Area business leaders were in Woodbury last week to go over the latest transit alternatives for the Gateway Corridor.
If the east metro wants to maintain a vibrant business climate, a strong transportation system will have to be part of it.
Transit in the Interstate 94 corridor is picking up speed. One of four planned metro-area transit projects on the boards, Gateway moved alongside the west metro Bottineau Corridor this week as early ridership and cost estimates cropped up.
Washington County will receive more than $2.7 million from a special quarter-cent sales tax to help start two major transit projects, officials said.
In what's known as the Rush Line Corridor, the Washington County Regional Railroad Authority will buy a six-acre area in Hugo to preserve it for a future transit corridor of buses, trains or light rail, officials said.
A new St. Croix River bridge, perhaps? Plans for a commuter train on busy Interstate 94 past Woodbury? More crime-fighting tools? Rising taxes or shrinking government? The crystal ball for Washington County in 2012 shows a flurry of fiscal and policy decisions.
(ST. PAUL, MN)
The Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB) awarded $149.9 million in grants to transit projects throughout the region Wednesday morning.
(ST. PAUL, MN) Incorporating stakeholder comments
Since the latest round of open houses in late July, the Gateway Corridor transit study team has been working to incorporate stakeholder comments into the eight transit alternatives and their corresponding station locations.
Gateway Corridor project manager Andy Gitzlaff said about 50 or 60 people came to the project's St. Paul open house held at Metropolitan State University in July. "We had a lot of input," he said.
(ST. PAUL, MN) Lack of space forces scaled-back plan
The future of public transit in the Interstate 94 corridor between Minnesota and Wisconsin shed a couple of "ifs" this week when transportation officials and consultants declared a dedicated St. Croix River crossing a no-go.
The Gateway Corridor Commission has decided if a light rail transit (LRT) line or bus rapid transit (BRT) line is built from the Twin Cities to the border, neither one will cross the I-94 St. Croix bridge.
(ST. PAUL, MN) Along with other transit modes, planners are aiming to ease traffic on Interstate 94.
Any commuter sitting in the slow-moving parking lot otherwise known as Interstate 94 at peak rush hour has likely thought at some point: Isn't there a better way?
With the traffic problem on the main east metro thoroughfare to and from the Twin Cities only expected to get dramatically worse in the next 20 years, planners are working on both short- and long-term solutions to bring relief.
(ST. PAUL, MN) Next system could run from Minneapolis to Eau Claire
Some 90,000 vehicles cross from Wisconsin into Minnesota along Interstate 94's Gateway Corridor each day, according to recent studies. By the time the corridor reaches downtown St. Paul, the number of vehicles increases to 150,000. Population along the corridor, now estimated at 300,000, is growing fast.
(STILLWATER, MN) The Gateway Corridor Commission today released revised transit route options, along with possible station locations for the Gateway Corridor. The proposed transit options outline a plan to better connect the nearly 300,000 people living along the Gateway Corridor between the Twin Cities metro area and western Wisconsin.
(ST. PAUL, MN) A study taking a broad view of future transit options to unclog chronic congestion along Interstate 94 east of the Twin Cities is getting a little broader.
Washington County, together with Ramsey County and the Metropolitan Council, is sharing the cost of an additional $100,000 to see whether a managed or MnPASS lane is a feasible option between St. Paul and Hudson, Wis., on I-94. The freeway is one of the most congested traffic routes in the Twin Cities.
(WOODBURY, MN) Gateway Corridor Commission members made one point clear during a meeting Thursday evening at Woodbury City Hall. The proposed project is not close to moving dirt.
"We're no where near a decision. The bulldozers are not ready to go," said Stephanie Eiler, a commission consultant. Instead, Thursday's session was held so the Gateway group could explain their study to citizens at the meeting and get their feedback.
(ST. PAUL, MN) Some routes could veer through St. Paul neighborhoods, study concludes. Seven possible public transit proposals that name specific routes were unveiled Wednesday for Interstate 94 from the Twin Cities east to Wisconsin.
