Northstar Commuter Rail bus service plan

Northstar Commuter Rail bus service plan Recommended Plan July 2009 Executive Summary Introduction Metro Transit will begin operating the Twin Cities’ first commuter rail line in late 2009. The Northstar commuter rail line will connect downtown Minneapolis with the northwest suburbs located along the Highway 10 corridor. Initially, there will be stations in Big Lake, Elk River, Anoka, Coon Rapids-Riverdale, Fridley and on the northwest edge of downtown Minneapolis. There will be five southbound morning trains and five northbound afternoon trains each weekday scheduled to meet major work shift start and end times in downtown Minneapolis that are currently served by bus in the corridor. There will also be one northbound morning train and one southbound afternoon train each weekday, along with limited weekend service. The Northstar Line is expected to carry 3,400 riders a day in the first year of operation and 4,100 at full maturity. Existing Bus Service The ridership, routing and performance of existing transit service along the Northstar corridor has been evaluated to coordinate with the opening of the rail line. Providers of fixed-route, dial-a-ride and paratransit bus service between downtown Minneapolis and St. Cloud include Metro Transit (routes 10, 824, 850, 851, 852, 854 and 860); Anoka County (Route 805 and dial-a-ride), the City of Ramsey (Route 856), Northstar Community Development Authority (Route 888), Metro Mobility (service for people with disabilities), River Rider (dial-a-ride), and St. Cloud Metropolitan Transit Commission (Northstar Link). In downtown Minneapolis, there are many connections for riders to travel between the commuter rail station and the downtown core. The Hiawatha light-rail line is being extended to serve the Northstar station adjacent to Target Field, the new Minnesota Twins stadium. Local bus routes (offering service at least every 15 minutes during most of the day) offer regular connections from the 5th Street Garage along 4th, 5th and 6th streets. Northstar Commuter Rail Bus Service Plan • Route 10 – Service on University Avenue (U branch) is a quarter-mile walk from Fridley Station. Buses may be rerouted to directly serve the station, and the schedule will be adjusted so that buses operate on the University Ave branch when trains serve the Fridley station. Route 20 – New shuttle will serve the south end of downtown; drops off on 10th Street in the morning and picks up on 9th Street in the afternoon. Will connect with each Northstar train. Route 805 – Route 805 already serves Anoka Station on 4th Avenue. The bus schedule may be adjusted once the commuter train schedule is finalized. Route 811 – A new feeder route will serve Coon Rapids-Riverdale Station and neighborhoods along Round Lake and Bunker Lake boulevards and 38th, 7th, 9th and 119th avenues. It will replace most of the local-service portion of Route 851. Route 824 – Route 824 will be rerouted a quarter-mile from University Avenue to directly serve Fridley Station. Buses will continue to operate to downtown Minneapolis as well. Route 851 – The Northstar Line will replace Route 851 service between Coon RapidsRiverdale Station and downtown Minneapolis. The local-service portion of the route north of Highway 10 will be replaced by new feeder Route 811. Route 852 – The route currently serves Fridley Station on East River Road. Route 852 may be adjusted to provide midday and evening supplemental service to Coon Rapids-Riverdale and Anoka stations on select trips. • • • • • • • • • Route 888 – Existing coach bus service will be replaced by the Northstar Line. Route 889 – This new route will provide an evening trip to the Anoka and Coon Rapids stations. Leaves downtown on 3rd Avenue S at approximately 7 p.m. weekdays. Northstar Link – Coach bus service will connect a park-and-ride lot in St. Cloud with all weekday commuter trains at the Big Lake station. Once the Northstar Line is in operation, service and ridership on trains and at park and ride lots will be monitored and reviewed as new travel patterns emerge. Routes 850, 854, 856 and 860 will also be monitored for possible changes. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Northstar Commuter Rail Service and Fares ........................................................... 