NEWS RELEASE September 3, 2004 Minneapolis votes for Bus Rapid Transit on 35W Mayor Rybak says 13-0 Council vote shows support for a balanced approach of roads and transit In a resolution that cited the need for a balanced approach of roads and transit, the Minneapolis City Council passed a resolution denying municipal consent for the Interstate 35W/ Highway 62 "Crosstown" Expansion Project as proposed by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDoT). The vote was 13-0. MNDoT failed to incorporate transit into the project or provide access into downtown for either cars or buses, City leaders argued. "The State's design will be obsolete the day it opens. It will fill up right away and the bottleneck will only be moved a mile north. After wasting years of work and millions of dollars, 35W at 46th Street would be the mother of all bottlenecks," Mayor R.T. Rybak said. Under the MNDoT design, cars and buses entering the city from the south would see the road width shrink from six lanes to four lanes. "Does MNDoT really think people in cars and buses are just trying to get to 46th & Stevens? This whole project including Bus Rapid Transit has to go all the way to downtown," Rybak said. An earlier resolution was passed in January by the City Council (also by a 13-0 vote) opposing a "cars only" expansion of 35W, but supporting expansion if the project also included Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). "Minneapolis wants to give commuters a choice. Bus Rapid Transit will travel at 55 mph, even in rush-hour, even when future population growth overwhelms 35W," Transportation Committee Chair Sandy Colvin Roy explained. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) would operate like Light Rail Transit (LRT) with fully operational stations where riders can pay fares beforehand so they can "get on 'n' go" without waiting when buses arrive. The dedicated BRT lane would also provide an advantage to existing suburban express buses. According to the Metropolitan Council, the 35W corridor is already the most well-used transit corridor in Minnesota. Unlike Light Rail Transit, Bus Rapid Transit would allow some cars to drive in the bus lane, but only as many as would not slow down the buses. BRT is also less expensive than LRT. "In every community meeting MnDOT has sold this project by promising bus rapid transit will be a part of this corridor. But, a plan with no money is not a real plan. Was MnDOT merely paying lip service to bus rapid transit or is the State serious about forwarding a balanced plan for this corridor that includes both transit and increased capacity?" Intergovernmental Relations Chair Scott Benson asked. The City resolution noted that the MNDoT proposal included no Bus Rapid Transit stations and no money to fund BRT operations. Several elected officials noted that negotiations with different departments of State government would be more productive if roads and transit were funded together. "We can't get the State to speak with one voice. When you talk to the Metropolitan Council, they've got all kinds of 'what if' plans for transit, but no money to make those plans real. When you talk to MNDoT, they've got money, but they say 'we don't do transit,'" Rybak said. No Delay City leaders took issue with claims made by MNDoT officials that the City action would delay the project. "The bids for this project are not going to be let until April of 2006 regardless of whether Minneapolis gives municipal consent today or not. The project manager from MnDOT, John Griffith, told the Skyway News that MnDOT had built time into the process to work through a rejection by Minneapolis or any other community. Those who claim that by raising concerns now Minneapolis will delay this project are disingenuous. The municipal consent statute requires that MnDOT submit a final plan to the City and that the City conduct public hearings on the subject. If the only response allowed to the City is to rubber stamp MnDOT's original proposal, then why bother asking for any community input?" Benson asked. Rybak concluded that Minneapolis has put forth a positive vision and a long term solution for the 35W corridor, not wasting millions just to move a bottleneck. "We have time to do this right with the balanced approach of roads and transit that citizens want. Imagine being able to ride from Burnsville to Downtown Minneapolis at the peak of rush hour in just 20 minutes - on a bus. That's a real incentive to try transit. Together with new lanes south of 46th, we would provide real choices for commuters," Rybak said. After the unanimous vote, all thirteen Council Members and Mayor Rybak signed a letter inviting Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau and Metropolitan Council Chair Peter Bell to meet with them to come up with a solution. REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait.
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