HomeMy WebLinkAboutMetro Transit responses to Advisory Board
MEMORANDUM
Date: March 17, 2023
To: Melinda Coleman, City Managerof Maplewood
From: Nick Thompson, Deputy General Manager for Capital Programs
RE: Response to Maplewood Questions
The following details the responses to questions received from the Maplewood-led engagement
regarding the METRO Purple Line BRTProject.
1.“Can you explain what the next steps are for the Purple Lineproject? Precisely what are
the next decisions, approvals, funding requests, etc, and the timelines?”
Completion of the Maplewood Purple Line Engagement Process. Potential action
by Maplewood CityCouncil.
Release of the final technical results of the Route Modification Studytoproject
partners, stakeholders and thepublicfor review and feedback. Project staff will be
sharing these results duringthe April 6, 2023 meeting of theCorridor Management
Committee.
Ifthe Corridor Management Committee selects and recommends a revised Locally
Preferred Alternative(LPA) by early June 2023, then the Metropolitan Council
would submit a package of information related to that revised LPA to the Federal
Transit Administration(FTA)for evaluation and rating of project meritby late
August 2023. A funding commitment resolution from Ramsey County for the entire
non-federal share of the project would needto be included.
In late 2023or early 2024, the Metropolitan Council, as the local Metropolitan
Planning Organization, would need to adopt the revised LPA into the
Transportation Policy Plan, the region’s long range transportation plan. Resolutions
of support for the revised LPA would be needed fromthe county and municipalities
directly served by the revised LPA.
Upon completion of final design (currently anticipated in late 2024), the
Metropolitan Council would submitan application to the FTAfor a construction
grant agreementthrough the Capital Investment Grants Program.
Construction would start in 2025. A federal construction grant agreementwould be
approved later in 2025. Revenue service would begin in 2027.
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MEMORANDUM
2.“The arguments made about the route's proximity to jobs, along with the disruption to
endangered species, was compelling. Obviously, this project was first imagined as rail, so
the existing alignment made sense. Given the project has evolved to BRT, has the Met
Council considered reroutingon existing corridors?”
While the origins of the project in the late 1990s contemplated a rail project between
Hinckley and Saint Paulthrough Rush City, the first evaluation of a busway does dateback
to the 2001 Rush Line Transit Feasibility Study. Between 2014 and 2017,7 transitmodes
and 55 potential route segments were evaluatedbetween Forest Lake and Saint Paul.
Modes Evaluated: Local bus, arterial bus rapid transit (BRT), streetcar, light rail
transit, diesel multiple unit(DMU), dedicated BRT, highway BRT
Alignments Evaluated: I-35E, Ramsey County Rail Right-of-Way, Hwy 61, White Bear
Ave, Payne Ave, Prosperity Ave/Johnson Pkwy, Gold Line
May 2017: Rush Line Policy Advisory Committee recommendedthe selection of dedicated
BRT on along Phalen Blvd, Ramsey County Rail Right-of-Way and Hwy 61 as the Locally
Preferred Alternative.
3.“What would happen to the project/process if the City of Maplewood were to formally
withdraw their support, like the City of WBL?”
At a minimum, the Project would bedelayed. TheMETRO Purple Line Corridor
Management Committee would need to be convened to discuss and advise the
Metropolitan Council and Ramsey County on next steps. The Metropolitan Council and
Ramsey County would need to take the Corridor Management Committee advisement
under consideration.
4.“How has the Met Council studied various routes/options?”
From 2014 – 2017, Ramsey County studied multiple routing options during the Pre-Project
Development Phase, available in the Rush Line Corridor LPA Report.
A Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) was selectedand supported by local stakeholders,
demonstrated through letters of support. The LPAwas officially adopted May 25,2017.
The project was transitioned to MetropolitanCouncil after the completion of the
Environmental Assessment in December 2021. Metropolitan Council is leading theproject
development, final design and construction phases of the projectusing the adopted LPA,
which was submitted to enter the Federal Transit Administration’sCapital Investment
Grants program in December2021.
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS2
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5.“What is the future expected population of Maplewood and other East Metro cities? What
is the impact on jobs/economy?”
Below is a table of the future expected population of Maplewood and East Metro cities.
TABLE 1: POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT GROWTH IN EAST METRO CITIES
City2020 2040 Percent2020 2040 Percent
PopulationPopulationGrowthEmploymentEmploymentGrowth
Maplewood42,08848,60015.5%24,37636,60050.1%
Saint Paul311,527344,10010.5%161,222213,50032.4%
Vadnais Heights12,91214,1009.2%8,05011,20039.1%
White Bear Lake24,48625,2403.1%10,69912,26014.6%
Oakdale28,30336,00027.2%9,94312,10021.7%
Woodbury75,10287,80016.9%21,09528,70036.1%
The 2040 Maplewood Comprehensive Plan, which includes the METRO Purple Line upon
Maplewood’s adoptions of its Locally Preferred Alternative in 2017, describes policies,
goals, and calculations of land use needs for thecity based upon growth projections for
population, households and employment. In addition, the plan describes the Economicand
Land Useconsiderations such as encourage higher densities around the Purple Lineas well
as adjacent to regional nodes like Maplewood Malland M Health Fairview St. John’s
Hospital.
6.“What is the breakout of aggravated assaults versus other crimes on BRT and on Metro
Transit overall?”
Aggravated assault has remained loweven as more BRT lines have begun service (Red
Line in 2013, A Line in 2016, C Line in 2019, Orange Line in 2021, D Line in 2022).
TABLE 2: BRT CRIME STATISTICS
All BRT Overall
BRT All BRT
Time FrameTransitAssault / RidershipCrime
AssaultsCrime
CrimeAll CrimeRate
20183956,3490.05%80,653,4140.008%
20196977,5490.08%77,927,2490.010%
202021115,6070.04%35,862,5360.016%
202141114,5920.09%32,864,2840.014%
202271925,9620.12%38,794,6420.015%
Jan 1–Mar 7, 202321221,6630.12%6,451,7860.026%
Average (offull
4.41216,0120.07%53,220,4250.011%
year stats)
7.“Are there other examples of arterial BRT arterial solutions/services in the Metro? In other
parts of the country?”
Yes, the routes indicated in the following link are all part of the expanding METRO
network. Yes, there are currently 29 arterial bus rapid transit projects being planned across
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS3
MEMORANDUM
the country, according to the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grants
(CIG)Dashboard, tracking transit project seeking FederalCIGfunding.
8.“The BRT in Roseville that runs north and South on Snelling, did it used to be a regular bus
route? What are the statistics for crime that occurred on that bus line when itwas a bus?
When did it change from being a regular bus line to a BRT line? What are the crime
statistics now for this BRT? Can these crime statistics be linked to the crime statistics of
the light rail on University Avenue? Include answers for crime statistics in all categories.”
In June 2016, the METRO A Line BRT route began service in the same corridor as the local
route 84. Local route 84 was reduced to 30-minute service. Crime statistics are
aggregated by stops, not by route, and stops are often servedby multiple routes. For
these reasons we are unable to break down crime statistics by route.
Transit crime tends to be reflective of its community; attempting to make any correlation
between service lines that cover a variety of cities would be speculative.
9.“How much did the Park and Ride ramp at Maplewood Mall cost to construct? What year
was it constructed in?How many riders used it in 2016? 2017? 2018? 2019? 2020? 2021?
And 2022?How much will it cost to tear itdown? How much will it cost to build anew
park and ride ramp at Birch Run Center in Maplewood? Describe the process by which the
Met Council considered the demolition of the Park and Ride ramp at Maplewood Mall
and/or building a new Park and Ride ramp atBirch Run Center in Maplewood? As partof
that process, what internal committees did the proposal go through?What type of
ridership numbers do you need to justify the building of a new Park and Ride ramp?”
