2020 Transit Investment Report
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METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT FINANCE REPORT February 2021 The Council’s mission is to foster efficient and economic growth for a prosperous metropolitan region Metropolitan Council Members Charlie Zelle Chair Raymond Zeran District 9 Judy Johnson District 1 Peter Lindstrom District 10 Reva Chamblis District 2 Susan Vento District 11 Christopher Ferguson District 3 Francisco J. Gonzalez District 12 Deb Barber District 4 Chai Lee District 13 Molly Cummings District 5 Kris Fredson District 14 Lynnea Atlas-Ingebretson District 6 Phillip Sterner District 15 Robert Lilligren District 7 Wendy Wulff District 16 Abdirahman Muse District 8 The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning organization for the seven-county Twin Cities area. The Council operates the regional bus and rail system, collects and treats wastewater, coordinates regional water resources, plans and helps fund regional parks, and administers federal funds that provide housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals and families. The 17-member Council board is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the governor. On request, this publication will be made available in alternative formats to people with disabilities. Call Metropolitan Council information at 651-602-1140 or TTY 651-291-0904. Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 Transit’s value in a growing region ............................................................................................ 1 COVID-19 creates uncertainty for transit operations ................................................................. 1 The Regional Transit System ........................................................................................................ 3 Transit services ......................................................................................................................... 4 Transit ridership ......................................................................................................................... 5 Capacity Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 6 Existing transit system ............................................................................................................... 6 New dedicated transitways ........................................................................................................ 6 Arterial Bus Rapid Transitways ................................................................................................. 6 Other transit ............................................................................................................................... 7 Revenue and expenditure assumptions .................................................................................... 7 Capacity analysis summary ..................................................................................................... 11 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................. 31 Route Performance ..................................................................................................................... 33 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 33 Performance standards ........................................................................................................... 33 Performance measures ........................................................................................................... 33 Appendix A – Legislative Request .............................................................................................. 47 Appendix B – Summaries: Transitway and BRT Projects in Operation, Construction or Development ............................................................................................................................... 50 METRO Blue Line (Hiawatha Light Rail Transit) ..................................................................... 50 Northstar Commuter Rail ......................................................................................................... 55 METRO Red Line Highway Bus Rapid Transit (Cedar Avenue Transitway) ........................... 60 METRO Green Line (Central Corridor) Light Rail Transit ..................................................... 64 A Line (Snelling Avenue Arterial Bus Rapid Transit) ............................................................... 69 C Line (Penn Avenue Arterial Bus Rapid Transit) ................................................................... 73 METRO Orange Line (I-35W South Highway Bus Rapid Transit) ........................................... 77 METRO Green Line Extension (Southwest Light Rail Transit) .............................................. 82 METRO Blue Line Extension (Bottineau Light Rail Transit) ................................................... 86 METRO Gold Line (Gateway Corridor Dedicated Bus Rapid Transit) ..................................... 90 Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar ...................................................................................... 98 D Line (Chicago-Emerson-Fremont Arterial Bus Rapid Transit) ........................................... 102 Appendix C – Summaries: Corridors with Study Recommendations – Incomplete Funding Plan .................................................................................................................................................. 106 METRO B Line (Lake / Marshall / Selby Arterial Bus Rapid Transit)..................................... 106 E Line (Hennepin/France Avenue Arterial Bus Rapid Transit) .............................................. 110 Nicollet-Central Modern Streetcar ......................................................................................... 114 METRO Red Line Highway Bus Rapid Transit (Cedar Avenue Transitway) – Future Stages .............................................................................................................................................. 118 Midtown Corridor Rail ........................................................................................................... 122 Red Rock Corridor Highway Bus Rapid Transit .................................................................... 125 West Broadway Modern Streetcar ........................................................................................ 129 Highway 169 Mobility Study (Highway Bus Rapid Transit).................................................... 132 Appendix D – Summaries: Corridors without Study Recommendations ................................... 135 Robert Street Corridor ........................................................................................................... 135 METRO Orange Line Extension ............................................................................................ 140 Ford Corridor ......................................................................................................................... 143 Appendix E – Intercity Passenger Rail Corridors ...................................................................... 145 Northern Lights Express (NLX) - Minneapolis to Duluth High Speed Passenger Rail .......... 145 Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago Intercity Passenger Rail Service Phase 1 Study ................ 149 Twin Cities to Milwaukee Portion - High Speed Rail Corridor to Chicago .......................... 153 Appendix F – Other Transit ....................................................................................................... 156 University of Minnesota ......................................................................................................... 156 Minnesota Department of Transportation – Team Transit ..................................................... 157 Appendix G – Transit System Financial Summary ................................................................... 159 Appendix H – Regional Route Performance Data Summaries ................................................. 160 2017 Route Performance Detail ............................................................................................ 160 2018 Route Performance Detail ............................................................................................ 174 2019 Route Performance Detail ............................................................................................ 189 Introduction In 2010, the Minnesota Legislature adopted Minn. Stat. 174.93, which required the Minnesota Department of Transportation to prepare, in collaboration with the Metropolitan Council, a biennial report on the status of “guideway” projects in the state, with an emphasis on funding sources and project progress. MnDOT, with the Council’s assistance, produced four versions of the Guideway Status report in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2017. In 2017 (HF3, Ch. 3, Art. 3, Sec. 104), the legislature amended the statute to require that the Council, rather than MnDOT, prepare the report, and that the report take a transit system view as well as a project view. It also required inclusion of comprehensive financial information for the metropolitan area transit system projected out over ten years. The first iteration of this new report was produced in October 2018; this is the second. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the