Latest News

Utility relocation to begin week of July 6 in St. Paul

Xcel Energy crews will begin advanced utility relocation the week of July 6 on Minnesota Street south of Fourth Street in downtown St. Paul in anticipation of Central Corridor LRT construction in 2010. Minnesota Street will be closed for four weeks south of Fourth. Access will be maintained for Capital City Parking Ramp and Kellogg Square loading dock via Kellogg Boulevard. Fourth Street eill be restricted to one lane westbound from 100 feet west of Minnesota through the intersection at Robert Street until late August when public utility relocation work will close all of Fourth in this block. No parking will be allowed. The loading zone on the north side of Fourth will need to be relocated to the east side of Minnesota north of Fourth. Robert Street will be reduced to one lane each way for six weeks at the intersection of Fourth. As the project progresses, further closures and lane restrictions will occur. Schedules are subject to change due to weather and other unforeseen circumstances. Check the project web site frequently for updates. Click here for more information.

Central Corridor FEIS Published

The Central Corridor LRT Project marked another milestone with publication of the Final Environmental Impact Statement on June 26 in the Federal Register. Publication of the 2,500-page document is the culmination of two years' worth of research, analysis and public engagement with more than 30,000 people through more than 1,300 meetings, community events and informal contacts. The FEIS describes the project as it is going to be constructed, giving the final picture so everyone knows what is going to be built and where. The FEIS describes the route and how it was chosen and provides the location of the tracks, stations and key pieces of supporting infrastructure, such as the traction power substations and the LRT operation and maintenance facility. It includes responses to all comments received on the 2006 Draft Environmental Impact Statement as well as the 2008 Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The FEIS explains the purpose and need for the project and commitments to mitigate adverse impacts. Mitigation commitments made in the environmental process must be fulfilled.

Print copies of the Central Corridor FEIS will be available for public and agency review through July 27 at area libraries, along with a citizen's guide to the FEIS. The public review period ends 30 days following publication. In late August, the Federal Transit Administration is to issue a Record of Decision, which summarizes adverse impacts and the project's commitment to mitigate them. The FTA has been requested to issue a Letter of No Prejudice for the downtown St. Paul Fourth Street utility relocation work immediately after the issuance of the Record of Decision. The letter is the federal government's agreement to reimburse project partners for the federal share of the cost of relocating utilities if and when the agency awards a Full Funding Grant Agreement. The Central Corridor Project Office will complete all design in the first half of 2010 and secure the federal Full Funding Grant Agreement for the $914 million project to begin heavy construction in the latter half of 2010.

For questions about the FEIS, email or call Kathryn O'Brien, environmental services manager for the Central Corridor LRT Project, at (651) 602-1927.

Central Corridor Newsletter Posted

The June 2009 edition of the Met Council's "Making Tracks" newsletter is posted online. This edition of the monthly newsletter covers the following topics:

• Businesses encourage customers to contact outreach coordinators
• FTA gives go ahead for FEIS publication
• Downtown St. Paul 4th Street utility relocation to begin week of July 6
• Soil borings to begin late July
• Project budgets nearly $34 million for mitigation work
• Transit access will increase for most with start of LRT service

The Met Council is using a new email system to send out “Making Tracks” and construction updates. The agency is encouraging the public to sign up for regular project updates. Please feel free to forward this message to others who may be interested in the Central Corridor LRT project. More information about the project is available at www.centralcorridor.org.

Red Rock Corridor Seeks Planning Consultant

Washington County Regional Railroad Authority on behalf of the Red Rock Corridor Commission has released the request for proposal for consultant services for the completion of Station Area and Site Master Planning and Environmental Analysis for the Southeast Stations of the Red Rock Corridor. These stations include Lower Afton Road (St. Paul), Newport, Cottage Grove, and Hastings. The deadline to receive proposals is 4 p.m. Monday, August 3, 2009. It is anticipated that the consultant selection process will be complete by late September and the project will commence in early October. Click here for a complete copy of the RFP. The RFP has also been distributed via email to a list of consultants that have shown interest in the project. For more information, contact Andrew J Gitzlaff, Associate Transportation Planner, Washington County Public Works Department, 11660 Myeron Road North, Stillwater, MN 55082, by phone at (651) 430-4338 or by email.