The METRO Purple Line BRT Projectwillrenovate and rehabilitatethe existing Maplewood
Mall Transit Center, not demolish and replace it. Approximately $5 millionis budgeted for
station improvements, utility, landscaping, lighting allowance, and station
communications.No transit facility is envisioned for Birch Run Station; One of the four
routing options evaluated to the Maplewood Mall Transit Center included an extension of
St. John’s Boulevard through Birch Run Station consistent with the City’s adopted North
End VisionPlan.
In 2012, the Maplewood Mall Transit Center park-and-ride surface lot was vertically
expanded into a multi-level park-and-ride ramp for $15.2 million, includingRush Line
fundingas the expanded capacitywas in part to support the future RushLinerail or bus
transitway project. The 2012 expansion was intended to provide the necessary capacity
for at least 50 years(2062), the asset’s expected useful life.
The figure below details the capacity and usage of the park-and-ride at the Maplewood
Mall Transit Center between 2011 and 2022.
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS4
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FIGURE 1: PARKING USAGE AT MAPLEWOOD MALL TRANSIT CENTER
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2011201420152016201720182019202020212022
UsageCapacity
10.“What is thegap between the number ofriders that you have documented as using the
metro public transit system and the amount of revenue that is collected from fairs,
prepaid cards, etc that have been purchased by Riders or Riders anticipating their future
usage of the metro transit?”
Transportation-relatedtaxesandfeeslevied,collected,andallocatedtofundexpansion,
operationsandmaintenancetransitroutesandroadwaysareinsufficient.Therefore,both
roadwaysandtransitroutesfailtopayforthemselves.Bothroadwayandtransit
authoritieslevyuserfees(i.e.,tollsandfares,respectively)toreducethegap,andboth
experiencefare/feeevasion.Bothroadwaysandtransitroutesarefacilitatingthe
provisionofapublicsystemtopromotemobility.Mobilityinallformsbenefittheregionby
allowingbusinessestoeconomicallythriveandresidentstoaccessgoodsandservices.
There is not a perceived gap between the number of riders and the amount of revenue
from fares. Ridership is not directly correlated with fare revenuedue the variety of fare
and pass programs available and due to thepotential for one “fare” to generate multiple
trips. In 2021, the systemdelivered 32.9 million rides, about 99,000 per weekday.
Operating revenue totaled $333.4 million, about 12% of which came from fares. This is in
line with the planned revenue from fares through 2040.(See Transportation Policy Plan).
11.“In the presentation, you mentioned that understanding and serving origins and
destinations is important to building a successful metro transit system. Regarding the
Purple line, where do residents within 1/2 miles of the proposed Purple Line BRT stops go
to work, go to school, go to the grocery store? How is this data different from the same
data sets for the English Street (Maplewood) bus route, the route on White Bear Avenue
(Maplewood) or the bus route on Hwy 61 (Maplewood)?”
Forecasts suggestgrowthin number of people, jobs, and travel activities in thestudy
corridor by 2040in Maplewood and the east metro area. Sixpercentof the ridership is
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS5
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within Maplewood. Fifty-sevenpercentof the ridership is explained by transit riders
traveling between Maplewood and Saint Paul. The other 37% of ridership is within Saint
Paul only. TheMETROPurple LineBRTProjectdoesnothave specific data within a½-mile
range for the suggested trip typedue to the limitationsofthesoftwarerequiredbythe
FederalTransitAdministration(FTA).
The project isusing the FTA’s Simplified Trips on Project Software (STOPS)ridership model
to estimate ridership for the METROPurple Line BRTProject.The STOPS model is adjusted
to match local conditions using actual ridershipexperience.Inputs into the STOPS model
are Census/ACSwork trip data, MetropolitanCouncil Transit Survey, Population &
employment by Transportation Analysis Zones(TAZ), and a transit schedule of regional
services.Output from STOPS islimited to ridership, auto vehicle miles traveled (VMT), new
transit trips, access mode, and trip purpose. The STOPS model focuses on routine travel by
permanent residents of the metro area for three trip purposes: home-based work, home-
based non-work, and non-home based. The model forecastedtrips does not specifytrips
by specific business such as schools or grocery stores.
12.“Isn’t it true the Transitway Impacts Research Program-Report #21-conducted by the
Center for Transportation Studies (University of Minnesota) dated Jan 2021 by Kristin
Carlson and Andrew Owen used a 2-mile radius in its analysis of the origins for the Purple
Line, while as for other BRT routes (B, D, E) the radius used for origins was ½ mile? See
Section 3.7 Demographic Data and Methods page 16. How would the Purple Line compare
to Lines B, D and E if a ½ mile radius was used for the origins of the Purple Line?”
This report was not designed to compare impacts ofthe arterial BRT projects and the
dedicated BRT projects.The researchersused a much smaller study area for the Gold and
Purple Line analysis than for the B, D, and E Line analysis. For the first stage focusing on
the B, D, and E Lines, the report included workers residing within a half mile of a fixed-
route transit stopanywhere within the Metro Transitservice area. For the second stage of
the study, the report included workers within two miles from just the Goldand Purple Lines
and within a half-mile of any transit stop in this 2-mile buffer. The report states, “Since
the study areas for the B, D, and E Lineand Gold and Rush Line evaluations differ by
40,000 blocks, the travel time results found for the new baseline should not be compared
to the metro-wide results.The Gold and Rush Line scenario represents a “zoomed in” lens
on access changes to the neighborhoods surrounding the planned transitways” (page 28).
The findingsfromthesecondstageofthereportshow thatwhen the Purple and Gold Lines
are added to thenetwork,the average worker in the Twin Cities can access 1.9% to 2.2%
more jobs, while the average worker in Landfall can access 185-318% more jobs, Gem Lake
38-54% more jobs, Maplewood 25-31% more jobs, and Oakdale 11-22% more jobs.The
results also show that adding the Purple and Gold Lines “improves the minimum travel
time to the second-closest grocery store, healthcare facility, and high school for 3%–30% of
workers living within a half-mile of transit stops withinthe Gold and Rush Line study area”
(page 44).
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13.“During your presentation, you mentioned Highway and Arterial BRT routes. Where are
these routes (name and identify where found) and how do they differ from the proposed
Purple Line? Do these routes run through commercially zoned properties? What is the
percentage of commercially zoned properties to residentially zoned properties along these
routes?For the current proposed local preferred route for the Purple Line, in Maplewood
(not the Purple Line as a whole), what is the percentage of commercially zoned properties
to residentially zoned properties? For the current proposed route for the Purple Line, from
St. Paul to the Maplewood Mall Park and Ride, what is the percentage of commercially
zoned properties to residentially zoned properties?”
Arterial BRTandhighway BRT along withdedicated BRT are part of the METRO, an
expanding networkof fast, frequent,all-day buses and trains.
Arterial BRTprimarily operate in mixed traffic (some bus-only lanes) witha mix of
near level andnon-level boarding station platforms: A Line(2016), C Line(2019), D
Line(2022), B Line(2024), E Line(2025), F Line(2026), G Line(2027),H Line(2028),
plus 7 additional candidate lines from Network Next(2030-2040)
Highway BRTprimarily operate in E-ZPasslaneswith often times with a mix of near
level andnon-levelboarding stationplatforms: Red Line(2013)on Cedar Avenue,
Orange Line(2021)on I-35W
Dedicated BRTprimarily operate in exclusive dedicated busways with near level
boarding station platforms: Gold Line(2025), Purple Line(2027)
All of the BRT lines serve a mix of commercial zoned and residentially zoned properties.
