Title
Supporting the designation of the West 7th Street corridor as the future METRO J Line.
Body
WHEREAS, Metro Transit recommends that the West 7th Street Corridor be designated as the METRO J Line Arterial Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line, enhancing transit service along West 7th Street and connecting Downtown Saint Paul to MSP International Airport and the Mall of America; and
WHEREAS, Metropolitan Council is in the process of amending the 2050 Transportation Policy Plan (TPP) to add the METRO J Line; and
WHEREAS, the West 7th Street Corridor was in the top three highest scoring corridors in the Metro Transit 2025 Arterial BRT Update Study; and
WHEREAS, significant planning and public outreach has been completed for transit improvements on this corridor through multiple past studies and the 2025 Metro Transit Arterial BRT Plan Update; and
WHEREAS, public engagement and project development will continue in coordination with Metro Transit and other project partners along this corridor; and
WHEREAS, transit priority improvements will be evaluated along the project route to ensure a fast and reliable transit system; and
WHEREAS, the METRO J Line project aligns with the Climate Action and Resilience Plan by creating infrastructure that prioritizes transit, thereby reducing vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions; and
WHEREAS, the METRO J Line project aligns with the Saint Paul Comprehensive Plan by shifting mode share towards public transit and reducing vehicle miles traveled; and
WHEREAS, the METRO J Line project aligns with the Saint Paul Transportation Safety Action Plan by improving multimodal connectivity on a High Injury and High Crash network corridor; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the City of Saint Paul supports the designation of the West 7th Street corridor as the future METRO J Line; and be it finally
RESOLVED, that this resolution adopted by the City of Saint Paul be forwarded to the Metropolitan Council for their consideration.