Regional Rail Authority to meet June 23

The Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority will meet on Tuesday, June 23, in council chambers on the third floor of the County Court House in St. Paul (map/directions) to finalize purchase of the Union Depot Headhouse. Visit this site for transit connections to this meeting. Click here for the meeting agenda.

Red Rock Corridor Commission to Meet

The Red Rock Corridor Commission will meet June 25 at 3:30 pm at Cottage Grove City Hall Council Chambers. The Red Rock Corridor is a 30-mile transportation corridor from Hastings traveling through downtown St. Paul and on to downtown Minneapolis. The corridor is roughly parallel to Highway 61 and Interstate 94.

Click here for a meeting agenda
Click here for a map of the corridor
Click here for the latest project fact sheet
Click here for the project’s web site

Central Corridor Newsletter Available

The May 2009 edition of the Met Council’s Central Corridor LRT newsletter, "Making Tracks," is available online. This edition of the monthly newsletter covers the following topics:

• Recap of May 20 Construction Workforce Diversity Mixer
• Station art concepts celebrate history, immigrants, wildlife
• Grant will fund environmental assessments of potential redevelopment sites on LRT route

More information about the project is available at www.centralcorridor.org and on Regional Rail’s Central Corridor page.

Regional Rail Authority to meet June 9

The Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority will meet on Tuesday, June 9, in council chambers on the third floor of the County Court House in St. Paul (map/directions). Visit this site for transit connections to this meeting. Click here for the meeting agenda.

Regional Rail Authority Buys Depot Head House

The Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority Tuesday approved final purchase agreements with the owners of the Union Depot headhouse, or lobby building, for $8.2 million. “Today marks the official start of the project to return the Union Depot to what it once was: a transportation hub for Ramsey County, the state of Minnesota and the entire upper Midwest,” said Commissioner Jim McDonough, chair of the Rail Authority. “The multimodal transit hub we are creating at the Depot will provide seamless transfers between transportation modes, including trains, local and interstate buses, cars and bicycles. It will give commuters and visitors better access to St. Paul and Ramsey County job centers, entertainment venues and sporting events. This truly is an exciting day for the entire region.” The headhouse, or the lobby portion of the Depot complex facing St. Paul's 4th Street, houses restaurants, offices and condos. The Rail Authority will purchase of the commercial portions of the headhouse building, the parking structure and the land that the building sits on. Thirty-nine condo units built by the current owner will remain in private hands. Click here to read more about the purchase. For more information about the depot project, visit the Union Depot web site.

Regional Rail Authority to meet June 2

The Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority will meet on Tuesday, June 2, in council chambers on the third floor of the County Court House in St. Paul (map/directions). Visit this site for transit connections to this meeting. Click here for the meeting agenda. At the meeting, the board will consider purchase of the Union Depot headhouse in St. Paul, the lobby portion of the depot complex that faces Fourth Street. For more information about the depot project, visit the Union Depot web site.

Station Art Concepts Online

The Metropolitan Council is collecting public comments and feedback on the Central Corridor LRT station art concepts as they continue to work on the designs. Summary descriptions and sketches of the May 2009 concepts are posted online here. Use the Comment Card links to submit comments by June 2 to the outreach coordinator listed at the bottom of each card. If you have questions or comments, please contact the outreach coordinator for your area of concern listed at the bottom of each description. Or you can email comments. More information about the LRT project is available online here and here.

Minnesota High Speed Rail Commission Formed

The Minnesota High Speed Rail Commission was officially formed when Ramsey and Washington County Regional Railroad Authorities adopted the Minnesota High Speed Rail Joint Powers Agreement on April 28 and May 5 respectively. The Commission’s primary role is to advocate for the implementation of High Speed Rail along the 126-mile Canadian Pacific Railway corridor from the Union Depot in St. Paul to La Crescent. This Corridor includes cities such as St. Paul, Hastings, Red Wing, Wabasha, Winona and La Crescent. Upon reaching La Crescent, the Corridor continues east connecting with Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago. The Counties of Dakota, Goodhue, Wabasha, and Winona along with many of the cities along the route will consider adoption of the agreement later this year. To read the latest information on the Minnesota High Speed Rail project, click here. To view the MnDOT State Rail Plan presentation made to the LOCATE Committee on May 11, click here.