1 Figure 1.1: Northstar Alignment.............................................................................................................. 2 Northstar Commuter Rail Fares............................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 2: Existing Market and Services .................................................................................. 4 Figure 2.1: Northstar Riders by Station................................................................................................... 6 Figure 2.2: Mn/DOT AM Congestion Map............................................................................................... 7 Figure 2.3: Mn/DOT PM Congestion Map............................................................................................... 8 Table 2.1: Existing Service in Northstar Corridor.................................................................................... 9 Figure 2.4: Northstar Corridor APC Ridership ....................................................................................... 10 Figure 2.5: Routes 856 and 888 Survey Destination Map .................................................................... 11 Chapter 3: Role of Bus Service and Peer Review .................................................................... 12 Table 3.1: Station Area Bus Service, Peer Commuter Rail Systems ..................................................... 12 Table 3.2: Park‐and‐ride Capacity and First Year of Operations Estimate........................................... 12 Chapter 4: Northstar Commuter Rail Bus Service Plan ........................................................... 13 Fixed Route Service Changes................................................................................................................. 13 Service to Monitor for Possible Future Changes .................................................................................. 15 Title VI Analysis of Potential Disparate Impact .................................................................................... 15 Figure 4.1: Bus Plan Overview ............................................................................................................... 16 Figure 4.2: Station Inset Maps............................................................................................................... 17 Table 4.1: Bus Service by Station........................................................................................................... 18 Chapter 1: Northstar Commuter Rail Service and Fares The Northstar corridor is a transportation corridor that runs along US Highway 10 from the St. Cloud and Rice area to downtown Minneapolis. It is one of the fastest growing corridors in Minnesota and the nation. It is projected by the Metropolitan Council that by 2025, more than 850,000 people will live within the corridor. A large portion of these residents work in or near downtown Minneapolis, making Highway 10 a congested corridor in the Twin Cities region. In May 1997, 30 counties, cities, townships and regional rail authorities created the Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA), a joint powers board whose purpose was to address the increased need for additional transportation solutions between St. Cloud and Minneapolis. Over the next decade, the NCDA met many challenges to make the Northstar Commuter Rail Project a reality. Metro Transit, a service of the Metropolitan Council, will begin operating the Twin Cities’ first commuter rail line in late 2009. The Northstar commuter rail line will connect downtown Minneapolis with the northwest suburbs located along the Highway 10 corridor. Initially, there will be stations in Big Lake, Elk River, Anoka, Coon Rapids-Riverdale, Fridley and on the northwest edge of downtown Minneapolis (see Figure 1.1). All stations except downtown Minneapolis will have free parking available. There will be five southbound morning trains and five northbound afternoon trains each weekday. The train schedule will be set to serve all the same work start and end times as express bus service bus does today. Southbound trains will arrive downtown at the Downtown Minneapolis Ballpark Station in time for riders to start work downtown at 6:30 a.m., 7:00 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 8:00 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. Northbound trains will be timed to accommodate customers leaving work downtown at 3:30 p.m., 4:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. Although there will be fewer trips, with nearly 600 seats per train there will be more capacity than is currently available with today’s bus schedules. A new website will debut soon with the revised Northstar Rail schedule. There will also be one northbound morning train and one southbound afternoon train each weekday and limited weekend service. The Northstar Line is expected to carry 3,400 riders a day in the first year of operation and 4,100 at full maturity. Northstar facts: • 40-mile route • Approximately 50 minutes from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis • 5 locomotives, 18 passenger cars • 4 car trains, 580 passengers per trip (145 per passenger car) • Intermodal connections with light-rail transit at the downtown Minneapolis station and with local bus routes at 5th Street Garage • Conductors and engineers are Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway employees on contract -1- There will be three round trips on Saturdays and Sundays. These trips will be timed to meet the expected started and end times of downtown entertainment options, such as concerts and sporting events. The weekend schedule is in development. Figure 1.1: Northstar Alignment -2- Northstar Commuter Rail Fares Northstar fare pricing reflects travel market conditions for value of commuter’s long distance and high quality service, while balancing ridership attractiveness and fare revenue. The Metropolitan Council is reviewing fare recommendations based on distance between each of the stations and downtown Minneapolis. The recommended one-way cash fare to downtown Minneapolis from the five suburban stations when Northstar service begins are: • • • • • Big Lake – $7.00 Elk River – $5.50 Anoka – $4.00 Coon Rapids – $4.00 Fridley – $3.25 Customers will be encouraged to use a Go-To Card to pay their fares on Northstar trains. Go-To Cards are rechargeable smart cards that offer faster, easier boarding and provide fare discounts. Anoka County dial-a-ride service will not charge an additional fare to customers transferring to trains at commuter rail stations. Northstar customers arriving in downtown Minneapolis are allowed to transfer to any regional bus or light-rail transit within 2.5 hours. Customers transferring from any regional bus or light-rail train to Northstar trains will be required to pay the difference between the fare paid and the Northstar fare in cash at a ticket machine or using a Go-To Card at the card reader on the rail station platform. Customers with a bus-issued transfer will receive a $1 credit toward the Northstar fare. Weekend and other discount fare groups are also in development. Go to www.metrotransit.org for details. -3- Chapter 2: Existing Market and Services To maximize the performance of bus service and commuter rail in the Northstar corridor, a review of existing service and overall commuter market was conducted. Ridership, routing and performance have been evaluated to coordinate with the implementation of commuter rail service. Metro Transit, working with other service providers along the corridor, has reviewed market areas and travel patterns along the Northstar corridor, with downtown Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota campus as primary destinations. A range of commuter market (home-to-work) information was analyzed. The U.S. Census Bureau’s Longitudinal Employer Household Data (LEHD) information from 2004 and 2006 was used to determine the home origin for commuters. Other analysis included existing transit ridership and performance, 2008 data on the home origin of parkand-ride users, building permit data to identify more recent housing development areas and field observation. Home locations for downtown commuters living in the Northstar corridor that currently use a Park & Ride lot, along with projections for which station these customers will use, are shown in Figure 2.1. Transit competes with the driving commuter and is most attractive when it: • serves large employment and population destinations • provides a time advantage in a congested corridor • competes favorably with the price of gasoline • offers an alternative to parking at the destination that is limited and expensive A commuter traveling in the Northstar corridor experiences all of these factors. Key highways in the north metro, such as Highway 10, Highway 