Street resurfacing begins in downtown Minneapolis

NEWS FROM: CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS

The City of Minneapolis is moving ahead on work to repave many Downtown streets. This week, crews are resurfacing 3rd Street South. By October, more than 50 blocks of Downtown streets will have smoother driving surfaces for everyone who lives in and visits the heart of Minneapolis.

The affected streets will get a mill and overlay treatment, a process that involves removing the top layer of asphalt and replacing it with a new driving surface. This work should extend the lives of these streets by a decade. Bicycle lanes will be added to some of the streets, improving bike access to downtown.

Drivers should be aware that there will be periodic closings and detours throughout downtown Minneapolis as this paving work takes place. However, much of the construction will take place during non-peak traffic hours. Plus, weekday construction will generally be performed on one side of the street at a time so the other side can remain open to traffic.

This resurfacing work is in addition to street construction being performed by Hennepin County this summer. Stretches of Park and Washington avenues are being resurfaced by County crews this summer. When you factor in these and other City and County paving and seal coating projects, more than half of all streets in the downtown core will have a driving surface that’s three years old or less by autumn.

The City’s downtown street resurfacing work will take place on the following streets:

• 3rd Street South– From Hennepin Avenue to 11th Avenue South
• 4th Avenue South – from Washington Avenue to 10th Street South
• 5th Avenue South – from Washington Avenue to 10th Street South
• 5th Street South – from 11th Avenue South to 13th Avenue South
• 6th Street South – from Hennepin Avenue to 13th Avenue South
• 7th Street South – from Hennepin Avenue to Chicago Avenue

Many of the streets being resurfaced by the City were used as detour routes after the Aug. 1, 2007 collapse of the I-35W Bridge over the Mississippi River. These streets suffered more wear and tear than usual. As a result, $2.3 million in Federal Highway Administration emergency relief funding is going towards resurfacing these thoroughfares. Additional resurfacing is part of a High-Volume Corridor Reconditioning project, which targets streets identified as among the busiest Downtown.

For more information on the City’s downtown street paving projects, go to www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cip/resurfacing2011-downtown.

UPDATE

• From July 25th to August 6th, we paved 3rd St S from 11th Ave S to Hennepin Ave.
• Last weekend, we paved 5th St S from 13th Ave S to 11th Ave S
• Also last weekend, we paved 7th St S from Chicago Ave to 5th Ave S
• On Wednesday, we started paving 4th Ave S from Washington to 10th St S.  We hope to complete paving of 4th tomorrow (Saturday)
• We plan to start paving 5th Ave S on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.  If the weather cooperates, we might be able to complete paving of 5th the following Saturday.
• We plan to start paving 6th St from 5th Ave S to 13th Ave S on September 10th.  If the weather cooperates, we might be able to complete those 8 blocks by sunset on September 11th.
• We do not yet have an estimated start date for paving of 6th and 7th Streets west of 5th Ave S.  At this time, I am estimating that we are likely to start paving 6th and/or 7th in mid-September, no earlier than September 6th.

Loring Park & Hiawatha LRT Trail Detours Start Aug 5

NEWS FROM: CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS
On Friday, August 5th, the Hiawatha LRT Trail will close between 11th Avenue and 15th Avenue for construction related to the Central Corridor LRT. Construction is expected to last through 2012. A detour route will run along 5th Street and 11th Avenue.

On Monday, August 8th, bicycle and pedestrian path reconstruction will begin at the southwest corner of Loring Park, across from the Walker Art Center. A short detour for bicyclists and pedestrians will be posted. Construction is expected to last for 2 to 4 weeks.

The goal of construction is to improve the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians entering and leaving Loring Park. This will be accomplished by providing more space for waiting, a wider curb ramp, and clearly designated paths through the area. For more information visit the project website.

Transit public hearings canceled

Special session allocates $78 million in 2012-13; authorizes one-time fixes to fend off fare increase and drastic cuts

“We’re going to need a bandage instead of a tourniquet.”  That’s how Council Chair Sue Haigh describes the outcome for regional transit of the Special Legislative Session that ended July 20.

“It really is good news compared to what we had under the bill the Legislature passed and the governor vetoed in May,” said Haigh.

“Instead of a $109 million cut in state funding for the biennium, we have a $51.8 million reduction. Instead of a permanent cut in state funds, we have a one-time reduction that we can more readily back-fill. Instead of a fare increase and drastic service cuts, we have no immediate need for an across-the-board fare increase and will reduce service, as we routinely do, among those routes that we would modify regardless, due to low ridership or demand.”

