Northstar, Red Rock rail lines score $$ from Legislature, but Bupkis for Central Corridor

Quality times at The Artists' Quarter last night. B3 Organ Night, AKA AQuesday, is pretty much the cornerstone of St. Paul culture, Mickey's Diner being the other cornerstone.

At the end of this session, fairly good news all around for transit in the Twin Cities, and the relatively astronomical gas prices definitely seem to be pushing these projects past the Legislature's tipping point. Every day I see lots of people commuting downtown on the buses belonging to the various suburban transit authorities like Maple Grove. The Strib reported that basically ridership is WAY up right now, to the point where some suburban routes are almost breaking even. Delightful! (I don't feel like talking about the stadiums. As always, circuses win over bread. Shocking.)

I got a happy notice yesterday from the Northstar guys:

Dear Daniel,

This weekend, the Minnesota Legislature overwhelmingly approved a bonding bill that includes $60 million for Northstar Commuter Rail. This was the final state commitment needed for construction of the state's first commuter rail line. The Governor is expected to sign the bill into law in the coming days, which will allow the state to seek federal matching funds for construction of the Northstar project.

The Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) will complete its application to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for a 50 percent federal funding match. The FTA recently provided encouragement for the project to proceed with final design and hopes to lock in its funding by this fall.

Northstar's success at the State Capitol is in large part due to the help of thousands of supporters like you. Thanks for your support! We're on track for Northstar to begin carrying passengers in 2009!
Duane Grandy
NCDA
Chair

For more local advocacy on this check Transit for Livable Communities. The Red Rock Corridor also managed to get some preliminary planning funding from the Legislature. Red Rock would run from downtown St. Paul to Hastings:

Unfortunately, the Central Corridor, the planned rail or rapid bus connection between downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul, did not score any cash at all for preliminary funding.

There are currently public meetings on the Central Corridor, so things will take a while to shake out, I guess. More on that stuff here and here in the PioPress and Strib here. People seem mostly positive., Literally right now, as I was about to post this, I got the following email from Transit for Livable Communities:

Dear Dan,

The final public hearing on the Central Corridor Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is tonight. TLC encourages transit advocates to testify at this hearing and get your voice heard.

TLC endorses light rail transit as the best alternative on the corridor, and we urge you to support this position strongly in your comments. However, we agree there are many additional issues that must be addressed by the counties and cities over the next two years. We suggest that you identify them in your comments as well.

For more information, please see the resources below that explain TLC's support for LRT and present other key issues that need to be addressed for the corridor's success. (The links will take you to our website.)
TLC's Position Statement on Central Corridor
TLC's Tips on How to Testify
TLC's Talking Points For LRT on Central Corridor
Other Resources (Maps, FAQ's, and more)

Background on the Central Corridor DEIS Process

The Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority is required to complete a Central Corridor Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The statement provides a description of current transportation conditions in the corridor and describes three transit options for the corridor:

1: Improvements to the current bus system
2: Bus Rapid Transit - BRT has buses running on a separate, dedicated right of way or on city streets but separated from other traffic. BRT could run on University Avenue but would be mixed with traffic at the University of Minnesota and in the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
3: Light Rail Transit - LRT features electric trains running on tracks, located either on city streets or separate from streets and traffic. The trains can be relatively short, with two or three cars. LRT could run on University Avenue.

The DEIS document is available on the Central Corridor website www.centralcorridor.org and at local libraries in print form. The DEIS answers five key questions:

1. What do Central Corridor stakeholders say they need from a transit system?
How does each option enhance mobility and accessibility for area residents and visitors?
2. What is the effect on economic development?
3. What is the impact on nearby communities and the environment?
4. What is the cost to build each option?

How can the public get involved?
It is important for this planning effort to reflect the community's views about this issue. The final public hearing for the Central Corridor Draft Environmental Impact Statement is tonight:
Wednesday, May 24, 6:30 PM, Central High School, 275 North Lexington Parkway, St. Paul. An open house for questions and answers will precede the hearing from 3:30 to 6:30 PM.

How to Comment on the DEIS:
You can submit your comments during the 45-day comment period, which ends on June 5, 2006[......]
What happens next?:
After this comment period, and in consideration of comments received, the Central Corridor Coordinating Committee will make a recommendation on a preferred alternative to the Metropolitan Council in June. The Metropolitan Council will select the locally preferred alternative. The Preliminary Engineering phase, once federal approvals are received, can then begin on the selected alternative--this process is expected to take 2 years.

Maybe I will go to that but probably not. I suppose I would see folks I know. Well, the gears are definitely turning and all that shit in the Mideast is helping push it along. I guess there is a small local advantage to total national catastrophe?