Implementation Plan PREPARED FOR: Red Rock Corridor Commission PREPARED BY: SEPTEMBER 2016 This page is intentionally left blank TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Executive Summary x4 2 Project Background 10 3 Stakeholder Engagement 14 4 Preferred Alternative 18 5 Financial Plan 28 6 Phasing Plan 36 7 Recommendations and Next Steps 40 8 Appendix 42 Red Rock Implementation Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Chapter 1: Executive Summary Red Rock Implementation Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Introduction The Washington, Dakota, Ramsey, and Hennepin Stakeholder Engagement Engagement at Park & Rides County Regional Railroad Authorities completed an Alternative Evaluation Implementation Plan for the Red Rock Corridor. The Red Rock Corridor is a proposed 30-mile transitway that runs Preferred Alternative along Highway 61 and Interstate 94 between Hastings Financial Plan and Union Depot in Saint Paul with connecting service to Phasing Plan Minneapolis (see Figure 1-1). Figure 1-1: Project Area N 1.3 Project Goals M O E R T T R H O S B T L A E U R R E R U The following project goals were adopted by the Red L I A RAMSEY N I S L E H E XT L E COUNTY I N N S 694 IO E N 35W C O Rock Corridor Commission on May 22, 2013 as part R R I N D 394 O O SI N R TE ME X TRO of the AAU process to lead planning efforts for the E Union Depot E GRE E E IN N LINE L N GATEWAY CORRIDOR N I L 94 E E M R E R G E G O O T TR N R B E Lower E A O corridor. M R R B T O L U S Afton O T R E R T L E E I E N M T E C R O 494 O HENNEPIN D R 1. I R Provide mode choice and service plan that meets R I R D O O WASHINGTON COUNTY C W R IE V COUNTY R E V the demonstrated and forecasted needs of I R Newport 1.5 Alternative Evaluation St. Paul Park corridor communities Overview M 61 E T Cottage Grove 2. Cost effectively address transportation problems R O Two BRT alignment alternatives were explored beyond R E E D 35W L I N Jamaica Avenue E in the corridor the alternatives that were identified in the Alternatives 3. Increase opportunities for community and Analysis Update (AAU). SCOTT COUNTY DAKOTA economic development throughout the corridor COUNTY The initial alignment that was identified included a BRT Hastings 4. Improve quality of natural and built environment alignment with a highway orientation along Highway 61 61 between Union Depot in Saint Paul and Hastings Depot 1.4 Stakeholder Engagement (Alternative 1). 1.2 Purpose of Report Planning for the Implementation Plan involved At the onset of the Implementation Plan, it was noted that stations along Highway 61 from the AAU may The Implementation Plan builds off the outreach and coordination with community members, miss some of the established development along the recommendations from the Red Rock Alternatives businesses, civic organizations, and others interested in corridor and stakeholders requested that another route Analysis Updated (AAU) to create financial, the project. A Business and Civic Advisory Committee be investigated. Thus, a second BRT alternative was development, and service plans to provide better transit was established as part of the project. City and county introduced to focus more on the existing density in the connections between corridor communities and the agencies were also engaged in the process to provide corridor that would be more likely to support all-day regional network. direction on the project and the engagement process. transit service. The second alternative included stations A Public Involvement Plan (PIP) was developed to clarify The following sections of the report summarize the on the east side of Saint Paul within the Gateway the goals and objectives for public outreach. individual tasks that form the Implementation Plan. Corridor, into the developed part of Cottage Grove, and 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Red Rock Corridor Commission Figure 1-2: Alternative 1 further into Hastings. St. Paul Park did not have a station N in the routing recommended in the AAU, so a station in 35E 7TH ST E INWOOD AVE N AVE INWOOD CENTURY AVE AVE CENTURY NEAL AVE N AVE NEAL MCKNIGHT RD N MCKNIGHT KEATS AVE AVE N KEATS WHITE BEAR AVE N AVE BEAR WHITE 64 MANNING AVE N AVE MANNING St. Paul Park was added to both alternatives. N ELMO AVE LAKE ! WARNER RD Union Depot The following two project alternatives were evaluated UPPER AFTON RD based on projected cost, ridership, and service: PLATO BLVD E CENTURY AVE S AVE CENTURY LOWER AFTON