HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014 09-17 Rush Line Corridor: yea or nay? MAPLEWOOD REVIEW Rush Line Corridor:
yea or nay?
r
Residents' awareness N
of project unclear
W
Tim Faklis t/1
Review staff
With the Rush Line Corridor project moving
forward, the amount of familiarity Maplewood
residents have with the proposal is unclear.
A recent show of hands at a St. Paul neigh-
borhood meeting showed that many East Side
residents are not familiar with the proposed Rush
Line corridor, a northeast transit line which as
been on the backburner since a preliminary study
concluded back in 2009.
The projedt;which'wftt either fbrnr-tnto a
rapid transit bus line or light rail, has proposed
north-south routes that go through the East Side,
Maplewood and White Bear Lake up to Forest
Lake.
One possible transit route runs through Bruce
Vento Nature Preserve and Swede Hollow Park
on the East Side, and then through Lake Phalen
Regional Park and the Bruce Vento Trail in
Maplewood.
see Rush Line on page 3
Rush Line... PIO L,.G= d3S SEP 17 2014
continued from page 1 IPCOrN1t Phalen Boulevard and I think there's 30,000
through the neighbor- or 40,000 riders in a
"I moved into a MtyM hoods, running up week that you have to
house across from Lake Wit MOW along the southeastern meet.If you don't,then
Phalen, so I'm in close edge of Lake Phalen, it goes to bus rapid
proximity to the Gate- BIB and then shoot north transit," Slawik said.
way Trail," Maplewood tile following the rough tra- "In a lot of ways, I
Mayor Nora Slawik jectory of Highway 61, really like the dedicated
WOO
said. "There are signs eventually landing in bus guide-way.It's kind
that there might be a White Bear Lake. of like a second lane for
Gateway (and Rush Olson said that the the bus."
Line intersected) route 1 county's right-of-way,
there.I'm not sure resi- 4 which goes through Patrick Larkin con-
dents fully understand - ip Swede Hollow Park and tributed to this story.
that could happen." follows northeast tra-
Still,Maplewood nat- jectory through the East You can reach Tim
ural resources coordina- Side, would be a cor- Faklis at 651-748-7814,
tor Ginny Gaynor says ridor oriented towards at tfaklis@lillienews.
that, due to a group of A day-long service, corn, or on Twitter
trail connections, the WiMl1 E whereas the Interstate tfaklisnews.
route might not pose a estlnwerr 35E corridor would be
problem,at least not in more for commuters.
Maplewood. submRted 9,sphIc Mayor Slawik said
"At this point, the The Rush Line transit corridor Is still In its infancy,but there's a near-exact
Maplewood park system Ramsey County is bearing down and focusing on the math to it,which could
master plan has trail corridor.A study concluding next summer will decide and probably will deter-
connections involved," whether to put the transit line through the East Side mine which method the
Gaynor said. "From up to White Bear Lake,or along I-35E up to Forest route ends up turning
what I understand, the Lake' into.
trail corridor is part of "Typically,with light
the Rush Line." Gaynor potentially take either "This is a major cor- rail there's a threshold.
said the Gateway Trail bus rapid transit or a 7 r of emphasis mov-
and Bruce V,Ra Trail light rail to their jobs." i o. Forward," said Josh
are "very important" she said. "I think peo- 0, on, senior trans-
recreational trails for ple look at it as a good pe cttion planner from
Maplewood residents. form of transportation th Ramsey County
Slawik and Gaynor from north-south, com- Rez'onal Rail Author-
said the Rush Line biped with a Gateway ity, ut a St.Paul neigh-
planners understand Corridor (rapid bus borhood meeting last
the importance of prea- line)going east-west." week. The county rail
ervation of the trails A preliminary 2009 authority is the major
and the parks, and will study looked at pos- planning agency for the
work to keep them safe sible routes for put- corridor.
and eco-friendly. ting a transit line from
"As we're develop- downtown St. Paul all
ing our parks system the way out to Hinck- BRT or LRT?
master plan, trails are ley,via the East Side -- The goal of the study
a very important com- the study ended up con- will be to narrow the
ponent," Gaynor said. eluding that a shorter corridor down to one
"They're great trails." route, to either White mode of mass tran-
Bear Lake or Forest sit and one alignment
Funding speeding up Lake, would be more --the study will decide
tannin reasonable. between light rail and
planning process Fast forwarding to bus rapid transit, and
Slawik, a former 2014, Ramsey County between a route that
state legislator who has has new funding to look
worked on the proposed B goes along I-35E up to
Gateway Corridor and at the corridor in more Forest Lake,and a route
Rush Line projects, depth. that goes through the
and the Transportation A study began early East Side via county-
Advisory Board, has this year to figure out owned land.
heard good things about a preferred route and The route through
the proposals. mode of transit for the the East Side would go
"I hear some people corridor.The study will through Swede Hol-
say they're excited continue through next low Park, and head
for the opportunity to summer. northeast briefly along