Rush Line Open Houses Scheduled

At its May 21 meeting, the Rush Line Corridor Task Force scheduled a series of open houses to provide the public with information on the Alternatives Analysis study that is nearing completion. These open houses will provide an additional opportunity for the pubilc to see the initial results of the analysis and provide input on the study’s draft recommendations prior to the finalization and acceptance of Alternatives Anaysis Study by the Task Force. The open houses will be from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the following locations:

• June 9 – North Branch Library (map/directions)
• June 17 – Hugo City Hall (map/directions)
• June 24 – White Bear Lake City Hall (map/directions)

For more information, visit the project web site.

Change of Venue for Depot Art Meeting

The location of the Met Council's Union Depot LRT station public art meeting that is scheduled for May 20 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. has been changed. The meeting is now being held at the Union Depot, Fourth Street, St. Paul. For more information about the project, visit the Union Depot web site.

Rush Line Task Force to Meet May 21

The Rush Line Corridor Task Force will meet Thursday, May 21, at White Bear Lake City Hall, 4701 Hwy 61 North. (Map/Transit). Click here for the agenda. For further information, contact Michael Rogers, Senior Transportation Planner for the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority, at (651) 266-2773 or by e-mail.

Red Rock Corridor Meeting Cancelled

The Red Rock Corridor meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 28th has been cancelled due to lack of new action items. The next meeting will be held on Thursday, June 25th at 3:30 pm at Cottage Grove City Hall Council Chambers. The Red Rock Corridor is a 30-mile transportation corridor from Hastings traveling through downtown St. Paul and on to downtown Minneapolis. The corridor is roughly parallel to Highway 61 and Interstate 94.

Click here for a map of the corridor
Click here for the latest project fact sheet
Click here for the project’s web site

Construction Trades Information Fair

Interested in a career in the construction and building trades? Attend the Construction Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Mixer at the Wilder Center, 451 Lexington Parkway North, Saint Paul, MN 55104. (Map/Directions or Transit Options). Meet representatives from construction training and apprenticeship programs, and public agencies. Learn about construction opportunities on the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit and other upcoming public projects. Click here for more information. To register, call Roderic at (651) 602-1415 or email him.

LOCATE Task Force to Meet

The LOCATE Task Force will meet on Monday, May 11, at 9 a.m., at the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) building, 125 Charles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55103. (map/directions). Click here for the agenda. In 2002, the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority formed the LOCATE Task Force, made up of business and civic leaders, to identify a site for a potential multi-modal transit center in downtown St. Paul. The group evaluated locations for the transit center, Minnesota's Union Depot, and assessed which transit modes might be suitable for the facility. The Task Force continues to advise the Rail Authority on the purchase and development of the Union Depot.

Central Corridor Artists Present Plans

Five artist teams will present their early design concepts in May for the 15 Central Corridor LRT stations. The public is invited to provide feedback on the design concepts at these meetings or by contacting the Central Corridor LRT Project office by email or by calling 651-602-1645. Artists Nancy Blum, Roberto Delgado, Seitu Jones, Janet Lofquist and the team of Andrea Myklebust and Stanton Sears will present their final designs over the summer to the Metropolitan Council, which will have the final say. Click here for more information about the May meetings.

Central Corridor Project Updates

The Met Council has posted updated information about the Central Corridor LRT project on its web site:

• MPR, Met Council reach accord on LRT mitigation
• St. Paul and Central Corridor staff identify parking solutions along University Ave.
• Public’s input has had significant impact on the Central Corridor project

Red Rock Corridor Commission to Meet

The Red Rock Corridor Commission will meet at 3:30 p.m. April 30 at the St. Paul Park City Hall, 600 Portland Avenue, St Paul Park, MN 55071 (map/directions), due to renovations at Cottage Grove City Hall. Click here for the agenda. If you have any questions, call Andy Gitzlaff at 651-430-4338. The Red Rock Corridor is a 30-mile transportation corridor from Hastings traveling through downtown St. Paul and on to downtown Minneapolis. The corridor is roughly parallel to Highway 61 and Interstate 94.