The METRO Purple Line Station Area Planning consultant team received zoning data from
Maplewood and Saint Paul in May 2022. To report on Maplewood and Saint Paul’s zoning
data in one summary table, the two cities’ many zoning districts were combined into four:
Residential, Non-Residential (various Commercial, Business, and Industrial districts),
Mixed Use, and Other (Open Space, Parks, Parking, etc.). The followingtables show the
acres of properties zoned in each of the fourzoning district categories and resultant
percent oftotal acreswithin ½ mile of the current locally preferred route in Maplewood,
Saint Paul, and Maplewood + Saint Paulcombined.
TABLE 3: MAPLEWOOD LOCALLY PREFERRED ROUTE (TO MAPLEWOOD MALL)
ZoningAcresPercent of Total
Residential96449%
Non-Residential42221%
Mixed Use35218%
Other (Open Space/Parks)23412%
Total1,972100%
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TABLE 4: SAINT PAUL LOCALLY PREFERRED ROUTE
ZoningAcresPercent of Total
Residential1,99052%
Non-Residential1,14830%
Mixed Use42811%
Other (Parking, Capitol Area)2807%
Total3,846100%
TABLE 5: SAINT PAUL TOMAPLEWOOD LOCALLY PREFERRED ROUTE (TO MAPLEWOOD MALL)
ZoningAcresPercent of Total
Residential2,95451%
Non-Residential1,57027%
Mixed Use77913%
Other (Parking, Capitol Area)5149%
Total5,817100%
14.“In Maplewood, comparing a Purple Line route over the Bruce Vento Trail vs a Purple Line
route using Highway 61, how many controlled intersections are there currently and how
many uncontrolled intersectionsare there currently?”
The METRO Purple Line route along Bruce Vento Trail within the City of Maplewood will
have 7 controlledintersections. A route along Highway 61 would have 14 controlled
intersections. There are no uncontrolled intersections existing today on the proposed
METRO Purple Line route or a would-be Highway 61 route in Maplewood. Intersections are
counted fromLarpenteurAvenue to the intersection of Beam Avenue and the Bruce Vento
Trail.
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS8
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15.“You indicated the ridership is picking up for routes 64, 265 and northern 54. Where are
these routes? Isn’t it true that your presentation also indicated the 265 Express was
suspended?”
See Figure 2 belowfor locations of routes 64, 265, and 54. Yes, route 265 is currently
suspended.
FIGURE 2: ROUTES 54, 64, AND 265
16.“How is a “trip” defined? Isn’t it true that a “trip” can be as short as getting on at one
bus stop and getting off at the very next stop? Of the percentage of Purple Line trips
projected, what percentage of these trips projected have both stops (on and off) of the
trip located in St. Paul only? How many trips areprojected that include one stop of the
trip in Maplewood and one stop outside of Maplewood (break down stops for St. Paul
verses north of Maplewood) and how many trips are projected that include both the
getting on stop and the getting off stop to be entirely in Maplewood?”
Aforecasted trip ontheMETROPurple Line is defined as a person boarding and exiting
from theMETROPurple Line at any point during theirjourney from origin to
destination.This includes someone who might transfer from another service (such as the
METROGreen Line) to theMETROPurple Line while travelling from the University of
Minnesota to Maplewood Mall.The tablebelowdescribesthe forecasted percentages of
METROPurple Line trips from Union Depot to theMaplewood MallTransit Center.
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TABLE 6: TRIP FORECAST
Opening Year Horizon Year (2040)
Trip Type
ForecastForecast
Within Maplewoodonly6%7%
Within Saint Paulonly37%33%
Between Maplewood and Saint Paul57%60%
17.“How many square feet of impervious surface is going to be created, in Maplewood, if the
locally preferred route remains the Bruce Vento Trail? Provide a comparison to the square
footage of impervious surface of the current Bruce Vento Trail. Provide data on the
amount of concrete, bituminousand other infrastructure materials that will be necessary
to build the Purple Line on theBruce Vento Trail rather than using existing roadways, right
of ways?”
The tables belowshow the existing and proposed areas of impervious in the Bruce Vento
Trail corridor. No data exists for TH 61.
TABLE 7: EXISTING IMPERVIOUS SURFACE CONDITION
Existing ConditionApproximate SF
Existing Bruce Vento Trail144,000
TABLE 8: PROPOSED IMPERVIOUS SURFACE CONDITION
Proposed ElementsAdditional Approximate SF
Bruce Vento Trail and
Connecting Trails13,000
(Generally Bituminous)
Sidewalks
18,000
(Generally Concrete)
Transit Infrastructure
287,000
(Generally Concrete)
Trailhead, Park and Transit
Parking
71,000
(Generally Bituminouswith
Concrete Curbs)
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS10
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18.“Does the Met Council believe the City of Maplewood has withdrawn their support for the
Purple Line? If yes, what is the basis for that belief?”
No, theMetropolitanCouncil does not believe the City of Maplewood has withdrawn their
support for the METROPurple Line BRT Project.While thetitle of the October 24th, 2022
resolution was “Withdrawing Support for the BRT Project as It Currently Exists within the
City”,the Be It Resolved clause states “The City of Maplewood recommends that the
modification study timeline be expanded to create an engagement plan to evaluate future
transit options/routes that works effectively for all.”
19.“Isn’t it true that there is sufficient funding available today, to build the Purple Line BRT,
in Maplewood, along or in conjunction with Highway 61 (rather than the Bruce Vento
Trail) and that if Hwy 61 wereused as the route through Maplewood, no Federal Funding
is necessary?”
No,the committed local and anticipated federalcapitalfunding for a dedicated BRT line
using the Ramsey County Rail Right-of-Way is not transferrable toanarterial BRT line
usingHighway 61.
20.“In the presentation, you talked about soil borings. In Maplewood, how is the relocating
of all of the sanitary sewer andwater lines along the Bruce Vento Trail going to be
addressed so as to not disturb the current system’s operation, resident property concerns
and cost? What is the projected cost to relocate all of the Maplewood sanitary sewer and
water lines along the Bruce Vento Trail if the BRT guideway is to be constructed over the
Bruce Vento Trail? Please compare that cost to the cost of relocating of any sanitary
sewer and water lines along Hwy 61 if the Purple Line were to be constructed there
instead?”
Only minor adjustments to Maplewoodwatermain and sanitary sewer infrastructureare
anticipated.Where the METROPurpleLineBRTProject(Project)does cross or otherwise
impact public facilities, neededadjustments are included inProject costs. This would be
similar to any routing on Highway 61.
21.“Is the BRT project proposing to clearcut 100-foot-wide area of the Bruce Vento Trail? If
not, what is being proposed? What is the re-vegetation plan?”
No, one-third or more of the corridor vegetation will remain. The vegetation plan includes
preservingexisting landscape wherever possibleandrevegetatingthe corridor to emulate
a natural feel.Revegetation willbe amix of different size and species of trees and
understory plants that are pollinator friendly, ecologically beneficial, seasonally diverse,
low maintenance, and resilient.
Vegetation restoration will improve visibility forsafe crossings (for bicyclists, pedestrians,
vehicles, and wildlife) byopeningsight lines through deliberate selection of plant height
and density in key locations.
Figure 3 depicts an area of the Bruce Vento Trail corridorthat shows the proposed
vegetation 10-years after construction.The Project is also proposing improved intersection
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS11
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sightlines and lighting, roadway crossingstreatments, new trailamenities and trailhead
parking, and additional sidewalk and trail connections.
FIGURE 3: RENDERED DEPICTION OF APPROXIMATELY 10-YEAR GROWTH FOR VEGETATION(VIEW NEAR
HAGEN DRIVE LOOKING NORTH)
22.“What will the BRT project do to minimize impacts to endangered species? What outside
parties are consulted with onthis process?”
