4.6. SR 05-21-2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Commuter Rail Solution Evolving transportation needs Population growing in Northstar Corridor 400,000 350,000 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 Residents of the Northstar Corridor already know that traffic congestion is an unfortunate consequence of rapid economic and popu- lation growth. Our corridor, extending from the St. Cloud/Rice area to downtown Min- neapolis, is the fastest growing region in Minnesota. According to a survey conducted in August 1999, 50 percent of Northstar Anoka Benton Sherburne Stearns Wright COUNTY Legend: r'~199o 2000 2025 (projected increase) Corridor residents said their commute was more congested than it was five years ago. And population and economic growth in the corridor are expected to continue, mean- ing even more congestion. As our area grows, our transportation infra- structure must grow and evolve as well. But today, there are no plans to build more roads or expand major roadways, such as Interstate 94 or Highway 10. Even if a plan was developed, experts agree that building wider roads cannot solve the congestion problems by itself. Simply put, we will not be able to "build" ourselves out of this situation. Commuter Rail: An affordable, common sense alternative CAPITAL COST COMPARISON New urban freeway $40-75 million per mile Light rail $30-50 million per mile Exclusive bosway $10 million per mile Upgrade to 4-lane highway $3-4 million per mile Northstar Corridor Less than $3 million per mile After careful study it was determined that building commuter rail is the right solution for the Northstar Corridor. Unlike roads, commuter rail is flexible: it can continue to grow with the needs of our economy and population. All we have to do is add rail cars, not entire lanes of highway. In fact, the Northstar commuter rail will carry the equivalent of 1 ~/2 lanes of freeway traffic during peak congestion times. The Northstar Corridor project has wide support in our area, throughout the state and even in Washington, DC, making it a realistic option. Best of all, commuter rail will be able to deliver the same basic benefits as an improved highway system, but at a reduced cost and in just four years. Affordable Commuter rail in the Northstar Corridor makes economic sense. The Northstar Corridor commuter rail line would share existing tracks with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) freight rail line. Additional track improvements are planned to ensure on-time commuter rail service and allow for growth of freight traffic. This means Northstar can use existing rail lines - reducing construction costs. Continued on next page source: Metropolitan Council