RD Ramsey County Alternative 1: BRT Along Highway 61 with a Highway ! Lower Afton Park & Ride CONCORD ST Orientation 44 VALLEY CREEK RD Alternative 2:BRT Along Highway 61 with a BUTLER AVE W BUTLER AVE CONCORD ST N CEN MCKNIGHT RD S RD MCKNIGHT Community Orientation TURY AVE S THOMPSON AVE CARVER AVE The routes and station locations for the two alternatives DR WOODBURY WENTWORTH AVE E WENTWORTH AVE RADIO DR RADIO MANNING AVE S AVE MANNING STERLING ST ST S STERLING are shown in Figure 1-2 and 1-3. AVEN 15TH MAXELL CONCORD ST S BAILEY RD 40TH ST S 3RD AVE N SOUTHVIEW BLVD AV OAKDALE AVE OAKDALE E Newport Transit Station MENDOTA RD E HIGHWAY 110 BABCOCK TRL ! NEAL AVE S AVE NEAL 1.6 Station-Level Evaluation 21ST ST During the station-level analysis, it was determined Washington County that Alternative 2 would be further evaluated with two MILITARY RD 4TH 4TH AVE options: Alternative 2A and 2B. ES HASTINGS AVE 65TH ST S HINTON AV HINTON 66TH ST E 4TH AVE Alternative 2A:BRT via 95th Street with stops at the 70th Street Station ! AVE S KEATS 70TH ST W BROADWAY AVE 70TH ST S ROBERT TRL S TRL ROBERT Union Depot, Mounds Boulevard Station, Earl Street 52 HIGHWAY HASTINGS AVE CONCORD BLVD Station, Etna Street Station, Lower Afton Park & HADLEY AVE S Ride, Newport Transit Station, St. Paul Park Station, 80TH ST E 80TH ST S 80th Street Station, 95th Street Station, the Hastings AVE BARNES Depot, a station along Highway 55 in Hastings, and a 61 station near the Dakota County Offices in Hastings. 90TH ST S The Mounds Boulevard, Earl Street, and Etna Street Langdon Village Station ! Stations are shared with the Gateway Corridor and INNOVATION RD Dakota County DRS ISLAND CLOUD GREY utilize the transit-only guideway being developed for 105TH ST E that corridor. Parking is assumed at the Lower Afton 110TH ST E 110TH ST S Park & Ride, Newport Transit Station, 80th Street Station, the Hastings Depot, and the Dakota County Offices Station. POINT DOUGLAS DR S RICH VALLEY BLVD Alternative 2B:BRT with the same stops as 125TH ST E HIGHWAY 10 Alternative 2A with the exception of a stop LOCK BLVD INGA AVE INGA 132ND ST E NININGER RD BONAIRE PATH E AVE CLAYTON COURTHOUSE BLVD at Jamaica Avenue rather than at 95th Street. AVE AKRON Additionally, parking is assumed at the Jamaica E AVE BLAINE Hastings Depot Station 2ND ST W Avenue station rather than the 80th Street Station MISSISSIPPI TRL ! 145TH ST W 145TH ST E for this alternative. HASTINGS TRL HIGHWAY 55 Alternative 1: Service lan 0 1.50.75 [ Miles September 2015 Red Rock Implementation Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6 Figure 1-3: Alternative 2 The intention behind these alternatives was to investigate N N Mounds Boulevard Station N Etna Street Station the difference in forecasted ridership between serving 7TH ST E INWOOD AVE AVE INWOOD CENTURY AVE AVE CENTURY NEAL AVE N AVE NEAL MCKNIGHT RD N MCKNIGHT KEATS AVE AVE N KEATS ! AVE BEAR WHITE 64 ! N AVE MANNING ! N ELMO AVE LAKE Earl Street Station the predominantly industrial side (west) of Highway 61 ! WARNER RD Union Depot compared to the predominantly commercial side (east) of UPPER AFTON RD PLATO BLVD E Highway 61 between 80th Street and Jamaica Avenue. CENTURY AVE S AVE CENTURY LOWER AFTON RD Ramsey County ! Lower Afton Park & Ride 1.7 Preferred Alternative CONCORD ST 44 VALLEY CREEK RD In January 2016, the RRCC recommended advancing a BUTLER AVE W BUTLER AVE single preferred alternative for further evaluation based CONCORD ST N CEN MCKNIGHT RD S RD MCKNIGHT TURY AVE S on the goals of the project and public input. The preferred THOMPSON AVE CARVER AVE alternative includes BRT service along Highway 61 between WENTWORTH AVE E WENTWORTH AVE DR WOODBURY RADIO DR RADIO MANNING AVE S AVE MANNING Union Depot in Saint Paul and Hasting Depot with deviations STERLING ST ST S STERLING 15TH AVE N 15TH MAXELL CONCORD ST S BAILEY RD 40TH ST S 3RD AVE N SOUTHVIEW BLVD from Highway 61 in Newport, St. Paul Park, Cottage Grove, AV OAKDALE AVE OAKDALE E MENDOTA RD E Newport Transit Station BABCOCK TRL and in Hastings. The portions of this alternative off of HIGHWAY 110 ! S AVE NEAL 21ST ST Highway 61 aim to serve existing population and jobs that are more likely to support all-day, bi-directional transit Washington County MILITARY RD service than park-and-rides. The end-to-end travel time to 4TH 4TH AVE ES cover the 26.8-mile distance is assumed to be approximately HASTINGS AVE 65TH ST S HINTON AV HINTON 66TH ST E 4TH AVE 66 minutes with 124 daily trips.