The Council has cancelled planned public hearings in August and is, instead, focusing on the details of the Special Session bill.

“We’re in a much better position than we were, but filling a nearly $52 million hole won’t come without some pain,” said Haigh.

The one-time reduction will be addressed by all transit providers and funders with some one-time solutions:

• Transferring approximately $15.3 million from the Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB) to the Council for transit operations. CTIB already helps fund some operating subsidies along transitways, including Hiawatha and Northstar.
• Withholding about $7.2 million in MVST proceeds that go to Suburban Transit Providers (STPs). This will impact some providers more than others. However, the Council has the tools and ability to ensure that all providers will be able to preserve existing and productive service and no one provider will be disproportionately impacted.
• The Metropolitan Council will assume the remaining $29.2 million reduction, with administrative reductions through attrition, temporarily using capital funds for operations and property taxes levied from the Right of Way Acquisition Loan Fund (RALF), as well as transit reserves.

“I really can’t emphasize enough that we have a transit system and network that’s regional in nature, so I very much appreciate that CTIB and the suburban providers are engaged in this regional budget solution,” said Haigh.

The bill also authorizes some capital investment, allowing the Metropolitan Council to issue $35 million in bonds to fund the fleet and facilities that support transit throughout the region.

And, the bonding bill will allow the Council, working with CTIB, to allocate $20 million toward investment in projects that include a rail station in Ramsey, a Newport park-and-ride in the Red Rock Corridor, Cedar Avenue BRT, the Gateway Corridor (I-94 East), a Robert Street transit facility and a Maplewood park-and-ride in the Rush Line Corridor.

Haigh said she is mindful that in the longer term, the region and state will need to address on-going imbalances in funding if we’re going to meet growing demand for transit, but that’s another bill for another day.

“For the time being I’m very glad that we are able to continue the important business of operating the transit system, largely intact, because it contributes in so many ways to our region’s economy and quality of life.”

Join Guaranteed Ride Home 2.0

The Guaranteed Ride Home program offers commuters who bike, walk or take transit a free way to get home in an emergency.

New upgrades to the program make it even easier than ever to use. Metro Transit, the regional provider of the Guaranteed Ride Home program, has switched over to a new online system. This means that commuters no longer have to keep track of paper coupons.

Signing up and submitting a reimbursement  has never been easier. Register as a new user. This is a one-time registration. There’s no need to re-register every six months or change your account unless your information changes. You can use the program four times per year for a value of up to $100 in rides.

You can take a taxi or ride the bus or train, just as you could before. After your ride home, simply go online and fill out a reimbursement request. We’ll send you a check to cover your taxi ride, or if you took the bus or train, we’ll credit the fare on your Go-To Card or pass.

Don’t wait. Sign up today!

VPSI Launches vRide Nationwide

NEWS FROM: VPSI

vRide, the self-directed onine community for participants in our vanpool program, has launched throughout the country. As a result of the push, we currently have more than 28,000 members and 4,300 pools representing 75 percent of our fleet in the system. It’s the largest ride-matching system dedicated to vanpooling in the world!

vRide allows users to enter details to access the system and see active vanpool routes, vanpools in the formation stage, and potential commuters nearby. “It’s an easy-to-use, self-directed network for our customers with real-time communication capabilities – and a whole lot more,” said Clark Gross, VPSI’s vice president of Customer Initiatives.

The accelerated launch was prompted by early success in key markets where vRide has been up and running for several months. More than 100 potential commuters have joined vanpool groups currently on the road, and at least a dozen vanpools have been formed via vRide in D.C., northeastern Ohio, San Diego and at White Sands Missile Range.

The scalable, customizable technology platform is available in most VPSI markets and can be found by visiting vride.com. Later this year, VPSI will begin to introduce an in-vehicle mobile data terminal that interacts with the web-based system. “The mobile data terminal platform will make it much easier for our customers to collect and report data that’s required in certain markets” Gross said.

Planning Continues for Bottineau Transitway: study focuses on four alignments

NEWS FROM: MET COUNCIL

Bus rapid transit, light rail being considered

Transit planners in Hennepin County are studying light rail transit (LRT) and bus rapid transit (BRT) on a combination of four primary alignments in the Bottineau Corridor.  The Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority is gathering public input at six open house meetings throughout the corridor in June in preparation for developing a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) on the project.

Travel time, ridership, construction costs, economic development opportunities, environmental impacts and community input are among many issues being considered as route alternatives are evaluated. The DEIS is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2012.

Map excerpt shows routes being considered in for the southern portion of the Bottineau Corridor. (See full map.)