As part of the Environmental Assessment (2021), impacts to threatened and endangered
species were reviewed, and consultation occurred with the US Fish and Wildlife Service
and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures were developed with guidance and
approval from US Fish and Wildlife Service and Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources, whichinclude:
Winter tree clearing to avoid active seasonfor bats
Certain construction activities scheduled to avoid turtle hibernation and the active
season for the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee
Education for contractors to implement avoidance measures
Protocols for contractors for reporting sightings of endangered species
Wildlife-friendlyerosion control methods
Enhancements post construction include the revegetation plan.Opportunities for
U
additional pollinator habitat enhancementswill be coordinated with entities such as the
of M Bee LabandMnDOT Office of Environmental Stewardship.
Continued coordination with the US Fish and Wildlife Serviceand Minnesota Department
of Natural Resourceswill occur as needed.
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23.“How is the BRT project working with the Lower Phalen Creek Daylighting Project?”
The project team has beencoordinating with the Lower Phalen Creek Project (LPCP) and
the Capitol Region Watershed District (CRWD), since2019, to develop an approach that
meets the regulatory needs of the Project, while accommodating, where feasible, the long-
term goals of the LPCP and CRWD to daylight a portion of Phalen Creek. Project staff
continue to meet with LPCP, CRWD and representatives from Saint Paul’s Parks and
Recreation and Engineering Departments monthlyto discuss Project’sdesign
advancementsand to coordinate ongoing collaboration opportunities for the daylighted
creek project.
The current definition of the METRO Purple Line BRT Project includes construction of
approximately 750 feet of the Lower Phalen Creek channel and additional landscape
treatments consistent with the goals of the LPCP project.
24.“What safety and security issues currently are occurring on bus routes in the City of
Maplewood?”
There are no significant issues reported on bus routes serving Maplewood. There is
homelessness and narcotics use in the Maplewood Mall Transit Center; in response, Metro
Transit has closed the upper levels and elevator lobby.
In looking at transit crime statistics for January 1-March 7 of 2021, 2022, and 2023, the
numbers are very low. Damage to transit property is the biggest concern.
TABLE 9: CRIME STATISTICS BY TYPE COMPARING A 66-DAY PERIOD (JANUARY 1–MARCH 7) IN 2021, 2022,
AND 2023
Crime type202120222023Total
All assault0101
Intimidation0213
Arson0101
Motor vehicle theft0101
Damage to property0516
Narcotics0202
Disorderly conduct0404
All other0325
25.“Can you explain the differences between local bus, express bus, micro transit, Metro
Mobility vs BRT? What does post-COVID ridership look like for each service? What is
customer feedback on the different services?”
Metro Transit provides Local Bus, ExpressBus, Metro Transit micro, Bus Rapid Transit
Service, and other rail transitway service.
Local Bus: operates bidirectionally typically throughout the day in urban and suburban
areas with many stops (some with shelters), short distances apart, typically every
block(example Route 54). Fare is $2.00 to $2.50
Express Bus: travels in a single direction perpeak period between suburbs (often from
park-and-rides) and urban centers with very few stops. Fare is $2.50 to $3.25
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Metro Transit Micro: on-demand, multi-passenger service to improve connections to
existing transit service and point-to-point trips within a service area (current pilot in
north Minneapolis)
Bus Rapid Transit:An enhanced local busroute with fewer stops, prepaid boarding,
greater right-of-way priority, and more prominent stations
The Metropolitan Council and Others provide Metro Mobility, Transit Link, Mobility4All,
and Newtrax.
Metro Mobility: shared ride public transportation service for riders who are unable to
use regular fixed-route buses due to a disability or health condition. Fare: $3.50 to
$4.50
Transit Link: shared-ride public transportation where regular route transit service is
infrequent or unavailable. (Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 7 PM only)
Mobility4All: innovative new service providing personalized rideservices for older
adults
Newtrax: group transportation services to specialty groups
Overall, we heardfrom transit users thatthey preferstops with amenities such as heat,
light and shelter. They also prefer service that is reliable and easy to plan around:
Trips throughout the day
Arrives frequently
Efficient options that also connect to other routes
Our bus rapid transit options have seen some of the best post-COVID ridership. For
example, we opened the D Linein December 2022 and ridershipis close to levels seen in
the corridor in 2019.
Metro Transit’s CustomerRelations Department receives feedback related to Metro Transit
services, including light rail and commuter rail. In 2022, the department documented
16,806 customer contacts, made up of complaints, compliments, and suggestions. The
Blue Line, Green Line, and bus routes 5, 6, 10, 18, and 21generated the most feedback,
primarily related to service running late, early, on detour, andpass ups, orconcerning the
behavior of other customers.
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FIGURE 4: DAILY AVERAGE RIDERSHIP ON METRO TRANSIT SERVICES FROM 2014THROUGH 2022
26.“Does the Purple Line Project help achieve the goal of providing alternatives to single
occupancy can travel as part of the Green Step Cities program?”
Yes. The City of Maplewood Green Step program website identifies improvement on 14
sustainability best practices (from reporting year 2020 to 2021) including:
Decrease in City population vehicle miles traveled per person per day
Decrease in Greenhouse gases City wide
The electric buses of the METROPurple Lineprovide an alternative option to single
occupancy vehicle travel and will help the city continue to make progress in reducing
greenhouse gases and vehicle miles traveled.
27.“How does funding for the Purple Line work? Can you explain the process and funding
sources for other Met Council transit and transportation options?”
The METRO Purple Line will be designed and constructed with funding from the Ramsey
County Regional Railroad Authority, Ramsey County, and the Federal government. The
Project is working through the Capital Investment Grants Program, managedby the
Federal Transit Administration, to seek the Federal funds for the Project. Maintenance and
Operations of the METRO Purple Line will be funded by Ramsey County and the
Metropolitan Council. County funding provides a stable investment for the construction
and operation of the METRO Purple Line.
There is no dedicated source of funding for arterial BRT projects. These projects are
designed and constructed through a mix of federal, state, and local funding as
opportunities arise. Operations and maintenance are funded entirely by the Metropolitan
Council.
Metro Transit’s annual operating budget relies heavily (approximately 40%)on Motor
Vehicle Sales Tax revenue.While general state income and sales taxes continue to exceed
even optimistic projections, gastaxes, motor vehicle excise taxes and tab feesthat
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS15
MEMORANDUM
provide for road construction and maintenance and transit systems are all coming in lower
than was projected in 2022. Additionally, federal one-time COVID-19 relief transit funds
covering operating shortfalls for existing services will end in 2026.Without relief, regional
transit operations facea fiscal cliff in the years to come.
The Metropolitan Council has various sources of revenue for transit, detailed in the
Transportation Policy Plan—Chapter 4 Transportation Finance.
28.“What is the current projected cost forthe Purple Line? (The last formal number I am
aware of was 475 million)”
Information regarding capital cost estimates for each of the potential new end point
options being evaluated as part of the BRT Route Modification Study was shared with the
Corridor Management Committee at their June 2022 meeting (see slide 13 for a summary).
The $475 value is a capital cost estimate found in theEnvironmental Assessment(see
Table 3 on page 16) published in May 2021 for the METRO Purple Line ending in downtown
White Bear Lake with a proposed multilevel, shared usepark-and-ride parking ramp
adjacent to the planned Highway 36 station.
29.“How many of the rides/riders are projected to start and end at the Maplewood Mall?”
The 2040 forecast from Union Deport to Maplewoodcurrently estimates about 600 trips
per dayat the Maplewood Mall.
30.“How many covered bus stops do we currently have in Maplewood?”
There are six bus stops in Maplewood with shelters, including the Maplewood Mall Transit
Center. Two more are being constructed as part of the METRO Gold Line BRT Project at the
3M campus. This is out of 224 total bus stops in the city.