252 and Interstate 94, are congested (Figure 2.2). The average cost per day for contract parking in downtown Minneapolis is $8. There are fewer parking spaces than jobs in downtown Minneapolis, and many parking spaces are located several blocks away from key work locations. Ridership, routing and performance have been evaluated on existing transit service within the Northstar corridor to coordinate with the opening of the commuter rail line. Providers of fixed-route and dial-a-ride bus service between downtown Minneapolis and St. Cloud include: • Metro Transit (a service of Metropolitan Council) operates light rail, urban local, suburban local and express bus routes in the seven-county metro. Along the Northstar corridor, this includes the cities of Minneapolis, Fridley, Coon Rapids and Anoka. • Anoka County oversees the planning and administration of fixed routes, dial-a-ride and volunteer transportation on behalf of Metropolitan Transportation Services, a division of the Metropolitan Council. Currently, Anoka County contracts with a private provider to operate these services. • Metro Mobility is the Metropolitan Council’s paratransit service provider, as mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act. In many parts of Anoka County, the Traveler is the designated ADA-provider, under contract to the Council. • River Rider provides dial-a-ride service in Sherburne County (Big Lake and Elk River stations) -4- • St. Cloud Metropolitan Transit Commission provides fixed-route, dial-a-ride and paratransit service in the St. Cloud metropolitan area. Metro Transit and Anoka County Traveler operate several bus routes along the Northstar corridor. Routes 10, 805, 824, 850, 851, 852, 854 and 888 currently travel within a quarter-mile of a commuter rail station. Route 10U operates in tandem with Routes 824 and 854 along University Avenue NE, and Route 10N is coordinated with Route 829 on Central Avenue NE. Routes 850, 851, 854 and 888 are primarily oriented to serve park-and-ride lots. Table 2.1 shows the service frequency, span of service and daily ridership. Ridership patterns and concentrations along existing fixed routes are shown in Figure 2.3. In downtown Minneapolis, there are many connections for travel between the commuter rail station and the downtown core. The Hiawatha light-rail line is being extended to serve Northstar’s downtown station, and there is a direct connection between the Northstar and Hiawatha platforms. Bus routes from the 5th Street Garage offer good connections for travel along 4th, 5th and 6th streets. There are no direct connections to destinations on the south side of downtown. August 2008 surveys of customers using Routes 856 and 888 (Northstar corridor bus routes that end at the 5th Street Garage and do not serve the downtown core) revealed that 86 percent of respondents walk to their downtown jobs from 5th Street Garage. More specifically, 92 percent of those who work south of 7th Street currently walk. Downtown work locations and modes of travel from the survey are shown in Figure 2.4. -5- -DRAFT£ ¤ 10 Figure 2.1: Northstar Riders by Station £ ¤ 169 E 4 Other St. Cloud Park and Ride Locations: -Eagan Transit Station -28th Ave Station -Mermaid Supper Club -Forest Lake Transit Center -95th/I-35W -Walmart -Lake Street Station -Louisiana Transit Center -Plymouth Road -I-35W/CR H -Grace Church -Rosedale Transit Center § ¦ ¨ 94 Park & Ride User Origins Location (Usage/Capacity) September 2008 Elk River (231/339) 7th Avenue & Garfield (79/80) Foley Blvd (1148/1243) Hwy 610 & Noble (489/511) 0.5 _ ^ Lake Big 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 _ ^ Elk River P 0.5 Maple Grove Transit Station (1010/924) Northtown Transit Center (279/366) Ramsey Town Center (153/603) Richardson Park (41/66) Riverdale (374/455) Station Big Lake Total Elk River Anoka Coon Rapids Fridley Total/Average St. Cloud Area Big Lake Area DT & U of M Park and Ride Local Transit 1 Users Users2 Commuters 1080 1067 1340 2080 990 6,557 704 376 Existing (2008) 50 91 - P Transit Mode Split 13.1% 33.7% 26.4% 24.1% 37.0% 26.3% 7.1% 24.2% Anoka P _ ^ P West River Rd & 117th Ave (146/139) All other locations (n/a) 0 2.5 5 10 Miles 1 2 LEHD employment data from 2006, factored up based on projected population growth Southbound direction, AM peak only, reduced to reflect TAZ % using Northstar 141 359 327 473 48 1,349 27 29 318 374 