The corridor runs approximately 13 miles northwest from downtown Minneapolis, largely paralleling County Highway 81 (see map). It includes north Minneapolis and several suburban communities, and would also likely draw riders from exurban communities in northern Hennepin County and portions of Wright County.

The proposed alignments, starting at the south end, begin at Target Field and travel west along State Highway 55 to Penn Avenue. One alternative (D1 on the map) would continue west on Highway 55 and then north in the active Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad right-of-way through Golden Valley. A second (D2) would turn north on Penn Avenue and traverse north Minneapolis.   Both would join and follow the BNSF right-of-way parallel to Highway 81 northwest into Brooklyn Park.

At the north end, one alignment would continue north through Brooklyn Park along West Broadway Avenue; the other alignment would go west into Maple Grove.

Early alternatives analysis results eliminate commuter rail

The railroad authority and its corridor partners completed an alternatives analysis study in March 2010. The study process engaged stakeholders through project website information, email distributions and 182 meetings attended by more than 3,500 people. The goal of the study was to explore and identify the best possible transitway modes and alignment locations.

Commuter rail was dismissed as a possible mode early in the study process because of several commuter rail characteristics, including:

• Station spacing characteristics and the resulting limited accessibility to study area travel markets it would provide
• Lack of service frequency throughout the day
• Lack of a northern terminus activity center

The modes deemed most appropriate for further study are LRT and BRT.

“We assume a similar operation to Hiawatha LRT, but more study will be done to reflect the corridor’s needs,” said Brent Rusco, railroad authority manager of the Bottineau Transitway study.

A broad range of possible alignments that work best for both LRT and BRT were studied and narrowed to the current four, with many questions remaining about the alternatives.

Noise, social impacts among local concerns

Currently, the Bottineau project is in the scoping stage, an early stage of the DEIS process, which evaluates the alternatives for their potential social, economic and environmental impacts.  In this stage, a decision could be made about which direction the line would head after it crosses I-94/I-694 to either Maple Grove or Brooklyn Park.

“The scoping stage sets the blueprint for the DEIS,” Rusco said at a June 9 open house in Robbinsdale.  “Really important to this part is public involvement. Public input received through meetings like this affects the process; it has helped guide the alternatives analysis process so far.”

Business professionals, small business owners and families along the proposed alignments made comments at the public open house. Topics of their concerns include:

• Noise and vibration
• Transportation, traffic, parking, pedestrian safety, accessibility
• Parks, greenery, wetlands, wildlife
• Property impacts, jobs, gentrification, economic development
• Neighborhood and social issues

Noise from a possible LRT line was a hot topic at the open house.  Detailed evaluation of noise impacts will be an important component of the DEIS, Rusco said. The DEIS will include noise field monitoring and data collection for LRT, BRT, and all alignments under consideration.  The consultant team is currently developing a schedule for field monitoring.

Next steps

Scoping Process: June 2011 – January 2012

• Concept refinement: June – October 2011
• Public review/scoping meetings: November 2011
• Scoping decisions: January 2012

Preparation of DEIS: January – December 2012

• Public review of DEIS: Late 2012

Opportunities and challenges for the southern alignments

Residents at the Robbinsdale open house debated three alternative sub-alignments through north Minneapolis (D2 on map). Access to businesses, the need to acquire properties and the cost of construction were primary concerns. An important goal during the scoping process is to identify a single, preferred D2 alternative for detailed evaluation in the DEIS, Rusco said.

The alternative to D2, DI through Golden Valley, has a different set of opportunities and challenges. Some of these include faster service for the corridor, fewer stops proposed, wetland and floodplain impacts, and integration with Theodore Wirth Park.

“What we have heard is that [commuters in the northern part of the corridor] value travel time, and understand the travel time advantages of D1,” said Rusco about the feedback from Maple Grove and Brooklyn Park area residents.

However, D2 would offer direct service to north Minneapolis neighborhoods in the Penn Avenue area.  D1 would require north Minneapolis residents to travel to one of the light rail stations outside the neighborhood to access the transitway system.

Despite funding uncertainty, planning moves ahead

Like the Hiawatha and Central LRT projects, Bottineau is positioning to compete for federal funding for construction (up to 50% of total costs). Additional funding for the project could come from the Minnesota Legislature (10%), Hennepin County (10%), and the Counties Transit Improvement Board (30%).

“There is a lot of uncertainty at the federal level,” said Rusco. “Our leadership continues to direct us to move forward aggressively with Bottineau Transitway development.  Those corridors that continue to develop with local consensus on a preferred alternative tend to be competitive for local and federal funding.”

