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RESOLUTION ~ <br />TO CONTINUE PLANNING EFFORTS FOR A NORTH EXTENSION <br /> OF THE NORTHSTAR CORRIDOR <br /> <br />WHEREAS, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, <br /> <br />WHERF. AS, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, <br /> <br />WHEI~AS, <br /> <br />the Minnesota Legislature authorized MnDOT to conduct two studies to <br />determine the feasibility of extending the Northstar commuter rail service. The <br />first study, referred to as the North Extension study, studied extending the <br />Northstar Corridor from its originally planned terminus in Rice/East St. Cloud to <br />Camp Riptey. '['he second study, referred to as the West Extension study, studied <br />extendhag the Northstar Corridor through St. Cloud to St. Joseph; and, <br /> the Northstar Corridor hits received and reviewed the feasibility reports, prepared <br /> by MnDOT, for both the North Extension and the West Extension to the Northstar <br /> Corridor; and, <br /> the feasibility reports indicate that ridership forecasts are higher for the North <br /> Extension; and, <br /> the feasibility reports indicate that capital cost estimates are lower for the North <br /> Extension; and, <br /> a screening level analysis of environmental and social factors shows that there <br /> would be no major impacts within the North Extension Study area; and, <br /> the projected per-mile capital and operating costs, ridership Ievels, and per <br /> passenger operating costs which have been calculated to date indicate that the <br /> North Extension commuter rail service would fall well within the cost and <br /> pertbrmance range of other, comparable new commuter rail services nationwide; <br /> and, <br /> preliminary evaluation of these characteristics of the projected service by BRW <br /> "strongly suggests that the North Extension commuter rail service is a feasible <br /> transportation solution" while the West Extension is determined by BRW to be <br /> only "moderately feasible;" and, <br /> Community support for the extension of the Northstar Corridor within the North <br /> Extension service area is substantially higher than within the West Extension <br /> service area as evidenced by vastly different levels of community participation in <br /> the Public Involvement portion of the feasibility study in the two Extension areas; <br /> and, <br /> funding to begin an Alternatives Analysis for the North Extension continues to <br /> move tot-ward at both the state mad federal level, while there is no legislation even <br /> proposed to continue studying the West Extension, indicating legislative intent to <br /> <br /> <br />