What’s the latest on the Southwest Upcoming Meetings Light Rail planning process? “Hennepin County and our city, Community Meetings: The Hennepin County Regional Railroad neighborhood and business We are meeting with Authority (HCRRA) and its partners are partners have been working community members and newsline continuing to advance the Southwest Light hard on this project since 2002. business groups to provide fall 2008 | vol.1 Rail Transit (LRT) line project. The next step The next several months are information about the is an 18-month environmental study – called Southwest LRT project and a Draft Environmental Impact Statement - to particularly important as we solicit input. better understand impacts of the proposed identify the preferred route LRT line on the surrounding community before and consider environmental Timing: Ongoing, please check What is the proposed moving forward with engineering, design and impacts and mitigation www.southwesttransitway.org Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Going Southwest LRT line? construction. measures. Continued community for upcoming meetings To date, the Hennepin County Regional Railroad The proposed Southwest Light Authority (HCRRA) has documented the need for Public input is critical to understanding how engagement is critical if we Rail Transit (LRT) line is a high- high-quality, high-frequency transit to serve the LRT may affect the natural environment and are to successfully transform Scoping Meetings: frequency train serving the rapidly southwest metro area – light rail will help manage growing southwest metro area communities. There will be many opportunities the Southwest Corridor vision The “scoping” process is a growing congestion and also support economic - Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Edina, to review information and provide input as of safe and efficient transit formal opportunity for the development. Hopkins, St. Louis Park, as well as the Draft Environmental Impact Statement community to comment on service into a reality for our Minneapolis neighborhoods and (DEIS) is prepared in 2008 and 2009. what will be evaluated during Reaching out to residents, business leaders, and metro region. downtown Minneapolis. Check the Southwest LRT website at ” the Draft Environmental Impact travelers is a key goal. Since 2002, we’ve presented www.southwesttransitway.org for a meeting Hennepin County Commissioner Gail Dorfman, Statement (DEIS). The DEIS is information at more than 90 community meetings Chair of the Southwest Policy Advisory Committee schedule and additional information. proposed to include the three The Southwest LRT line will connect and held 15 public open houses. Local newspapers light rail routes (see map inside) to other rail lines (Hiawatha, and network newscasts have featured numerous What is a Draft Environmental Impact Statement? and environmental issues Central, and Northstar) and high- stories about plans for a Southwest LRT line, and The purpose of a DEIS is to provide a full and open evaluation of the potential environmental including, but not limited to frequency bus routes in downtown close to 1,000 comments have been received from impacts of the proposed Southwest LRT line to ensure that decision-makers and the public are noise, vibration, air quality, Minneapolis, providing access the public - the vast majority of which have been aware of the impacts and of reasonable alternatives, to avoid or minimize adverse impacts prior parks, lakes, rivers, floodplains, to the University of Minnesota, supportive of the light rail train. to implementing the transit line. During the DEIS, the public is invited to review and comment on historic and cultural properties, Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport, Mall of America, the State Capitol, and the elements, which include the following: and traffic. Check our website downtown St. Paul. In 2007, the HCRRA and its partners completed an • Identify and explain the purpose and need adverse impacts of their implementation for information about upcoming Alternatives Analysis, which determined that a LRT for improved transit to serve the area • Describe agency and public coordination scoping meetings. Overall, the Southwest LRT line will improve quality of life by helping line is the best mode to serve the transit needs for • Develop and describe the alternatives for the efforts www.southwesttransitway.org metro area residents spend less money on transportation and more time the growing southwest metro area, and narrowed proposed action being considered • Serve as the basis for a decision to move with their families because of less time in traffic, while also benefiting our the LRT route alternatives to three. In 2008 and • Identify the environmental and community forward with the Southwest LRT line Timing: Fall 2008 economy and environment. 