Title
Supporting the Gold Line BRT Extension from the City of Saint Paul to the City of Minneapolis.
Body
WHEREAS, the Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line will open on March 22, 2025, as a mainly dedicated transitway between Woodbury and downtown Saint Paul, significantly improving transit access, reliability, and frequency for a section of the East Side of Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul has played a significant role in the development of the Gold Line and has had a representative on the Gold Line Corridor Management Committee (currently Councilmember Cheniqua Johnson) since the Committee’s inception, and the Corridor Management Committee (CMC) is made up of elected officials and community leaders who the Chair of the Metropolitan Council appoints to advise the Metropolitan Council, Ramsey County and Washington County on the design and construction of the Gold Line BRT project; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul’s Comprehensive Plan shows clear support for improved transit frequency and coverage in Saint Paul, which will contribute to a thriving city where car ownership is not required to meet daily needs, and both the Comprehensive Plan and the Saint Paul Climate Action and Resilience Plan set targets to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) 40% by 2040 to help meet the City’s goals to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council has recommended, through the Metro Transit Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), the Gold Line Extension, with services to and through downtown Minneapolis along Interstate 94 with a stop at Snelling Avenue; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council is in the process of amending the Transportation Policy Plan (TPP) to add the Gold Line Extension; and
WHEREAS, initial public outreach has been done through the MnDOT Rethinking I-94 study and Metro Transit’s Network Now Study; and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Saint Paul City Council supports the Gold Line Extension and Metro Transit continuing with the development of preliminary and final plans and right-of-way acquisition necessary for the construction of the project.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council will send this adopted resolution to the Metropolitan Council for their consideration.