0.5 _ ^ P P Riverdale/Coon Rapids 0.5 0.75 §¨ ¦¦ ¨§ 35W 35E £ ¤ 10 £ ¤ 169 P P 0.33 0.33 P P 12/10/2008 £ ¤ 12 § ¦ ¨ 494 § ¦ ¨ 694 _ ^ Fridley 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 § ¦ ¨ 35W £ ¤ 10 § ¦ ¨ 35E Metropolitan Freeway System 2008 Congestion Report Metropolitan Freeway System 2008 Congestion Report Table 2.1: Existing Service in Northstar Corridor Weekday Route Type Cities Served Areas Served Operator Frequency (minutes) Span Daily Rides/ PPISH Frequency (minutes) Saturday Span Daily Rides/ PPISH Frequency (minutes) Sunday Span Daily Rides/ PPISH 10 Urban Local downtown and NE Minneapolis, Columbia Minneapolis, Central Ave Heights, Hilltop, NE, University Ave NE, Fridley, Spring Lake Columbia Heights Transit Park, Blaine Center, Northtown Mall downtown Anoka, Riverdale, University Ave NE, Northtown Mall Metro Transit 7-10 peak; 10 midday; 2030 evening 4:30 AM 2:30 AM 8,026/49 15 4:30 AM 2:30 AM 5,134/53 20-30 4:30 AM 2:30 AM 2,848/44 805 Suburban Anoka, Blaine, Coon Local Rapids First Transit (Anoka Transit Office, MTS) 60 6:00 AM 8:00 PM 6:00 AM 8:00 AM; 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 5:00 AM 9:00 AM; 2:45 PM 6:45 PM 5:30 AM 8:30 AM; 3:30 PM 6:30 PM 5:30 AM 11:00 PM 5:45 AM 8:45 AM; 3:30 PM 7:00 PM 5:15 AM 8:15 AM; 3:30 PM 6:30 PM 5:30 AM 8:45 AM; 3:30 PM 7:00 PM 320/13 60 8:00 AM 7:00 PM 197/11 - - - 824 Limited Stop Minneapolis, Columbia downtown and NE Heights, Fridley, Minneapolis, University Spring Lake Park, Ave NE, Northtown Mall Blaine Anoka, Coon Rapids, Minneapolis downtown Minneapolis, Foley Blvd Park & Ride, Riverdale Park & Ride, Coon Rapids Blvd downtown Minneapolis, Riverdale Park & Ride, 7th Ave N downtown Minneapolis, East River Rd, Northtown Mall, Coon Rapids Blvd, downtown Anoka downtown Minneapolis, University Ave NE, Northtown Mall Ramsey Municipal Ramp Park & Ride, downtown Minneapolis Elk River Park& Ride, Riverdale Park & Ride, downtown Minneapolis Metro Transit 30 162/33 - - - - - - 850 Express Metro Transit 10-15 2,554/69 - - - - - - 851 Express Anoka, Coon Rapids, Minneapolis Metro Transit 10-30 739/51 - - - - - - 852 Express Anoka, Blaine, Coon Rapids, Fridley, Minneapolis Blaine, Coon Rapids, Spring Lake Park, Fridley, Minneapolis 30-60 peak; 60 Metro Transit midday/even ing 1,240/30 90 7:15 AM 8:00 PM 405/24 - - - 854 Express Metro Transit 10-30 728/40 - - - - - - 856 Express Ramsey, Minneapolis First Transit (Anoka Transit Office) First Transit (Anoka Transit Office, NCDA) 40-55 253/48 - - - - - - 888 Express Elk River, Coon Rapids, Minneapolis 15-30 679/49 - - - - - - -9- Figure 2.4 µ 263 Northstar Corridor: Existing Bus Ridership (2008) Route 888 to Elk River Approximately 337 boardings Ramsey Andover Ham Lake 65 É Anoka Anoka 69 _ ^ 221 93 Dayton _ ^ Riverdale/ Coon Rapids 242 É Legend Coon Rapids Champlin £ ¤ Blaine 10 Bus Routes 10 805 824 850 851 852 854 856 888 Weekday Boardings 1-5 6 - 10 11 - 25 26 - 50 51 - 100 101+ £ ¤ 169 Foley Park and Ride 1,187 Northtown Transit Center 869 Spring Lake Park 610 É Osseo Maple Grove Brooklyn Park 252 É Fridley § ¦ ¨ 94 § ¦ ¨ 494 Plymouth New Hope Crystal Brooklyn Center _ ^ § ¦ ¨ 694 Minneapolis Fridley 100 É Hilltop 0 August 2009 1 2 Miles Robbinsdale Columbia Heights Figure 2.5 Rider Destinations July 2008 Survey Results 36 É Routes 856 and 888 ( ! 55 É # § ¦ ¨ 394 # ### # ( !# ## # # "" ## " " # #### # ! #### ! 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" 8/21/2008 Chapter 3: Role of Bus Service and Peer Review The evaluation of bus potential bus connections at commuter rail stations was done in three categories. “In-commute” feeder routes serving neighborhoods near commuter rail stations can provide an alternative to driving, and would be most effective when station parking is at capacity. “Reverse commute” feeder routes can serve urban commuters who work near suburban stations. “Supplemental” service can provide connections along the rail line at times when the train is not operating (midday or evenings). The success of bus routes that serve commuter rail stations in other metropolitan areas is related to the availability of parking. A survey of peer systems found that connecting bus service only exists at stations where parking is at capacity and alternatives are not readily available or conveniently located. Even in these cases, bus service connecting to commuter rail stations tends to have