Click here for a map of the corridor
Click here for the latest project fact sheet
Click here for the project’s web site

Regional Rail Authority to meet April 14

The Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority will meet on Tuesday, April 14, in council chambers on the third floor of the County Court House in St. Paul (map/directions). Visit this site for transit connections to this meeting. Click here for the meeting agenda.

Apple Valley Transit Station Construction to Begin

A kick-off celebration will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at 15450 Cedar Avenue South, Apple Valley, followed by an open house from 3 to 6 p.m. at the site of the existing Apple Valley Transit Station, 15584 Gaslight Drive. During the open house, visitors will have an opportunity sit in a drivers seat and experience some of what it will be like to drive buses on shoulders designed for bus rapid transit. Construction of the new station will begin in April and is scheduled to be completed by December. The station will include level boarding platforms, so riders can walk directly onto buses. It will also feature heated passenger skyways and elevators. A multi-level parking structure, along with a parking lot, will provide space for 750 vehicles. This project is being funded in part by the Counties Transit Improvement Board through the quarter-cent metro transit sales tax. For more information about the ceremony or the open house, call (952) 882-7504.

Counties Transit Improvement Board Meets Wednesday

The Counties Transit Improvement Board will meet at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 15, at the Ramsey County Plato Building, 90 West Plato Boulevard, St. Paul. Click here for map/directions. Click here for transit options. The meeting agenda is available here.

Latest Central Corridor Project News

Community meetings to review proposed locations for 12 traction power substations and 10 signal bungalows led designers of the Central Corridor LRT Project to adjust the location of six of these light rail support facilities along the alignment. The new sites better conceal the substations and signal bungalows from public view and should not hinder future redevelopment of surrounding areas. The relocations were based on feedback from six St. Paul District Councils and some Minneapolis neighborhood groups. For the latest news on the Central Corridor, download the Met Council's monthly Making Tracks newsletter.

Rush Line Task Force 2009 Meeting Schedule

The Rush Line Corridor Task Force will meet every other month in 2009 at White Bear Lake City Hall, 4701 Hwy 61 North. (Map/Transit). Click here for a complete list of meeting dates and times. For further information, contact Michael Rogers, Senior Transportation Planner for the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority, at (651) 266-2773 or by e-mail.

Rush Line Task Force to Meet March 19

The Rush Line Corridor Task Force will meet Thursday, March 19, at White Bear Lake City Hall, 4701 Hwy 61 North. (Map/Transit). Click here for the agenda. For further information, contact Michael Rogers, Senior Transportation Planner for the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority, at (651) 266-2773 or by e-mail.

Regional Rail Authority to meet March 17

The Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority will meet on Tuesday, March 17, in council chambers on the third floor of the County Court House in St. Paul (map/directions). Visit this site for transit connections to this meeting. Click here for the meeting agenda.

Central Corridor Public Art Sessions Scheduled

Visioning sessions will be held between March 11 and 26 for the public to advise the artists who will design art to be incorporated into the 15 Central Corridor LRT stations (click here for a complete schedule of sessions by station area). The community is invited to share ideas on local history and culture around each station with the assigned artist. Separate station art committees, which were created in January, also will advise the artists, in addition to helping publicize the visioning sessions in March and public feedback meetings on the designs later in the spring. The Metropolitan Council will have the final say over the designs.

If the public has any questions or comments about the visioning sessions, please contact the Central Corridor LRT’s community outreach staff by email or call (651) 602-1645.

Dale Street and University Avenue intersection in St. Paul with light rail and baseline elements

Central Corridor Newsletter Available

The latest edition of the Met Council’s Making Tracks newsletter for the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit project includes a sketch of what the streetscape might look like along University Avenue in St. Paul. Baseline elements at non-signalized pedestrian crossings will include tactile warning edges, lighting at intersection and along median walkway, bike racks and striped crosswalks. Betterment elements, which would cost $12 million between Emerald and Rice streets in St. Paul, include:

• Installing twin lantern streetlights ($2.5 million above baseline)
• Adding boulevard pavers, structural soil and trees ($8.5 million above baseline)
• Upgrading wide flange poles for the overhead catenary system to painted tapered tubular poles ($1 million above baseline)

The Central Corridor Project Office is finalizing costs for betterment elements for University Avenue and working with project stakeholders to define betterment elements for the West Bank, the state Capitol area and downtown St. Paul. Project stakeholders must secure funding for betterment elements to be added during construction.

