Title
Transmitting support of the Gateway Corridor Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA).
Body
WHEREAS, the Gateway Corridor is a proposed project that will provide for transit infrastructure improvements in the eastern portion of the Twin Cities; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the project is to provide transit service to meet the existing and long-term regional mobility and local accessibility needs for businesses and the traveling public within the project area by providing all day bi-directional station-to-station service that compliments existing and planned express bus service in the corridor; and
WHEREAS, the Gateway Corridor is located in Ramsey and Washington Counties, Minnesota, extending approximately 12 miles, and connecting downtown Saint Paul with its East Side neighborhoods and the suburbs of Maplewood, Landfall, Oakdale, Lake Elmo, and Woodbury; and
WHEREAS, the Gateway Corridor Commission (GCC), in partnership with the Metropolitan Council and other project stakeholders, completed the Gateway Corridor Alternatives Analysis (AA) Study that in addition to the No-Build alternative recommended on bus rapid transit (BRT) and one light rail transit (LRT) alternative be advanced for further study in the federal and state environmental review process; and
WHEREAS, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA); the Washington County Regional Railroad Authority (WCRRA), serving on behalf of the GCC; and the Metropolitan Council have initiated the environmental review process for the Gateway Corridor project, with FTA designated as the lead federal agency for this project; and
WHEREAS, the Gateway Corridor project recently received the important Presidential designation as a Federal Infrastructure Permitting Dashboard Project; and
WHEREAS, the Gateway Corridor project recently completed the Scoping phase of the environmental process, which resulted with the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) and the GCC recommending further study of the No-Build alternati...
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