(STILLWATER, MN) The Gateway Corridor Commission announced today seven possible transit options that will receive further detailed analysis in its Alternatives Analysis Study (AA). The study initially screened 20 potential options to determine the best mode and route for new transit along I-94, from downtown Minneapolis through Saint Paul and east to Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
The seven possible transit options, which include express bus, light rail transit (LRT), bus-rapid transit (BRT) and commuter rail service, will be presented at a series of open houses in late February and early March. After receiving public feedback, the study team will look at possible station locations, service frequency and Park & Ride facilities. Those specifics will be presented to the public later this spring.
(ST. PAUL, MN) In a little shove that adds some momentum to transit expansion along Interstate 94, the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce has officially joined the Gateway Corridor Commission as a non-voting member.
The St. Paul Area Chamber joins the Woodbury Chamber and Oakdale Business and Professional Association in supporting development of transit options along the Gateway Corridor, which runs from St. Paul east along I-94 to the border of Wisconsin - and possibly beyond.
(STILLWATER, MN) In a show of support and commitment by the east metro business community to the Gateway Corridor, the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce joined the Woodbury Chamber and the Oakdale Business and Professional Association in supporting one of the metros most important corridors. The St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce is the latest member of the Gateway Corridor Commission.
Im excited that the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce is joining the Gateway Corridor Commission in this effort, said Commissioner Weik. The partnership shows how important the Gateway Corridor is to future economic and job creation opportunities. It is extremely important that the entire Twin Cities metro, including the east metro, is competitive for job growth and connected by transit.
The Gateway Corridor is currently undergoing an 18-month Alternatives Analysis Study that will determine the best transit mode and route from Minneapolis to Eau Claire. Approximately 20 possible routes are being reviewed. In the coming weeks, the number of routes will be reduced to handful and those will then be reviewed in greater detail. The public will be invited attend open houses in late February and early March at several locations along the corridor to learn about the possible modes and routes.
Area leaders cross state lines, looking for ways to improve travel. There's a new study that will examine how to make the drive along Interstate 94 an easier one.
Between the Chippewa Valley and the Twin Cities area, I-94 sees a lot of tires. "We know that we have a lot of commuter traffic going in that direction and coming back," says Eau Claire County Administrator Tom McCarty. "You get to Dunn County and it's more. You get to St. Croix County and it's exceptional."
More than 90,000 vehicles cross the St. Croix River Bridge every day -- making it the most heavily used Minnesota-Wisconsin border crossing. That number swells to 150,000 once you reach downtown St. Paul.
Some government officials, business leaders and local residents believe that the "Gateway Corridor," which overlays Interstate 94 from the St. Croix River bridge to downtown St. Paul, needs a makeover.
Eastern Twin Cities and western Wisconsin officials want an upcoming study to serve as a roadmap for future transit improvements along Interstate 94.
A coalition of elected officials touted the beginning of an 18-month analysis of Interstate 94 as a significant step toward improving the region’s transportation system to accommodate a growing population and spur economic development.
The folks in the east metro vow they will no longer be left behind in the region's race for public transit.
In a show of strength Monday in Woodbury, several political and business leaders announced the beginning of a two-year study to determine how buses and trains might use a "Gateway Corridor" running along Interstate 94 from the Twin Cities to Eau Claire, Wis.
How does “Gateway Corridor” sound? A public relations firm is recommending the I-94 Corridor, from St. Paul east into Wisconsin, be renamed the Gateway Corridor.
Gateway Corridor was the suggested pick from among five possible names for the east-metro stretch of Interstate 94.
View entire article (PDF)
The squeaky wheel gets the grease, and that's why the I-94 Corridor Commission needs to move now to get the word out about the corridor and its transit potential, says Gary Kriesel, chair of the commission and vice chair of the Washington County Commission.
Washington County is getting serious about improving transportation on the I-94 corridor.
Last year the county formed the I-94 Corridor Commission to begin exploring transportation options that might include light rail, buses or some combination of the two to create a more vibrant selection of transportation choices.
View entire article (PDF)
February, 2012
January, 2012
December, 2011
November, 2011
October, 2011
August, 2011
June, 2011
May, 2011
April, 2011
March, 2011
February, 2011
January, 2011
January, 2012
December, 2011
November, 2011
October, 2011
August, 2011
June, 2011
May, 2011
April, 2011
February, 2011
January, 2011
Current overview and next steps in transit planning.
Download Fact Sheet (PDF)
Map of the Gateway Corridor from the St. Croix River Bridge to Saint Paul / Minneapolis.
Download Map (PDF)
