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Memo - South West Rail Transit Study Update ". : . . Public Works Department Memorandum To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council Copy: Steven C. Mielke, City Manager ~ From: Steven J. Stadler, Public Works Director Date: April 21,2004 Subject: Southwest Rail Transit Study Update The purpose of this Council Worksession item is to update City Council on the current status of this study and to understand the study recommendations to-date and the next steps in the plan development process. There will likely be much more public interest and concern during the next study phase as alternatives are more closely analyzed. . Katie Walker, Principal Planning Analyst for Hennepin County, Department of Transit & Community Works has led the planning process for the County and will be present to update City Council and answer questions. The Modified 3A alternative (described and shown on the attached documents) includes options of using the 11th Avenue South corridor through Hopkins or a combination 11th Avenue/Westbrook Way corridor. The next phase of the process, Advanced Planning phase, is projected to start in August/September 2004. In this phase there will be a more detailed alternatives analysis, including a closer look at the following issues: Costs Ridership Traffic Impacts Station locations Land use impacts Environmental impacts Community impacts, Le., noise, air pollution, pedestrian access, vibration . ..., + Southwest Rail Transit Alternative 3A Analysis . Background The Southwest Rail Transit Study was a joint effort of the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA) and the cities of Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Minneapolis. The purpose of the Study was to determine if rail transit is a feasible part of the overall transportation solution for the southwestern metro area. In July 2003, the Study concluded with a recommendation to continue study of a Southwest light rail transitway (see page 2 for the full recommendation). In December 2003, the HCRRA accepted the Study recommendation, which included conducting an analysis modifying the LRT 3A alternative to serve downtown Hopkins, Opus, the Golden Triangle, and the Eden Prairie Center Mall. The HCRRA directed staff to conduct this analysis and incorporate the results into the next study phase, which is Advanced Planning. Transitwav Development Process The following diagram outlines the anticipated steps in the development of a Southwest Transitway_ The first step in this process, the Southwest Rall Transit Study was completed in October 2003. The Modified 3A Analysis is expected to be completed in April 2004. Once the Modified 3A Analysis is completed the HCRRA intends to begin the Advanced Planning study phase. The typical study phases after Advanced Planning are the Environmental Analysis (usually an Environmental Impact Statement), Preliminary Engineering and Design, and Construction and Operations, The timeframe for completion of this process varies greatly e depending upon environmental issues, engineering issues, funding, and political as well as community support. Transitway Development Process Advanced Environmental Preliminary Construction! SWRaiJ Planning Analysis Engineering! Operation Transit Study npc:.lnn 16 months 12-18 months 12-18 months 24 months 36-48 months . . Southwest Rail Transit Study Recommendation The Southwest PAC, a group composed of representatives from the County, the study area cities, transit agencies, trail agencies and businesses, met seven times during the course of the Southwest Rail Transit Study and developed a recommendation for consideration by the HCRRA. The Southwest PAC recommended that study continue for LRT for the following four alternatives: 1A: from TH 312 in Eden Prairie to downtown Minneapolis via the HCRRA property and the Kenilworth Corridor. 2A: from the Southwest Metro Transit Station in Eden Prairie to downtown Minneapolis via 1-494, the HCRRA property, and the Kenilworth Corridor. JA(modified): LRT from the Southwest Metro Station to downtown Minneapolis modified via the Eden Prairie Center Mall, the Golden Triangle, Opus, downtown Hopkins, the HCRRA property, and the Kenilworth Corridor. 