low ridership and high subsidies. Of 10 commuter rail systems surveyed, only three continue to provide bus connections. The stations shown in Table 3.1 are beyond 100 percent parking capacity. The parking utilization rates expected at the Northstar Line stations in the first year of operation are shown in Table 3.2. There are no rail properties actively operating specialized “supplemental” bus service on a regular basis. Table 3.1: Station Area Bus Service, Peer Commuter Rail Systems System Coaster Sounder Sounder VRE VRE Connecting station Encinitas Puyallup Sumner Fredericksburg Burke Centre Train trips/ station 22 12 12 13* 14 Daily bus trips 6 12 12 16 13 Miles to station 8.5 3.3 4 3–6 Loop Passengers per service hour 15 15 11 12 N/A One-way passenger trips 18 18 20 70 60 Bus mode split 6% 5% 6% 8% 8% *plus 10 Amtrak trips Table 3.2: Park‐and‐ride Capacity and First Year of Operations Estimate Station Big Lake Elk River Anoka Coon Rapids Fridley Weekday boardings/station 362 468 214 429 223 Park-and-ride capacity 518 754 377 466 668 -12- Chapter 4: Northstar Commuter Rail Bus Service Plan The feasibility and implications of establishing new routes, supplementing Northstar service with additional bus service and modifying existing bus routes were reviewed. Several bus routes currently operate in the Northstar corridor. These routes were evaluated to determine the cost, benefits and demand for restructuring them to serve a commuter rail station. Metro Transit studied the potential for new connector routes serving the residential areas near each suburban rail station. New reverse-commute service, designed to get train riders to suburban jobs, was considered for stations having significant employment concentrations within one or two miles of the station. Also, Metro Transit explored the feasibility of new bus connections between the downtown Minneapolis station and the south end of downtown, and will be developing improved connections when the train schedule is finalized. Finally, staff explored ways in which buses can provide service at times when the train does not operate. Maps of planned bus service changes are in Figures 4.1 and 4.2, and charts showing the resources allocated to the Northstar Commuter Rail Bus Service Plan are in Tables 4.1 and 4.2. The changes impact only weekday service – there is no weekend bus service changes planned in conjunction with opening of the Northstar Line. In areas without fixed-route service, River Rider and Anoka County Traveler offer dial-a-ride, a curbto-curb service open to the public with an advance reservation. If there is enough demand in a concentrated area, it could transition into a more organized route. Anoka County Traveler serves all of Anoka County. River Rider is available within Elk River and Big Lake; however, River Rider would need to expand its service hours to serve Northstar trains, since it currently operates only between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. (Elk River) and 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (Big Lake). River Rider has no plans to expand its service at this time. Customers who ride Northstar trains at least three days a week are eligible for Metro Transit’s Guaranteed Ride Home program, which provides limited reimbursement for emergency taxi rides in the midday or evening when the train is not operating. Fixed Route Service Changes Route 10 Service on University Avenue (Route 10U) is a quarter-mile walk from Fridley Station. Buses may be rerouted to serve the station directly, and the schedule will be adjusted so buses operate on the University Avenue branch when trains serve Fridley Station. Route 10 has the best potential to provide both feeder and reverse-commute connections to Fridley Station. It provides the best local access with University Avenue neighborhoods both north and south of 61st Avenue. Route 20 New shuttle serves the south end of downtown; drops off on 10th Street in the morning and picks up on 9th Street in the afternoon. Will connect with each Northstar train. -13- Route 805 Route 805 serves Anoka Station on 4th Avenue and connects residential areas near downtown Anoka on select train trips. The bus schedule may be adjusted once the Northstar schedule is finalized, depending on the impacts to transfers at Northtown and in downtown Anoka. Route 811 Route 811 will be a new feeder route serving Coon Rapids