31.“On slide 25 of the PowerPoint, you include the post-pandemic ridership numbers for only
several of the lines?Please provide the projected ridership numbers for the rest of the
lines including Blue, Green, Orange, Northstar, etc.”
You can explore historic actual ridership at the Metro Transit Performance Webpage. The
lines provided on slide 25 are the closest comparisons the METRO Purple Line.
32.“On the slide referencing the Sept-Oct 2022 boardings compared to pre-covid, please
provide thenumbers for the Orange Line.”
The METRO Orange Line began service in December 2021. Pre-COVID boardings are not
available.
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS16
MEMORANDUM
33.“On slide 21, it references the ridership composition of only some of the lines. Please
provide the numbers for the Northstar line,the Red line and Orange line.”
The table below containsfigures that align with the plot shown on Slide 21.
TABLE 10: RIDERSHIP ON NORTHSTAR, RED LINE, AND ORANGE LINE
RouteService Type2022 Ridership
(legend on Slide 21)
NorthstarNorthstar77,078
Red LineHighway BRT125,806
Orange LineHighway BRT310,185
Note that in 2022 Metro Transithad to reduce service on Orange Line and Red Line due to
a lack of available bus operators.This hada negative effect on ridership on thesetwo
routes.
34.“Who exactly is anticipated to be the ridership using the Purple Line and where are they
traveling to?”
The key characteristics of anticipated METRO Purple Line riders include:
27% from households without access to an automobile(Over 400 households in
Maplewood do not own a vehicle).
63% making trips to non-work destinations.
67% originating or ending in Maplewood.
These following characteristics describe overall Twin Cities Transit Users:
52% are ages 18-34.
18% have a disability (7.8% of Maplewood’s population under the age of 65 has a
disability).
55% are Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC).
64% come from household earning less than $35k annually(More than 1/5 of
Maplewood households live below the federal poverty level).
Most transit customers who drove their cars to park-and-rides and rode express buses
from the suburbs to downtown jobs pre-pandemic no longer regularly ride transit.
Transit customers post pandemic cannot drive (20%), cannot afford to drive (50%), and
do not wish to drive (19%).
Errands/shopping post pandemic is the #1 reason for riding transit, now representing
nearly ¼ of all transit trips. The share of transit trips post pandemic for medical
appointments (6%) and school commutes (17%) has increased while work commutes
(32%) has decreased.
Transit customers post pandemic are seeking all purpose, all day, and all direction
service to multiple destinations. Post pandemic, the METRO,a network of fast,
frequent, all-day buses and trains, is rebounding faster than the system overall.
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS17
MEMORANDUM
35.“On slide 26, you identify the Maplewood Mall as a major trip attractor on the Purple
Line. Pleaseexplain the basis for this assessment.”
Maplewood’s North End (including Maplewood Mall, St. John’s Hospitaland the
surrounding area) is the second-largest job center along the corridor after downtown St.
Paul. Existing transit data shows significant ridership at Maplewood Mall (295 daily
boardings in 2022). Ridership forecasts support this behavior. Figure 5 below illustrates
relative average weekday ridership across the system in Maplewood in 2022. The figure
demonstrates the great number of tripsthat begin near the Maplewood Mall (and
Maplewood Mall Transit Center) relative to the surrounding system.
FIGURE 5: AVERAGE WEEKDAY RIDERSHIP IN NORTHERN MAPLEWOOD IN 2022
36.“Have you done a cost benefit analysis for the Purple line? Please provide a copy of it?”
The project fully transitioned to the Metropolitan Council in December 2021, when it
entered the Project Development Phase under the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA)
Capital Investment Grants (GIG) program.The scope, schedule, and budget will continue
to be evaluated as part of this phase.
The FTArequires all projects that are part of the CIG program to submit information and
data so FTA can evaluate and rate the merits ofthe project during the Project
Development Phase. Results are published by the FTA in the annual report. The METRO
Purple Line BRT Project has not yet submitted for a rating. The FTA evaluates projects
based two primary criteria: Local Financial Commitment and Project Justification. This is
FTA’s equivalent to a Cost-Benefit analysis. The Local Financial Commitment criterion is
comprised of three sub-criteria: current capital and operating condition, commitment of
capital and operating funds, and reasonableness of capital and operating cost estimates
and planning assumptions/capital funding capacity. The Project Justification criterion is
comprised of six sub-criteria: congestion relief, mobility improvements, cost effectiveness,
environmental benefits, land use, and economic development.
Prior to Metropolitan Council leading the project, Ramsey County led the 2014 -2017 Rush
LineCorridor Pre-Project Development Study (Rush Line Corridor Pre-Project Development
Study Report).This study evaluated costs, benefits and impacts of transit alternatives. The
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS18
MEMORANDUM
PreProject Development study resulted in the selection of a Locally Preferred Alternative
that best meets the needs of the communities along the corridor.
The Environmental Study Phase (Environmental Assessment Study) was conducted from
2018 – 2021.The purpose of the environmental process is to define the project in enough
detail to understand its potential benefits and impacts, reduce those impacts as much as
possible, and prepare an environmental document that explains why the project is needed,
the alternatives that were considered, the project’s impacts to the natural and built
environments, and mitigation strategies for those impacts.
37.“Given the ______ cost of the Purple line, what is the benefit to the city of Maplewood to
have the Purple line run through our city?”
The Project supports sustainable growth and development like the North End Vision and
Gladstone Redevelopment Plans. Upcoming development includes:
Approved Myth Night Club redevelopment 4-story, 241 Unit Market Rate Housing
Complex
Approved Reuter Walton 5-story, 150 Unit Market Rate multi-family Housing Complex
Proposed JB Vang affordable multi-family housing
Future Moose Lodge and Sears redevelopments
The METRO Purple Line BRT Projectenables the cityto pursue transit-oriented
development funding opportunities for affordable housing and other projects, such as the
2022 Livable Communities DemonstrationTransit Oriented DevelopmentGrant awarded to
the City in December 2022 for Gladstone Crossing.
Higher density development and redevelopment occurring throughout already developed
areas requires support by a multimodal network that is insufficient today.The Project will
support Maplewood’s priority of having reliable transit accessby providing fast, frequent
service throughout the day, including evenings and weekends.
The Project will support Maplewood’s priority of being a welcoming community for all by
providing reliable service to those who rely on transit.The Projectlays the groundwork for
new or restructured local connecting bus routes and Metro Transit micro service areas. The
Project is an essential component of a slate of transit service options to provide access
throughout Maplewood, St. Paul, and the region.
38.“What other transportation alternatives exist for the east metro area?Explain.”
Currently in Maplewood, there are6 bus routes providing Sunday service (383 Maplewood
boardings), 9 bus routes providing Saturday service (713 Maplewood boardings), and 12
bus routes providing weekday service (1,030 Maplewood boardings). One local bus route
(223) and five express bus routes (262, 263, 265, 272, 350) currently suspended. Several
routes operating with reduced service. ($2.50-$3.25 per express bus trip; $2.00-$2.50 per
local bus trip; “on-time” is less than 1 minute early to 5 minute late).
Additionally, Metro Mobility (weekdays3:45am-2am, Saturdays 4:15am-1:45am; Sundays
4:15am-1:45am; $3.50-$4.50 per trip; shared ride service so “on-time” is within 30
Riders of Metro Mobility must be certified based on a
minutes of scheduled pick-up).
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS19
MEMORANDUM
disability that impacts their ability to use regular route transitand Transit Link (weekdays
6am-7pm; $3.50-$4.50 per trip; shared ride service so “on-time” is within 30 minutes of
scheduled pick-up) operate withinMaplewood.
Also see response to Question #25.
39.“What is the plan for a more formal engagement process on decision-making around the
Purple Line?”
