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State Representative Joyce Peppin
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-7806
For more information contact: Austin Bleess 651-296-5529
NEWS COLUMN
WHAT ARE THE BEST TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS FOR THE NORTHWEST SUBURBS?
By Joyce Peppin
State Representative, District 32A
As residents of the northwest suburbs know all too well, the freeways, highways and city streets in our communities are frequently clogged and slow-moving. Traffic congestion is commonplace, not only in our area, but throughout the Twin Cities.
Recently, the state organization charged with organizing transit and metro-wide planning, the Metropolitan Council, issued a report detailing transportation options for the Twin Cities metropolitan area. In the northwest suburbs, County Road 81, also known as Bottineau Boulevard, has been the focus. For over 150 years, the land on which County Road 81 sits has been used, first as a walking path, and, ultimately, as a roadway which took people from Minneapolis to points north.
The report shows that one such option for the County Road 81/Bottineau Boulevard “transit corridor,” is as a potential light rail route. Though not contained in the initial plans, the light rail line could stretch from Minneapolis through Brooklyn Park and Maple Grove to Rogers and beyond.
Why here? According to transportation officials, three criteria were considered when analyzing if light rail is a feasible option. The first was that if a corridor has “transit problems and opportunities.” Secondly, they compared the costs and benefits of light rail in this transit corridor compared to the other transit corridors; and thirdly, they “reviewed data generated by ridership and cost-modeling tools.”
This report on LRT follows an earlier report and much study which indicated this same roadway was a prime candidate for bus rapid transit (BRT). According to the Met Council, “Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a new form of public transportation that uses public roads, right-of-way and transit advantages to provide dependable, high-speed bus service regardless of weather or traffic conditions. In some places buses will operate in mixed traffic; in others where public right-of-way is wider, buses will operate in bus-only lanes to allow for faster, more reliable travel times and efficient service,” says the report.
Why the change from BRT to LRT? The Bottineau Boulevard Partnership outlines two reasons for the shift. First, the reported success of the Hiawatha LRT line makes LRT elsewhere more practical. Secondly, “political changes” including Congressman Jim Oberstar’s chairmanship of the Transportation Committee and the ability to negotiate with Burlington Northern-Sante Fe for access to the rail line in the corridor make LRT a better option.
Yet a third option under consideration is the establishment of an express bus service along Interstate 94 between Minneapolis and Monticello. Express bus service could be coupled with transit centers (similar to the existing transit center in Maple Grove), park and ride lots and bus-only shoulder lanes to potentially provide suburban commuters with a quicker commute.
Each transportation option is expensive, and each option has positives and negatives associated with it, which I will discuss in my next column. In the meantime, what do you think? Light rail or bus rapid transit in the County Road 81/Bottineau Boulevard corridor, or express bus service down Interstate 94? Your thoughts are important, and I welcome your comments and input.
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