4.3. SR 07-20-1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Work Has Begun on Northstar Corridor The Northstar Corridor Development Authority has selected the engineering firm of BRW, Inc. to examine the feasibility of introducing commuter rail service in the corridor. The consulting team, which also includes LTK Engineering Services, Wilbur Smith Associates, and Manuel Padron & Associates, Inc., began executing the work plan during the week of May 5. BRW's work plan covers several important areas. These include identifying the problems and needs in the corridor; investigating the potential for commuter rail service, including anticipated ridership and cost analysis; and encouraging public involvement. The first area - developing a clear definition of transportation problems in the corridor and their underlying causes - will provide key information to the BRW team as it assesses the future of commuter rail in the region. The team will look at highway and railroad facilities, bus service, land use and development patterns, and economic development issues. The team will also define other alternative transportation improvements, including safety improvements, intelligent transportation systems, and recreational trails, including connections to the Mississippi and Rum Rivers. Look for more updates on BRW's work in future issues of Northstar News. Resurgence of Commuter Rail Seen Across the Country Minnesota isn't the only state that is exploring the benefits of commuter rail. The resurgence of this transportation option is a national trend that is gaining strength from coast to coast. Here are three examples: California residents will get some relief from the state's infamous congestion. The Altamont Commuter Express - or ACE - will be the first commuter rail service between the San Francisco Bay Area and the state's Central Valley since the 1950s. It is designed to take thousands of cars off the Altamont Pass and Interstate 680 corridors. That's crucial, because in a little longer than a decade, about 200,000 cars are expected to travel through the Altamont Pass Corridor alone during peak morning rush hours. U.S. Route 7 in Vermont is a heavily traveled two-lane roadway with no public transportation along most of the corridor. It cannot provide adequate service for residents, commuters or tourists to the area. That's why, in addition to highway improvements and additional bus service, passenger rail has been proposed for a 12-mile stretch of the corridor from Charlotte to Burlington. The service will be especially important when work begins on improvements to Route 7; recent estimates suggest motorists will be delayed up to 40 minutes during construction. Seattle and the metropolitan Puget Sound region rank sixth in the nation in traffic congestion. To alleviate the area's traffic problems, the Central Puget Sound Regional Transportation Authority is implementing Sound Move, a three-county, region-wide transit system that includes commuter rail, light rail, and bus service. Sounder, the commuter rail component, will offer southern service from Tacoma to Seattle by the end of 1999, and northern service between Seattle and Everett by 2001. At full service levels, Sounder is expected to have an annual ridership of 3.2 million to 4.2 million people.