4A: from downtown Hopkins to downtown Minneapolis via the HCRRA property and the Kenilworth Corridor. In addition, the next study phase will address a rail transit connection along the Midtown Greenway Corridor, environmental impacts and mitigation measures, public involvement, and retention of the trails. i ..L f\:~ I . I I iT1 i~ -~,_ , ,I : i5;i I l I lSl.PIILl. ' '.~;'::='.~=r-f i " I I! r-- ", - I i l._ ~ I '-, , I ,~ - ~ 'i : ~. ~. Richfield j. ~- _-'I ~ l' .' I .' -- _ __' ill:, _, ./ - ~ - it-" -. ~,_.=,- ~"' I '-,- I ~ r~- Eden Prairie , : Bloomin@tcn I I I / . Modified LRT 3A Analysis . Purpose of the Modified 3A Analvsis The Southwest PAC recommended and the HCRRA concurred that additional study be conducted to reroute LRT 3A in order to better serve employment generators including the Eden Prairie Center Mall, the Golden Triangle, Opus, and downtown Hopkins. The current 3A alignment does not provide direct service to these employment sites because it remains within the existing Highway 169 and 212 rights-of-way. --- " , " , .' ".- . ~-~//f -- ., , Marriott / /~ ' / / Southwest j '~ -~~-~ I ~- \ --_. "-.. , ~ Golden _ ,___ ~ \ Triangle " -, , \\ I', ...,r~l\~----'" " - '--.- . . Kev Study Findings . A modified LRT 3A alternative selVing downtown Hopkins, OPUS, Golden Triangle, and the Eden Praine Center Mall is competitive in tenns of capital costs and ridership with the recommended LRT alternatives (LRT 1A, lRT 2A, and LRT 4A). . When compared to the anginal LRT 3A alternative, the modified LRT 3A alternative selVes an equivalent number of transit trips, but different passengers. With a faster travel speed an overall travel time, the original LRT 3A alternative attracts more trips from outside the study area (e,g., Chanhassen to downtown Minneapolis) than the modified LRT 3A alternative. With additional stations and stations location closer to jobs and housing, the modified LRT 3A alternative selVes more trips within the study area (e.g., Hopkins/Sf. louis Park to the Eden Prairie Center Mall) and more reverse commute work tlips (e.g., Minneapolis to OPUS) than the original LRT 3A atternative. . The capital cost estimates for the modified LRT 3A alternative is competitive with the LRT alternatives recommended for inclusion in the Southwest Advanced Planning Study (LRT 1A, LRT 2A, and LRT 4A). . A modified LRT 3A alternative presents more opportunities for Transit~Oriented Development around the station locations than would the original LRT 3A alternative. Southwest T AC Recommendation . Based upon this analysis, the Southwest TAC recommends that the next study phase, Advanced Planning, include an LRT altemative, or alternatives, that serve downtown Hopkins, Opus, the Goldent Triangle, and the Eden Prairie Center Mall. This alignment{s) should fall within the general corridor illustrated in Figure 4,1. Furthermore, it is recommended that during Advanced Planning the affected cities, Hennepin County, the transit providers, the Metropolitan Council, area businesses, residents, and other potentially affected groups work together to develop routing options that balance the travel time advantages of the original LRT 3A alternative and the access and economic development potential of the modified LRT 3A altemative while minimizing impacts to areas the route(s) traverse. Next Steps Southwest Corridor Advanced Plannino Study In late spring/early summer, the HCRRA will issue a Request for Proposals from consulting firms for the next study phase, which is Advanced Planning. The purpose of the Advanced Planning Study is to further analyze the alignment altematives (LRT 1A. LRT 2A, modified LRT 3A, LRT 4A, and the Midtown Greenway) to determine which alternative(s) are preferred by the study partners, The Advanced Planning Study is expected to take 12 to 18 months to complete and will include more detailed analysis of the alignment alternatives. . - - --.- - '-l I \ . I _\, :. 1 I - .1 '\\t. Lou i s I: \ r- I. r . . ~.I \ -"" -' IJ~~__ il /- \ j I - , L-, 1 J j " J --- I I L ~_...r-- / -- / .. / . / / - / / ;/ '--"J- - Marriott /- ''---~/, - - Opus Southwest . Iii ~ 1 n a --... ../ -=-= - ') - - / ':;.. - '\ / , / Golden. . 'Ie' Tnang _ Eden "1 n 9 t o-n . B I 0 0 m ,_ 'Prairie .._ - - Center .