Station and neighborhoods along Round Lake and Bunker Lake boulevards and 38th, 7th, 9th and 119th avenues. It will replace most of the local-service portion of Route 851. Route 824 Route 824 will be rerouted a quarter-mile from University Avenue to directly serve Fridley Station. It will provide a connection to Northstar trains for those living south of 85th Avenue along Monroe and Osborne streets and University Avenue. Buses will continue to operate to downtown Minneapolis as well. The impacts of shifting Route 824 trips to meet trains at Fridley Station during rush hours are minimal. Route 851 Route 851 is an express route between the Coon Rapids-Riverdale park-and-ride lot and downtown Minneapolis. Currently, it operates in tandem with Route 888 Northstar Coach. There is also a local segment primarily operating north of Highway 10. Northstar trains will replace Route 851 bus service between the Coon Rapids-Riverdale park-andride and downtown Minneapolis. The local-service portion of the route north of Highway 10 will be replaced by new feeder Route 811. Route 852 The Northstar Line schedule will not have any weekday service operating outside of rush hours. To accommodate half-day work schedules and other demand, Route 852 may be adjusted to provide supplemental midday and evening service to Coon Rapids and Anoka stations on selected trips. One existing northbound trip leaving downtown Minneapolis in the midday, one northbound trip in the evening and one southbound trip arriving in downtown Minneapolis in the midday may be rerouted. The route already serves the Fridley station on East River Road. Route 852 also serves as a feeder route to Fridley Station for Northstar customers living between 85th and 61st avenues along East River Road. Route 888 This demonstration bus service will be replaced by the Northstar Commuter Rail line. Route 889 This new route will provide an evening trip to the Anoka and Coon Rapids stations. Leaves downtown on 3rd Avenue S at approximately 7 p.m. weekdays. -14- Northstar Link Coach bus service will connect a park-and-ride lot in St. Cloud with all weekday Northstar trains at Big Lake Station. This service will test the market to determine the demand for a future rail extension beyond Big Lake. Service to Monitor for Possible Future Changes Once the Northstar Line is in operation, service and ridership on trains and at park and ride lots will be monitored and reviewed as new travel patterns emerge within Northstar corridor and on these bus routes. Route 850 One-third of all transit customers at the Foley park-and-ride lot come from north of Riverdale and may shift to ride Northstar. As a result, Route 850 will be monitored for adjustments. Route 854 Since this route’s primary market is the Northtown Park & Ride, some customers may drive to Fridley Station instead. Ridership will be monitored for adjustments. Route 856 If the City of Ramsey discontinues Route 856 when its operating grant ends in early 2010, Northstar service will be available at Anoka and Elk River stations. Route 860 The northern end of Route 860 is at the Coon Rapids-Riverdale park-and-ride lot. Since Route 860 serves downtown St. Paul, it is not considered part of the Northstar corridor. However, if there is a capacity issue at Coon Rapids Station, Route 860 may need to be relocated. Title VI Analysis of Potential Disparate Impact The changes to current transit service included in this plan were evaluated using Federal Transit Administration FTA Title VI and Metropolitan Council guidelines to understand impacts on lowincome and minority populations. The evaluation concluded that the Northstar Line and the planned bus changes do not have a disparate impact to minority or low-income populations in the corridor. Additional information regarding the Title VI analysis of this plan is available through the Council’s Office of Diversity. -15- Northstar Commuter Rail Bus Service Plan Overview Big Lake Big Lake Big Lake Twp. Figure 4.1 _ ^ Monticello Sherburne £ ¤ 169 Burns Twp. Oak Grove Northstar Link to St. Cloud Elk River 4 " ) 242 East Bethel Monticello Twp. _ ^ Otsego Elk River " ) 47 888 Wright Albertville Ramsey Anoka Andover Ham Lake " ) 101 £ ¤ 10 852 St. Michael " ) 241 Anoka Rogers Hassan Twp. Anoka Dayton 805 _ ^ 851 811 Coon Rapids Champlin _ ^ 889 Legend Rockford Twp. Hanover Hanover Coon Rapids ¦ ¨ § 94 805 Blaine Routes