The Project has a formal engagement process to include staff, policy makers,residents,
employeesand businessownersfrom the communities along the Projectin several
committees that give feedback on the Project design. See below graphic representation of
this process.Additionally, the project has a Communications and Public Involvement Plan,
available upon request, that outlines goals and strategies for community and stakeholder
engagement(examples in bullet points below). This plan is part of the project’s Project
Management Plans that are required and reviewed by FTA.
FIGURE 6: VISUALREPRESENTATION OF PROJECT DECISION-MAKING PROCESS
Other ongoingpublic engagement and communicationsinclude:
Individual and group business/property owner meetings
Paper and online fact sheets/handouts/maps and translated materials
Outreach to neighborhood/community groups
Pop-ups/community events and hosted open house events
Canvassing at existing transit facilities, residences, businesses, schools and community
centers/organizations
Website, social media, news release, email, postcard updates
40.“Have youconsidered an independent Transit Needs Studyby a third-party or other group
to verify projections/plans?”
Since the start of the environmental analysis phase in 2018, such things as ridership
forecasts, capital cost estimates,design plansand schedulesare developed by one set of
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS20
MEMORANDUM
consultantsubject matter experts under one contract under direction from certain agency
staff and peer reviewed by a different set of consultant subject matter expertsunder a
different contractunder direction from different agency staff.
41.“Has Met Council or Maplewood considered a Transit Advisory Board made up of
residents?”
The Projecthas a Community and Business Advisory Committee that is made up of people
who live, work, own a business and are involved in their community throughout the project
corridor, including Maplewood. Thiscommittee is part of the project’s formal decision-
making process that makes recommendations to the Corridor Management Committee,
which is made up of policymakers from the corridor. More information on this process can
be found in the answer to question 39.
Additionally, the Metropolitan Council has several committees that include residents
throughout the Metro, including equity and transportation-focused committees. The
Transportation Accessibility Advisory Committee and the Equity Advisory Committee are
both resident committees. TheTransportation Advisory Board is made up of both
policymakers and residents. More information on these committees can be found below,
as well as include links for further information.
Transportation Advisory Board: The Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) is a key
participant in the region's transportation planning process. This board is where state,
regional and local officials, transportation providers, and community members
contribute to transportation planning and recommend projects for federal funding.
Transportation Accessibility Advisory Committee: The Transportation Accessibility
Advisory Committee (TAAC) advises the Council on management policies for public
transportation services in the region from the perspective of riders with disabilities.
The TAAC was created by the Minnesota Legislature. The committee includes riders
and advocates for older people and the disability community, as well as
representatives of service providers and other appropriate agencies.
Equity Advisory Committee: The Equity Advisory Committeeadvises the Metropolitan
Council in its work to advance equity in the metropolitan region.The Equity Advisory
Committee members include people of different races, incomes, abilities, and
backgrounds to ensure the Metropolitan Council is hearing from and accountable to
the full range of voices and perspectives in the region.
42.“What is the overall transit plan system-wide and how does the Purple Line support that?
What about other options (like those outlined by the NRLC Presentation)?”
METROis the region’s network of fast, frequent, all-day buses and trains.Blue Line, the
first lineofthe network, began operation in June 2004.GreenLine,Red Line, Orange Line,
A Line, C Line, and D Line have since opened. The METRO network is continuing to expand
with extensions of Green and Blue lines, Gold Line, Purple Line, B Line, E Line, F Line, G Line
and H Line all anticipated to be operational by 2030.Additional lines are anticipated to be
added between 2030 and 2040.
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS21
MEMORANDUM
The overalltransit plan system-wide is described in Network Next, a 20-year plan for
expanding and improving the bus network. Network Now is a year-long effort initiated in
early 2023 to identifying plans for improving service between 2024 and 2027.
43.“Charlie Zelle has been quoted as saying, ‘We don’t have a clear picture of long term
future transit’. What steps have you taken to support the Purple Line Project as
necessary? Do you have any reliable predicted number scenarios?”
The closest quote we could find to that written in the question is a quote from Chair Zelle
in an October 31, 2021, Star Tribune article about Northstar: “We don’t have a clear
picture of the long-term future of commuter transit demand andneeds.” Commuter transit
is specific to service that runs primarily during morning and evening rush hour to deliver
people to and from work. The METRO Purple Line is not a commuter service, instead
providingfrequent, all-day service. TheProject is budgeted for in the region’s long-range
transportation plan(Transportation Policy Plan).The Federal Transit Administration
requires that ridership projections be refreshed throughout the Project’s development.
Metro Transit saw average weekday ridership increase by 20% in 2022 throughout the
transit system as compared to 2021. Nearly 38.8 million rides were provided in 2022,
including:
26.3 million bus rides (+19%)
6.9 million Green Line rides (+13.5%)
5.4 million Blue Line rides (+19%)
The gains were driven in part by strong student ridership.
Almost 1 million rides were taken with a Universal Transit Pass, introduced this fall at
the University of Minnesota
More than 1 million rides were taken with Student Passes, up 77% compared to 2021
Learn more about Metro Transit ridership.
44.“Why are you pressing the Purple Line in its current form and location, based on
old/incomplete data when you know the community opposes the location?”
METRO Purple Line in its current form and location was defined and supported by the City
of Maplewood and corridor project partners with resolutions of support for the Locally
Preferred Alternative in 2017based on a combination of technical evaluation and public
feedback. As the METRO Purple Line BRT Project was advanced into preliminary
engineering and through environmental review between 2018 and 2021, corridor project
partners reaffirmed their support for the project’s design in 2020through elected board
level actions and formalcomments on the Environmental Assessment document.Public
involvement has occurred all along the way through various formal project committees
and a variety of community engagement opportunities. The best available information at
the time has been used toinform the decision-makingprocess.
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS22
MEMORANDUM
45.“Considering the unacceptable high numbers of serious crimes on the LRT and Metro
Transitbuses, what solid plans do you have to address these issues? Please supply at
least 6 of the main points from your Safety and Security Plan.”
The Safety and Security Action Planhas 5 main points:
Work closely with law enforcement partners
(1)Partnering with Bloomington Police and Airport Police to assist with patrolwithin
theirjurisdictions
(2)Working on renewing/revising Memoranda of Agreement with other law
enforcement agencies
Makeit more enticing to become a Metro Transit Police Officer
(1)Sergeant assigned to coordinate recruitment activities
(2)Expanded tuition reimbursementprogram for Community Service Officers (law
enforcement students who will become police officers)
(3)Actively recruiting lateral hires from other departments
Expand our use of contracted security
(1)TheMetropolitanCouncil approveda$6millioncontracton 3/15/2023
Introducenon-police personnel
(1)Development of transit safety official program to put non-law enforcement
personnel on the system to check fares and educate riders
Hiremore cleaners to clean vehicles and facilities
(1)Increases rider comfort and sense of safety
(2)Cleaner facilities give riders reassurance that the system is cared for
46.“Please list and explain all transit alternatives currently operating and available to
Maplewood residents. Explain likely build out and expansion of these services to improve
the services to our area and how they can be utilized to connect to future transit.”
See responsesto Questions#25and #38.Connecting Maplewood and Saint Paul’s East
Side to the METRO($2.00-$2.50 per METRO trip) now will be a catalyst for additional
transit services (e.g., connecting bus routes, microtransit, express bus routes,etc.) in the
near future.
47.“What has your data shown regarding ridership on various previously proposed BRT
routes —would ridership be more or less along Highway 61, or WhiteBear Ave’s 3
existing routes than the proposed Purple Line route?Did you ask transit users their
preferences on where a Bus Rapid Transit stop would work best for them?”
During the Pre-Project Development Phase (2014-2017)that lead up to the selection and
recommendation of the locally preferred alternative(mode and alignment) by corridor
project partners, alignment alternatives on segments of Highway 61 and segments of
White Bear Ave were considered through the technical evaluation and public engagement
processes.