The alternatives analysis study provided rough estimates of the cost to build BRT and LRT. BRT construction costs were estimated at $518 million (2016 dollars).  LRT alternatives were estimated in the range from $920 to $980 million (2016 dollars) to build. Costs for both BRT and LRT include guideway, stations, operations and maintenance facilities, site work, signalization and communications systems, right-of-way acquisition and vehicles.

The alternatives analysis study estimated the annual operating costs for BRT at $21 million (2008 dollars); LRT operating costs were estimated in the range from $20 million to $29 million (2008 dollars).  These costs will continue to be refined as the transitway concepts are further developed during the DEIS study process and beyond.

Meeting travel needs in a growing, aging and diverse corridor

Population growth, increasing traffic congestion, job growth, economic development, transit-dependent households, and an aging community are factors driving the need for more intensive transit investments in the Bottineau Corridor.

Population in the corridor is projected to grow by 27% between 2000 and 2030. The number of households without cars exceeds 50% in parts of north Minneapolis. In addition, the region’s aging population will create more demand for transit service in the near future.  The corridor also includes several large job concentrations that anticipate growth in coming years.

The proposed Bottineau Transitway would be part of a growing regional network of bus and rail transitways designed to enhance regional mobility, slow the growth of traffic congestion, and provide a green alternative to solo commuting.

For more information

Public review and scoping meetings are planned to take place again in November 2011. Comments can also be submitted at any time through the project website. Visit the Bottineau Transit website for more information.

Secretary LaHood Announces $527 Million in Funding for New Round of Popular TIGER Grant Program

Thursday, June 30, 2011

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that $527 million will be available for a third round of the highly successful TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) competitive grant program, which funds innovative transportation projects that will create jobs and have a significant impact on the nation, a region or a metropolitan area.

“Through the TIGER program, we can build transportation projects that are critical to America’s economic success and help complete those that might not move forward without this infusion of funding,” said Secretary LaHood.  “This competition empowers local communities to create jobs and build the transportation networks they need in order to win the future.”

In the FY11 budget President Obama signed in April, $527 million was directed to the Department of Transportation for critical investments in the nation’s transportation infrastructure.  States, cities, local governments, and other partnerships and groups will have until this fall to prepare their applications for the popular TIGER program, which has funded high-impact projects including roads, bridges, freight rail, transit buses and streetcars, ports, and bicycle and pedestrian paths.

The previous two rounds of the TIGER grant program provided $2.1 billion to 126 transportation projects in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  Demand for the program has been overwhelming, and during the previous two rounds, the Department of Transportation received more than 2,500 applications requesting more than $79 billion for transportation projects across the country.

Projects will be selected based on their ability to contribute to the long-term economic competitiveness of the nation, improve the condition of existing transportation facilities and systems, improve energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improve the safety of U.S. transportation facilities and improve the quality of living and working environments of communities through increased transportation choices and connections.  The Department will also focus on projects that are expected to quickly create and preserve jobs and spur rapid increases in economic activity.

For more information, please visit http://www.dot.gov/tiger/.

Buses Replace Light Rail July 8-11 in Downtown Minneapolis

NEWS FROM: METRO TRANSIT

Route 55 buses will replace light-rail trains between Target Field Station and Downtown East/Metrodome Station from 10 a.m. on Friday, July 8, through 3:30 a.m. on Monday, July 11, due to construction.

Trains will operate normally elsewhere along the Hiawatha Line.

Buses will operate more frequently than trains, but bus trips will take longer than train rides. Metro Transit staff will be at key rail stations to direct customers to bus service. Platform announcements and electronic signs also give instructions on where to catch Route 55 buses.

Xcel Energy crews are performing construction work adjacent to the company’s corporate headquarters on 5th Street South in downtown Minneapolis.

To learn of any last-minute changes, call the Rail Maintenance Hotline at 612-373-3333, option 6.

MnPASS lanes during government shutdown

Closed to single occupant vehicles with MnPASS transponders

Open to carpoolers, motorcycles and transit

• Single occupant vehicles with MnPASS transponders are not allowed to use the MnPASS Express Lanes during peak travel hours from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.
• On I-394, the gates on the reversible lane will remain open for westbound traffic. On I-35W, the northbound shoulder lanes between 42nd Street and 26th Street are closed to traffic.
• The MnPASS Customer Service Center in Golden Valley is closed. Customer sign-up and account maintenance are unavailable and transponder requests cannot be filled at this time. Current customers monthly $1.50 transponder lease fee will be prorated. Community relations events are cancelled until further notice.

Minnesota State Patrol will continue to enforce use of the MnPASS Express Lanes.