To read more, click here to download the latest newsletter. More information about the project is also available at www.centralcorridor.org and on Regional Rail’s Central Corridor page.

Central Corridor Newsletter Available

The January 2009 edition of the Metropolitan Council’s Central Corridor "Making Tracks" newsletter is available for download here. This edition covers the following topics:

• Noise and vibration impacts can be mitigated at MPR, historic churches
• Informational session, mixer scheduled for general contractors, local DBEs
• Central Corridor LRT Project’s outreach staff recognized for diversity

More information about the project is available at www.centralcorridor.org and on Regional Rail’s Central Corridor page.

Red Rock Corridor Commission to Meet

The Red Rock Corridor Commission will meet February 26 at the Cottage Grove City Hall. Click here for the agenda. For more information, contact Ted Schoenecker at 651-430-4319 or by e-mail. The Red Rock Corridor is a 30-mile transportation corridor from Hastings traveling through downtown St. Paul and on to downtown Minneapolis. The corridor is roughly parallel to Highway 61 and Interstate 94.

Click here for a map of the corridor
Click here for the latest project fact sheet
Click here for the project’s web site

Red Rock Corridor Commission Meeting Cancelled

The Red Rock Corridor Commission meeting for January 29 has been cancelled due to lack of a quorum. The next regularly scheduled Red Rock Corridor Commission meeting is February 26 at the Cottage Grove City Hall. An agenda will be posted here the week before the meeting. For more information, contact Ted Schoenecker at 651-430-4319 or by e-mail. The Red Rock Corridor is a 30-mile transportation corridor from Hastings traveling through downtown St. Paul and on to downtown Minneapolis. The corridor is roughly parallel to Highway 61 and Interstate 94.

Click here for a map of the corridor
Click here for the latest project fact sheet
Click here for the project’s web site

Regional Rail Authority to meet Jan. 20

The Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 20, in council chambers on the third floor of the County Court House in St. Paul (map/directions). Click here for the agenda.

LOCATE Task Force Meeting Rescheduled

Due to scheduling conflicts of several committee members, Chair David Block has re-scheduled the January 26 LOCATE meeting to February 9 at 9 a.m. The meeting will take place at the Association of Minnesota Counties, 125 Charles Ave., St. Paul, MN 55103. (map/directions). Click here for the agenda. In 2002, the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority formed the LOCATE Task Force, made up of business and civic leaders, to identify a site for a potential multi-modal transit center in downtown St. Paul. The group evaluated locations for the transit center, Minnesota's Union Depot, and assessed which transit modes might be suitable for the facility. The Task Force continues to advise the Rail Authority on the purchase and development of the Union Depot.

McDonough Re-Elected Chair of Rail Authority

Commissioner Jim McDonough was re-elected chair of the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority at the Jan. 6 reorganization meeting of the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners. McDonough was first elected Rail Authority chair in 2008. The Board also re-elected Jan Parker as County Board chair and made several other appointments to standing committees and outside organizations. Click here for a list of board committee assignments.

Rush Line Task Force to Meet Jan. 15

The Rush Line Corridor Task Force will meet Thursday, Jan. 15, in White Bear Lake. Click here for the agenda. Note: The meeting time and location are different this month. The Task Force will meet at 2:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers on the first floor of White Bear Lake City Hall, 4701 Hwy 61 North. (Map/Transit). The meeting will begin in the Council Chambers for a presentation by MnDOT then move to the regular upstairs meeting room following the presentation. For further information, contact Michael Rogers, Senior Transportation Planner for the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority, at (651) 266-2773 or by e-mail.

Met Council Answers Questions About LRT on Cedar Street

The Metropoitan Council, in response to questions being raised by Minnesota Public Radio and nearby churches about potential noise and vibration impacts of light rail on Cedar Street in St. Paul, has created a web site with a list of studies, plans and mitigation strategies developed by project staff (including some at Regional Rail) over the past several years. Click here to read more about this issue and what project planners are doing to address the concerns that have been raised.