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Vision Statement <br /> <br />Commuter rail will be <br />planned, designed, and <br />implemented to provide a <br />unified, integrated, and <br />efficient multimodal <br />transportatiOn system. <br /> <br />,'"'.fn/Do~as built on the results <br />'~e Twin Cities Metropofitan <br /> ¢¢,'nmuter Rail Feasibility Study" <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />1.1 Background <br /> <br />In January 1999 the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) presented the <br />results of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Commuter Rail Feasibility Study to the Minnesota <br />Legislature. After hearing those results the legislature passed M.S. 174.80 to 174.90 <br />which gave the commissioner of Mn/DOT the authority to plan, design, construct, and <br />operate commuter rail in the State of Minnesota. Further, the commissioner was charged <br />with the responsibility of developing a commuter rail system plan that would ensure that, <br />if built, commuter rail would be part of an integrated transportation system that would <br />interface with all other forms of transportation including light rail transit (LRT), buses, <br />Dark and ride, bicycles, and pedestrians. In devetoDing the commuter rail Commuter <br />Rail Feasibility Study and in particular the implementation strategy presented in the final <br />report. <br /> <br />The commuter rail system plan addresses the following: <br /> <br />· How Mn/DOT will manage the authority provided for in legislation. <br /> <br />· Describes in detail the process that commuter rail corridors must follow to obtain <br /> Mn/DOT approval to move forward with'implementation of commuter rail. <br /> <br />· Provides a single point of authority to advance commuter rail implementation. <br /> <br />· Establishes ground rules for the funding and financing of all aspects of commuter <br /> rail activity. <br /> <br />· Develops engineering standards for system components. <br /> <br />· Declares a framework for conducting negotiations with the host railroad(s). <br /> <br />· Declares the necessity of coordination of commuter rail with all other transportation <br /> plans and transit services. <br /> <br />The commuter rail system plan has been developed as a prescriptive tool that ensures <br />commuter rail will be accomplished in a cooperative and consistent manner that <br />provides to the maximum extent possible, coordination among stakeholders. The system <br />plan reinforces the legislative direction that has placed Mn/DOT in charge of the <br />planning, design, construction, and operation of commuter rail and the system plan that <br />commuter rail will only be advanced where it is consistent with the transportation plans <br /> <br />Commuter Rail System Plan 1-1 <br /> <br /> <br />