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<br />I. Introduction <br /> <br />The proposed Northstar Corridor Rail Project (Project) will provide commuter <br />rail service along a 40-mile corridor from downtown Minneapolis to Big Lake, <br />Minnesota parallel to Trunk Highways 47 and 10. It will use existing rail tracks <br />owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) and include 6 <br />stations. The commuter line is expected to carry 5,600 passengers per day by <br />. the year 2025. The rail line will have inter-modal connections to bus transit and <br />to the Hiawatha Light Rail Transit (LRT) line. The Northstar connection to LRT <br />consists of a four-block extension on the north end of the Hiawatha LRT to <br />reach the downtown Minneapolis commuter rail station. With the exception of <br />the downtown Minneapolis station, all of the stations will have park and ride <br />facilities. <br /> <br />The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT), the grantee, is <br />working closely with its partners, the Northstar Corridor Development Authority <br />(NCDA) and the Metropolitan Council, to deliver the Northstar Project. The <br />Northstar Project Office (NPO) was established with staff from each partnering <br />agency to oversee the implementation of the Project. <br /> <br />Since the last written report to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), dated <br />September 2005, the following occurred and are described in this report: <br /> <br />. NPO staff continue working with FTA and the Project Management <br />Oversight Consultant (PMOC) on revising materials needed to gain a <br />"Recommended" rating and approval for entry into final design <br />. NPO staff continue working with the PMOC so FTA can assess if the <br />Project is ready for the Risk Assessment <br />. Property acquisition is now the responsibility of Mn/DOT <br />. BNSF Construction and Operating Agreement discussions continue <br />. NPO staff are working with BNSF on track and signal design <br />improvements <br />. Monthly staff meetings with BNSF Engineering and Operations staff <br />have been initiated <br />· Monthly Fire Life Safety Committee Meetings have been initiated <br />. Mn/DOT and NCDA responded to FT A's draft procurement system <br />review report <br />. Marsh USA, Inc. is conducting an insurance risk assessment <br />. Northstar public information efforts continue <br />. NPO Staff are preparing for upcoming Peer Review <br /> <br />Monthly Report <br />October 2005 <br /> <br />-3- <br /> <br />Northslar Corridor Rail Project <br />