changed/added Routes unchanged Routes eliminated Corcoran Hennepin Osseo Maple Grove Brooklyn Park " ) 610 851 852 252 Spring Lake Park " ) 118 Greenfield Rockford Rockford Northstar alignment " ) 10 Loretto £ ¤ 169 Medina Plymouth ¦ ¨ § 94 Fridley 694 10 Brooklyn Center _¨ ^§ ¦ 824 Fridley Hilltop New Hope Crystal Independence Maple Plain " ) 55 ¦ ¨ § 494 Robbinsdale " ) 65 Medicine Lake " ) 100 £ ¤ 12 Orono Minnetrista Long Lake Wayzata Woodland Minnetonka Golden Valley ¦ ¨ § 394 Target Field Minneapolis _ ^ 20 " ) " ) 2 28 0 2.5 Mound Spring Park 5 Miles St. Louis Park Hopkins ¦ ¨ § 35W September 2009 Minnetonka Beach Tonka Bay Deephaven Northstar Commuter Rail 852 851 Bus Service Plan Overview - Station Insets Figure 4.2 7TH AVE 38TH AVE " ) 47 811 ROUND LAKE BLVD NW STAT IO N PK W Y NW Anoka AI M N ST GRANT ST 4TH AVE _ ^ 5TH AVE 805 NORTH ST PARK ST 889 £ ¤ 10 Legend MONROE ST MAIN ST E 129TH AVE N FRENCH LAKE RD Routes changed/added Routes unchanged Routes eliminated 811 CROOKED LAKE BLVD NW £ ¤ 169 RIV ER RD E 811 _ ^ Coon Rapids 805 888 889 " ) 242 Northstar alignment 0 1 Miles " ) OSBORNE RD NE 118852 Fridley Station Area UNIVERSITY AVE NE 889 COUNTY ROAD I W Target Field Station Area § ¦ ¨ 94 6TH AVE £ ¤ 10 851 ) " 888 889 ) " ) " 47 2N 65 AV 252 852 10 10 20 _ ^ Target Field 5th Street Garage " " 3R D E EN H " " iaw ST D MAIN ST NE UNIVERSITY AVE NE NI CO § ¦ ¨ ) " 0 September 2009 100 94 O LL ET LD _ ^ Fridley 1 Miles VE 824 ath " " EP IN N 61ST AVE NE CE NT § ¦ ¨ 394 CENTRAL AVE NE 53RD AVE NE § ¦ ¨ 694 ) " 0 0.4 Miles 3R 10 TH ST ST 889 § ¦ ¨ 35W D AV E RA 20 aL N 9T LA H 5T RT H ST E H JAY ST NW 888 Anoka/Coon Rapids Station Area W " " Table 4.1: Northstar Commuter Rail and Transit Service Proposal by Station Station Big Lake Northstar Link Coach buses will connect a St. Cloud park and ride and the Big Lake station, meeting all peak and reverse commute trains. End bus demonstration route. Train replaces express service between Elk River, Coon Rapids and downtown. Anoka Traveler Dial-a-Ride serves all of Anoka, including rail station, upon request. Select trips currently connect neighborhoods near downtown Anoka and the Anoka station. Anoka Traveler Dial-a-Ride serves all of Coon Rapids, including rail station, upon request. New feeder route connecting neighborhoods along Round Lake Blvd, Bunker Lake Blvd, 7th Ave, 9th Ave and 119th Ave with the Coon Rapids station. Replaces Route 851 local service north of Main St. Meets all peak direction trains. Eliminate. Local service north of Main St is replaced by Rt 811, train replaces express service to downtown. End bus demonstration route. Train replaces express service between Elk River, Coon Rapids and downtown. Anoka Traveler Dial-a-Ride serves all of Fridley, including rail station, upon request. Adjust trip times on University Ave branch to match train service, possibly reroute select trips to serve Fridley station. Reroute service from University Ave to serve Fridley station; adjust schedule to meet select trains. Downtown shuttle serving 5th Street Garage, 9th and 10th streets. Meets all trains. Hiawatha LRT serving downtown Minneapolis, MSP airport and Mall of America. Meets all trains. New express route will provide an evening trip to the Anoka and Coon Rapids stations. Leaves downtown on 3rd Avenue S at approximately 7 p.m. weekdays. Monitor ridership levels at Foley Park and Ride, along Coon Rapids Blvd and N branch. Monitor ridership levels at Northtown Park and Ride and along East River Road. Ramsey express route grant funding expires in early 2010. Service adjustments may be needed if the route is eliminated and surrounding stations cannot handle the extra riders. Although the route serves downtown St. Paul, the route may need to be relocated out of the Riverdale Park and Ride if the station is full. 0 12 Route Description Pre-Implementation Wkdy Trips Post-implementation Wkdy Trips Elk River Rt. 888 16 n/a 27 n/a 0 16 16 n/a 191 6 0 240 0 0 n/a 27 n/a 10 0 0 n/a 191 6 10 240 1 Anoka Dial-a-Ride Rt. 805 Coon Rapids Dial-a-Ride Rt. 811 Rt. 851 Rt. 888 Fridley Dial-a-Ride Rt. 10 Rt. 824 Rt. 20 Rt. 55 Rt. 889 Target Field - Downtown Minneapolis All Stations - express services and park & ride activity to monitor and analyze. Rt. 850 Rt. 854 Rt. 856 Rt. 860 52 21 8 11 52 21 8 11 Ridership and trip counts for existing routes are based on March 2009 service levels.