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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Public Invited to Provide Input on Transit Improvements in the Bottineau Corridor

MINNEAPOLS, Minnesota (June 19, 2008)

The Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority is hosting a series of open houses to give area residents, businesses, and institutions an opportunity to share their ideas on transit needs and improvement alternatives in the Bottineau Corridor Study Area.    The Bottineau Corridor extends between Downtown Minneapolis and North Minneapolis through the Northwest Suburbs of the Twin Cities including; Crystal, Robbinsdale, Osseo, Brooklyn Park and Maple Grove, generally following Bottineau Boulevard (County Road 81).  In addition, the travel shed for this corridor extends through the rapidly growing communities of Dayton, Rogers, and Hassan Township.  The attached map provides an indication of the potential influence area for this study.

The open houses are being held as part of the County’s Bottineau Transitway Alternatives Analysis Study.  The open houses will be held at the following locations and times:

  • Tuesday, July 22, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.: Minneapolis Sumner Library, Cargill Room, 611 Van White Memorial Blvd, Minneapolis.  Presentation at 6 p.m. 
  • Wednesday, July 23, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Minneapolis Central Library, Doty Library Board Room, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis.  Presentation at 12:00 p.m. 
  • Tuesday, July 29, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.: North Hennepin Community College, CLA Room 136, 7411 85th Avenue N, Brooklyn Park.  Presentation at 6:00 p.m. 
  • Wednesday, July 30, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.: Maple Grove Government Center, 12800 Arbor Lakes Pkwy N, Maple Grove.  Presentation at 6:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, July 31, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.:  Crystal City Hall, Basement Community Room, 4141 Douglas Dr N, Crystal.  Presentation at 6:00 p.m. 

In March 2008, the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, in cooperation with area agencies, began the Bottineau Transitway Alternatives Analysis Study process.  This study will generate valuable information on the characteristics, benefits, costs, and impacts of alternative transit modes, such as Commuter Rail, Light Rail Transit (LRT), and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), as well as alternative transit alignment locations. 

The key outcome of the study will be the identification of a “locally preferred alternative” that best meets the transit needs of the corridor and can move forward through environmental study, preliminary design, and ultimate implementation.  The Alternatives Analysis Study is scheduled to be completed in June 2009.    

Because of job growth in both Downtown Minneapolis and other concentrations of activity, such as the Target Campus in Brooklyn Park and the Maple Grove Gravel Mining Area development, increased mobility is needed throughout the study area.  Local accessibility to jobs in Downtown Minneapolis as well as reverse commute options to serve jobs in the outer suburbs are key to the economic development of the region.  Accessibility, in a more general sense, is also key to the sustainability of all study area communities. 

Traffic congestion is expected to worsen within the Metropolitan Area through the year 2030 planning horizon.  Due to financial constraints, limited regional highway improvements have been planned to help offset the growth in traffic and congestion.  In addition, there is currently no travel-time competitive transit option to the single-occupant vehicle on high mobility freeway system routes, including I-94 and I-694.  Therefore, combating traffic congestion on these system routes and achieving the Metropolitan Council’s 2030 Transportation Policy Plan goal of doubling transit ridership by 2030 will be difficult without major transit investments. 

Hennepin County has been a consistently strong supporter for a transit investment in the Bottineau Corridor.  “The Alternatives Analysis study will put transit along this corridor one major step closer toward becoming a reality,” said Commissioner Mike Opat.

A second series of open houses will be held in Spring 2009 to present preliminary findings from the Alternatives Analysis Study regarding the feasibility of the most promising alternatives for public input. 

For more information, visit www.bottransit.org, call Brent Rusco at 612.543.0579, or email comments to Bottineau@co.hennepin.mn.us.

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