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS23
MEMORANDUM
For Highway 61segments, the current and anticipated future characterand nature of the
corridor were not conducive to a transitway investment. In particular, the poor pedestrian
environment and lack of opportunities for transit-orienteddevelopment were major
determining factors.As a result, alignments on Highway 61 segments were not forecasted
to be high ridership.
For White Bear Avenue segments, the existing public right-of-way was not deemed
sufficient to accommodate a dedicated busway. Significant amounts of private residential
and commercial properties along most of the segments would need to be acquired to
sufficiently widen the public right-of-way.Staying within the existing public right-of-way
througha roadway reconfiguration (or road diet) was not considered or evaluated at the
time.As a result, themagnitudeand extent of private property impacts outweighed the
ridershipforecasts.
The station locations for the locally preferred alternativewere initially identified based on
existing bus stops and major destinations and refined through public engagement efforts
during the Pre-Project Development Phase(2014-2017) and Environmental Analysis Phase
(2018-2021). Several station locations have been adjusted in response to stakeholder and
public feedback including:
th
10Street station—platforms locations adjusted based on feedback
Arcade Street Station—Station location changed based on feedback
Cook Avenue Station—Station added in the EnvironmentalAnalysis Phasebased on
feedback
Maryland Avenue, Larpenteur Avenue, Frost Avenue and Highway 36Stations—
platform configurationsselected based on feedback.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AdditionalQuestionsReceivedafterMarch8th
1.“For your surveys to determine who would use or not use the purple line, how did you
distribute the surveys? What efforts did you take to hear from a diverse representation of
Maplewood residents in regards to income, race, primary language, and disability
status?How did your raw data compare to the raw data of the ridership surveys
conducted by Ramsey County?”
Because the Route Modification Study has been extended and comment period postponed,
the project has not conducted a survey regarding the Route Modification Study. The
project did conduct a survey regarding the location of the Arcade Street station in St. Paul.
For this survey, the below strategies were used to reach a diverse representation of folks
who live, work or own a business around this station. Similar methodology and strategies
will be used for future project surveys.
Surveys were available in English and translated to Spanish, Hmong and Karen.
Surveys were available and distributed electronically in an accessible format for
individuals who utilize ascreen reader.
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS24
MEMORANDUM
Postcard mailers were sent to 4,000 total residents and businesses around the station
area. The mailers included a link to complete the survey online, as well as dates, times
and locations of pop-up events in community spaces to take the surveys in person and
talk to staff.
Surveys included demographic questions on race/ethnicity, gender, income, age and
disability status. These questions were optional as to not create a barrier to
completing the survey.
Surveys were available in printed format and electronically via iPads at pop-up events
in community spaces.
Surveys were available in printed format and electronically via iPad’sduring
canvassing/flyering/door-knocking at current bus stops, single and multifamily
residences, businesses, schools and community centers/organizations.
The results of the METRO Purple Line Arcade Street Station Survey are consistent with
MetropolitanCouncil’s 2021 Transit On-Board Surveyand Metro Transit’s current
ridership reports. Survey respondents and ridership trends are showing that BIPOC
communities, individuals with disabilities and folks with lower incomes are
consistentlyand increasingly usingpublic transit.
METRO Purple Line ridership calculations are projections based on data inputs into a
model from the Federal Transit Administration. For more information on ridership
modeling, see question #11.
2.“What steps need to be taken toseriously review and consider a transit plan where we
have one BRT going north in one direction on a street such as Arcade (Hwy 61) and a
BRTgoing south in one direction on a street such as White Bear Ave, with the connecter
point being the Maplewood Mall and both BRTlegs of the route are connected by micro
transit?”
Prior to the selection and recommendation of the Locally Preferred Alternative (METRO
Purple Line’s mode and alignment) in 2017 by elected or appointed representatives of
corridor project partners supported by the policy boards of the corridor project partners,
several transit modes and numerous route segments were identified, evaluated and
screened through multiple rounds of technical analysis and public feedback.
Decades of international and national transit operating experience indicates one direction
transit routes of any type operating in a looparenot desirable by the transit userwho
starts or ends their trip as a pedestriananddesires a time competitive, directtrip with as
few transfers as possible. This suggested concept is inconsistent with transit service
planning best practicesand would be quickly screened out as impractical.
3.“I see handicapped people today usingthe Bruce Vento trail. It was mentioned at the
meetingthat the Bruce Vento Trail is not ADA compliant. What about the trail today,
makes it not ADA compliant, please be specific. What needs to be done to make it ADA
compliant, specifically. What is the cost of making those changes if NOT in conjunction
with the construction of the Purple Line over the Bruce Vento Trail.”
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS25
MEMORANDUM
This was not a MetropolitanCouncil statement but rather a comment made by a resident
of Maplewood during Public Testimony at the Maplewood Engagement Workshop #3 on
March 8, 2023. The scope of work for the METROPurple LineBRT Projectin the Ramsey
County Rail Right-of-Way segmentbetween Johnson Parkwayand Beam Avenueincludes
relocating the trail next to the proposed transit guideway. Specific grades for the existing
trail werenot reviewedas the relocated trailwill be ADA compliant.
ADA compliance for regional trails like the Bruce Vento Trailincludes appropriately graded
paths, amenities,and street crossings with detectable warnings. Some of these features
are lacking today,most noticeably the lack of detectable warning tiles at many of the
street crossings.The BRT project wouldcreate ADA compliance throughout the corridor,
including more accessto the trailincluding accessible parking locations.
Ifthe METROPurple Line BRT Projectwas not planned, anyADA concerns, evaluation, and
costforrehabilitating the Bruce Vento Regional Trailwould be determined by Ramsey
Countywithin the City of MaplewoodandbytheCityofSaintPaul for the trail withinthe
CityofSaintPaul as these are the owners/maintainers of the trail respectively.
4.“It is said the trail and the Purple Line will be ‘co-located’however, to do that don't you
have to dig up the current Bruce Vento Trail and move it over so you can achieve the
concept of ‘co-location.’Please explain the amount of grading, backfill, site preparation
needed to create the berms, bridges for the Purple Line if the 100 ft trail right of way is
used and also include that grading necessary to address the current topography of the
ROW that includes steep slopes, wetlandsand etc.”
For much of the Ramsey County Rail Right-of-Way corridor,the Bruce Vento Regional Trail
will be reconstructed in a different location within the 100 ft widecounty owned property
to where the trail is today. This is done to continue to provide separation of the trail and
proposed transit guideway from the adjacent properties. Where existing berms are
present, they may be lowered and retaining walls may be usedto provide the appropriate
space for grading. The specific grading, retaining walland stormwater treatments are
advanced through the design process, means and methods have not been fully determined
and will continue to be refined through the design.
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS26
MEMORANDUM
FIGURE 7: EXAMPLE OF GRADING OF THE CORRIDOR BETWEENTHE GATEWAYTRAIL AND SKILLMAN AVENUE
(LOOKINGNORTH)
FIGURE 8: EXAMPLE GRADING OF THE CORRIDOR JUST SOUTH OF BEAM AVENUE WHERE THE EXISTING TRAIL
WILL REMAIN IN PLACE(LOOKINGNORTH)
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS27
MEMORANDUM
5.“At the meeting, it was said that individuals most likely to use the bus are wanting to use
the bus to get to ‘low barrier’ employment within 30 minutes of their home. Why does the
current bus system not address or serve this need? Please explain the barriers to the Met
Council to do so. Can the Met Council tell us where these ‘low barrier’ employment jobs,
within 30 minutes of the expected riders' homes are? How does the Met Council take
these jobs into consideration when developing their current bus routes?”