2009, the three LRT routes will be evaluated to effects of the three LRT alternatives and • Allow opportunities for public and agency narrow them to one for implementation by 2015, measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate input shortly after the Central Corridor LRT line between “ Southwest LRT Goals the two downtowns has opened. fast fact fast fact 1. Improve Mobility 5 2. Cost-Effective and Efficient 1 3. Protect the Environment Metro area commuters waste an average of 43 In an average week, vehicle miles traveled in the metro area total more than Hennepin 4. Preserve Quality of Life hours a year stuck in traffic. three times the distance to the sun, 93 million miles away. 5. Economic Development (Metropolitan Council, Texas Transportation Institute) (Metropolitan Council) © 2008 Hennepin County, All Rights Reserved • Printed on recycled paper • rev082008 h ut . o n L 55 169 e. Plym Plymouth Av 94 Penn Ave. Intermodal Vicksburg Station Olson Memorial Highway ALTERNATIVES LRT 1A LRT 3A LRT 3C Winnetka 55 55 Royalston fast fact 2030 Ridership 23,500 27,000 28,100 Twins Potential Routes . Golden Stadium 4th St e Dr Was Gleason2030 Lak New Riders 4,500 7,500 6,800 Valley 100 hington Hia After a two-year study of transit alternatives, w Ave. ROUTE a 4th St. ROUTE th Glenwood Ave. all a & 2015 Capital Cost $865 million $1.2 billion $1.4 billion 1A M C 3A t 6th St. en 2 tr three light rail transit routes were identified al icolle 2015 Operating Cost $12 million $16 million $17 million Laurel Ave. N for further evaluation to determine which White Blvd. Van 8th St Van White Hennepin Ave 10th St. Cost-Effectiveness Index (CEI) $30 $26 $30 12th S Southwest LRT trains will 394 12 394 Dunwoody 12th St 8th St. 12 Blvd. t. would best serve our communities. 12 394 ROUTE operate 20 hours a day, 7 Ridgedale 3C Shopping Minneapolis Center na Ave. Penn 35W 94 days a week. LRT 1A: 94 Park Pl. Blvd. Park 494 Louisia e Rd. Franklin Downtown Minneapolis to Eden Prairie via Minnetonka Franklin Ave. (Southwest Alternatives Analysis, 2007) Cedar Lak Cedar . Meadow Lake 21st St . ky . e v Park e the Kenilworth Corridor and the HCRRA in w 35W A v ty ssroad ROUTE R P A d e in . e p c 1A e n n . n Ave. Park d ROUTE property. Lak r e Nicollet Ave. Lyndale Ave. Lyndale Fra R H Tunnel da 26th St. h St. Louis t 3A Ce Lake u Hopkins Cro o Park of the m ly Isles With more congestion and P 100 Calhoun “ 28th St. 28th St. ROUTE LRT 3A: Beach Uptown Lyndale Midtown 3C 28th St Greenway Cedar Lake Rd. Club traffic, businesses would like to Downtown Minneapolis to Eden Prairie via Minnetonka Blvd. West Lake Minnetonka Blvd. Lagoon Ave. Lake St. e. St. Louis v Calhoun Park Commons the Kenilworth Corridor and Opus/Golden A 7 a City be able to help employees get M Ave. Ottawa inne n tonka Blvd. Hall ia St. Louis is Triangle area. Jidana u o 35W to and from their jobs, and to Park Park L Beltline Civic W Lake ood Nicollet Ave. Center Ave. Portland Calhoun Ave. Lyndale Park dale Bass Hennepin Ave. Minn rd 35th St. e Lake a help move products more quickly tonka B v le LRT 3C: lvd. u o 36th St. Knollwood Wooddale B Minn 169 A r et Mall 7 v o e lsio n . through the metro area. (In the Downtown Minneapolis to Eden Prairie via ka ce x Mil Excelsior E ls Rd 38th St. Nicollet Avenue, the Midtown Corridor, and . & Grand 38th St. southwest suburban area), the Louisiana 7 Minn eto ROUTE ROUTE ROUTE Ave. France nk . N a 40th St. Blake Rd. N. Blake e M the Opus/Golden Triangle area. i Hopkins 1A 3A 3C v lls Rd Ln Methodist public mindset has changed A . Hospital th Lindsey 7 2nd St. NE e. N. 1 11th Ave. N. vard Park Ave. tremendously in the last few Excelsior Boule 5th Av Major Employers Main St. Blake years–it’s grown in support for Central Meadowbrook 100 Park Lake • ADC • Methodist Hospital . Lake d R Harriet 494 k a Southwest Corridor line. Telecommunications • Calhoun Commons/ Shady 46th St. ” Oa Oak Rd. S. Blake y y Hopkins d a 5th St. S. • Golden Triangle Calhoun Village h S Dan Duffy, Duffy Architects (Member of the Southwest Ave. Xerxes Policy Advisory Committee) • Opus • Target Corporation Minnetonka 7th St. S. Interlachen Blvd. Interlach Ave. Lyndale en Blvd. Ave. Portland Williston Rd. K-Tel 35W Dr. 50th St. Mirror • SuperValu • American Express ROUTE Nicollet Ave. Shady Oak Lake . Baker Rd. Baker S Lake 3A . e • Cargill • Wells Fargo ROUTE v A ROUTE S. 11th Ave. 169 n 3C o n r 1A . e Smetana Rd. V fast fact . S d R Activity Centers Rowland ke Edina la Minneapolis B Rd. Glen Ave. France • Eden Prairie Center • Eat Street Lake Diamond 3 Lake Penn Ave. Wooddale Ave. Wooddale • Excelsior/Grand • Minneapolis Opus Smetana 1 58th St. Southwest LRT ridership is • Chain of Lakes Convention Center Tracy Ave.