LPA)• Bus Rapid Transit on Robert Street

SECONDARY RECOMMENDATIONS• Express service on TH 52• Allow for streetcar on Robert St. in St. Paul

9

POST-RECOMMENDATION

10

Ongoing dialogue between counties, St. Paul, West St. Paul• Reaction to technical recommendation• Consistency with broader city plans and goals

Broader consideration of transit policy and other plans• St. Paul streetcar study (shorter route - to C. Chavez)• Metropolitan Council Transportation Policy Plan

• Need to define policy on streetcar• City comprehensive plans

• Allow and support more intensive development near Robert?

POST-RECOMMENDATION (CONT’D)

DISCUSSION OUTCOMESContinued interest streetcar alternative• Interest from both cities on anticipated development benefits• Need for commitment from cities towards more intensive

development • Changes to comprehensive plans and capital investments

11

STEERING COMMITTEE/STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS

• Conclude Alternatives Analysis without decision on Preferred Alternative

• Carry both Robert Street alternatives forward for additional consideration• BRT• Streetcar

• Efforts to establish express service on TH 52

12

LOOKING FORWARD

STEPS TO A PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE• Land use planning with cities• Is intensified development a goal of cities along

Robert? To what extent?• How to accommodate through comprehensive plans?• Can one mode help more than another?

• Define streetcar policy• Re-evaluate as needed

13

LOOKING FORWARD (CONT’D)

FOLLOWING LPA DECISION• Environmental documentation• Engineering• Funding

• Timeframe for each dependent on mode, decision making process

14

HOW YOU CAN HELP

• Comments today• Input on comprehensive plans and neighborhood

plans (2015-18)• Input to city, county officials• Stay in contact (email list)• joe.morneau@co.dakota.mn.us

15

THANK YOU!

WWW.ROBERTSTREETTRANSIT.COM