TITLE
Supporting Metro Transit’s B Line Arterial Bus Rapid Transit and requesting an extension of the corridor to Downtown Saint Paul, generally along Selby Avenue.
BODY
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul supports regional efforts to improve transit service as a means of connecting its residents with education and employment, linking its employers with a regional workforce and promoting economic development in the downtown and along commercial corridors; and
WHEREAS, Metro Transit Routes 21 and 53 are important local and commuter routes that connect people to jobs and increase housing affordability by supporting less dependence on private automobiles; and
WHEREAS, the City has been a partner in the study of a series of potential East Metro transit corridors including Gateway, Rush Line, Red Rock and Robert Street which would connect to the Union Depot from the east, northeast, southeast and south, respectively; and
WHEREAS, a transit connection from the Downtown Saint Paul to Uptown in Minneapolis, would strengthen the regional system and promote the development of downtown and destinations within the corridor, as well as access to regional job centers for many residents; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul has supported transit ridership with zoning studies to increase permitted land use development intensity, such as along the A Line; and
WHEREAS, the Selby-Lake streetcar line was historically an important corridor in the development of Minneapolis-Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, the City has long-standing and on-going investment in the economic development of Selby Avenue, including designating the area from Dale Avenue to Lexington Avenue as a Cultural Destination Area; and
WHEREAS, the Central Corridor Transit Service Study Final Plan Report recommended to “Improve frequency in St. Paul on Selby Avenue;” and
WHEREAS, the After Study of the Bus Rapid Transit 'A Line' Impacts found that the A Line increased transit capacity and rider satisfaction without measurable impact to traffic; now
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Saint Paul requests Metro Transit officially expand the scope of the B Line study and implementation to include the “Selby Corridor,” generally defined as the area from Selby Avenue to I-94 between Snelling Avenue and Downtown Saint Paul; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study include the extension of the B Line to Downtown Saint Paul to support the City’s transit, development and place-making objectives for the corridor; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study would consider a limited range of alignments along the Corridor to be selected based on overall route performance and community feedback; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED the City Council of the City of Saint Paul looks forward to working with Metro Transit and Ramsey County to support the project and to define a community engagement process for the study.