Title
Transmitting the City of Saint Paul’s support for the locally preferred alternative for the Rush Line Corridor to the Rush Line Corridor Task Force, the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority, and the Metropolitan Council.
Body
WHEREAS, the Rush Line Corridor is an 80-mile travel corridor between St. Paul and Hinckley Minnesota, consisting of urban, suburban and rural communities; and
WHEREAS, a Pre-Project Development Study has been completed to analyze bus and rail alternatives in the 30-mile study area between St. Paul and Forest Lake, which has the greatest potential for significant transit improvements in the near term; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the Rush Line Corridor Project is to provide transit service that satisfies the long‐term regional mobility and accessibility needs for businesses and the traveling public and catalyzes sustainable development within the 30-mile study area; and
WHEREAS, the Pre-Project Development Study was a joint local and regional planning effort conducted by the Rush Line Corridor Task Force and led by the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority; and
WHEREAS, after a thorough technical analysis of 55 potential route segments and 7 transit modes and extensive public engagement through the Pre-Project Development Study, Alternative 1 has been identified as the locally preferred alternative; and
WHEREAS, Alternative 1 best meets the project’s purpose and need and would likely qualify for Federal Transit Administration New Starts funding; and
WHEREAS, the Locally Preferred Alternative includes the definition of the mode, conceptual alignment and general station locations which can be refined through further environmental and engineering efforts; and
WHEREAS, Alternative 1 is defined as Bus Rapid Transit within a dedicated guideway generally along Phalen Boulevard, Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority right-of-way and Trunk Highway 61, extending approximately 14 miles, and connecting Union Depot in downtown St. Paul to the east side neighborhoods of St. Paul, the Cities of Maplewood, Vadnais Heights, Gem Lake, and White Bear Lake and White Bear Township (see Attachment A); and
WHEREAS, Alternative 1 would be co-located with the Bruce Vento Trail through the portion of the route that utilizes the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority right-of-way; and
WHEREAS, the next phase of the project will include environmental analysis under the Federal and State environmental review processes to avoid, minimize, and mitigate potential impacts while maximizing mobility, accessibility and surrounding economic development opportunities; and
WHEREAS, the public will continue to be engaged throughout the environmental review process and subsequent design, engineering and construction phases to ensure that the project is reflective of the needs of the diverse communities within the Rush Line Corridor; and
WHEREAS, a connector bus from White Bear Lake to Forest Lake and other bus service improvements will continue to be explored during the environmental analysis phase of the Project; and
WHEREAS, the comments submitted by agencies, adjacent communities, the business sector and the public during the Locally Preferred Alternative comment period and throughout the duration of the Pre-Project Development Study will be addressed accordingly in the environmental analysis phase of the Project; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul’s Comprehensive Plan, in Figure T-C of the Transportation Chapter, identifies a generalized Rush Line Corridor heading northeast from Downtown Saint Paul as being a desired transitway within its Preferred Transit Network; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul’s Planning Commission, upon receiving recommendation from its Transportation Committee, recommended support for the LPA on July 28, 2017.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Saint Paul supports the selection of Alternative 1 as the locally preferred alternative; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Saint Paul commits to undertaking and developing station area plans for the proposed BRT station areas within its jurisdiction based on market conditions, community input and Metropolitan Council guidelines and expectation for development density, level of activity and design; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Saint Paul supports the planned Route 54 extension and exploration of other transit improvements within the study area including, but not limited to, the future conversion of Route 54 to Arterial BRT and the consideration of a potential Modern Streetcar along E. 7th St to create a more comprehensive transit system; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this resolution adopted by the City of Saint Paul be forwarded to the Rush Line Corridor Task Force, the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority and the Metropolitan Council for their consideration.