This was not a Metropolitan Council statementbut rather a comment made by an
interested,non-affiliated partyof Maplewood during Public Testimony at the Maplewood
Engagement Workshop #3 on March 8, 2023. Unfortunately, Metro Transit cannot respond
because it requires further study.We believe the type of job mentioned would include
retail, service, medicaland manufacturing jobs.
6.“Is CenturyCollege a viable destination for the Purple Line BRT?”
In response to a resolution passed by the White Bear Lake City Council regarding the BRT
project in March 2022, a route modification study was initiated to explore alternative end
point and routing options for a northern terminus station. At the request of Century
College’s administration, one of the end pointoptions under evaluation is the Century
College campus. The college is currently served with hourly service (Route 219). Over the
last 10 months, the project team has engaged with the college administration, faculty,
staff and students to better understand and document the need for better transit service
to the campus.The results of the technical evaluation and stakeholder engagement are
anticipated to be shared in project committees, stakeholders, and the public in the coming
months. Additional information is available onthe Route Modification Studywebpage.
7.“If access to jobs, schools, and medical facilities is needed where is the input from local
businesses and school and medical leadership? Have these groups been surveyed? Have
they expressed a need for this BRT line?”
Representatives from these stakeholders have played active roles on various project
committees across the project phases. For example, the Rush Line Policy Advisory
Committee from the Environmental Analysis Phase (2018-2021) that guided the
preliminary engineering and environmental review of the METRO Purple Line BRT Project
included representatives from School District 622, Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare,
Vadnais Heights Economic Development Corporation, Metro State University, East Side
Area Business Association, LatinoLEAD, White Bear Area Chamber of Commerce, Century
College, Nexus Community Partners, andSaint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce.
Another example, the METRO Purple Line Partnersformed in 2021 includes representatives
from Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, White Bear Lake Area Chamber of
Commerce, East Metro Strong, HealthPartners, M Health Fairview St. John’s Hospital,
Vadnais Heights Economic Development Corporation, East Side Area Business Association,
Century College,Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, Minnesota Hmong Chamber of
Commerce, MICAH, All Parks Alliance for Change, Greater Saint Paul BOMA, Hmong
American Partnership, CLUES, Latino Chamber of Commerce Minnesota, Move Minnesota,
NEXUS Community Partners, Maplewood Mall, White Bear Center for the Arts, Lakeshore
Players, Grandma’s Bakery, New Trax, Children’s Performing Arts, White Bear Lake
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS28
MEMORANDUM
Environmental Advisory Commission, BlueGreen Alliance, North Oaks Company, Buerkle
Automotive Group, Hmong Village,New HorizonAcademy and MSS MN.
The current Community and Business Advisory Committee for the Project includes corridor
residents and business owners. The project team through ongoing public involvement is
engaging a variety of stakeholders throughout thecorridor who are expressing desire for
fast, frequent, all-day service and stations with enhanced amenities, and support forthe
METRO Purple Line.
8.“If the East side of St. Paul is isolated transit-wise, what could the city of St. Paul do to
improve transit to nearby St. Paul?”
The City of SaintPaul has a long history,dating back decades,of partnering with Metro
Transit and Ramsey County to identify, explore and implement transit service
improvements withinSaint Paul and connecting Saint Paul to its neighbors.This
partnership has produced the operational METRO Green and A lines, in-construction
METRO Gold Line,soon to be in-construction METRO B Line, and planned METRO Purple,
G, and H lines.METRO Gold, Purple and H lines are the plan to serve Saint Paul’s East Side
with fast, frequent, all-day service and stations with enhanced amenitiesthat will be
catalysts for future transit service improvements such as connecting local bus routes and
potentially a microtransit project.
9.“What will be the impact on use of the Bruce Vento Trail if the Purple Line is built as
planned?”
The BRT project will relocate the Bruce Vento Regional Trail within Ramsey County Rail
Right-of-Way. The reconstructed trail will have new trail surface with other trail related
improvementscited in previous question responses. During final design of the BRT project,
construction staging will be developed with a focus on minimizing disruption to the use of
the trail. Thenatural space will be revegetated within the construction limits.See Question
#21.
10.Will the citizens safe using the trail?
The MnDOT Bike Facility Design Manualwill be usedto design the trail facility, providing
the requiredclearances between the bus guideway and trail facilitiesbased on the use
and speeds of the BRT guideway. At-gradetrail crossings of existing roadways will be
reconstructed, improving the overall condition of the crossing, providingbetter accessto
the trail (including improved ADA access)andproviding an overall safer crossing condition
through enhanced signage and crosswalk striping. The newtrailinfrastructure will provide
an enhanced experiencefor the user. A fence between the busway and trail could be
explored furtherto address some of the concerns expressed through this engagement
process.TheMETROPurpleLineBRTProjectwillengagecommunitymembersasthe
designadvancestogainfeedbackonwhatfacilitieswillmakeusersfeelmostsafe.
There are several regional trail locations in the Twin Citiesthat are adjacent to roadways
or transitwaysthat operate in a safe mannerfor vehicles and pedestrians. TheMETRO
Gold Line BRT Projectis adding trails along the Gold Line guideway in Maplewood.
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS29
MEMORANDUM
11.Is there another example in the Twin Cities of a dedicated roadway to be used expressly
for BRT?”
The Ramsey County Rail Right-of-Way was purchased from the freight railroad for use as
a future rail or bus transitway. The Bruce Vento Regional Trail was subsequently built in
the corridor with a well-documented understanding that it would needto be relocated
within the corridor when a rail or bus transitway were built.The University of Minnesota
Transitway between the East Bank and Saint Paul campus isa former railroad that has
been converted toa dedicated guideway for buseswith a co-located trail. The METRO
Gold Line BRT is constructing a dedicated guidewayin Woodbury, Oakdale, Landfall,
Maplewood,and St. Paulfor buses through the east metro along the I-94 corridor.
12.“How do you enforce keeping non-BRTmotorized traffic from using the Purple Line?”
Dedicated busways exist throughout the country and world in addition to the two local
examples cited in the previous question. First, signage and pavement markings are
included with theBRT project to inform the motorized and non-motorized traveling public
that this space is reserved for transit use only. Second, active andpassive reporting from
BRT vehicle operators and transit facility security cameraswill lead to deployment of
transit law enforcementfor compliance adherence.
13.“Who will be responsible for the maintenance of the Purple Line roadway and Bruce Vento
Trail in regard to snow and trash removal?”
The Bruce Vento Regional Trail and underlying property withinMaplewoodwill continue to
be owned andmaintainedby Ramsey County.The Bruce Vento Regional Trail withinthe
CityofSaintPaulwillcontinue to be owned and maintained bytheCityofSaintPaul.
Ramsey County will continue to own the underlying property within the City of Saint Paul.
The busguidewaywill be owned bythe MetropolitanCouncil who will also be responsible
for maintainingthe busway. The operation and maintenance of the METROPurple Line will
bejointly funded by the MetropolitanCouncil and Ramsey County.
14.“How will the Met Council protect the Sergeant Joe BergeronMemorial and any other
existing memorials along the corridor?”
The Sergeant Joe Bergeron Memorial has been added to a mitigation commitment tracking
tool to ensure protective measures are carried through design updates and the
construction phase of the project.
Existing memorials,liketheSergeantJoeBergeronMemorial,will be surveyed to
determine theirexact location. Once the survey is complete, the METROPurple LineBRT
Projectteam will coordinate with the memorial owner to determinethe boundary of the
memorial and verifythat the proposed design does not disturb the existing memorial.
Design updates will be reviewed with the memorial owner to discuss design advancements
adjacent to the memorial site.
During construction, the contractor will be required to protect the memorial, maintaining
an identifieddistance from the memorial with construction equipment and material. A
fence around the memorial may be required during construction.
RE: RESPONSE TO MAPLEWOOD QUESTIONS30