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ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION NOVEMBER 12, 20134 Councilmember Holmes asked if the proposed BRT would bring Arden Hills residents to Rosedale. She expressed frustration that residents of Arden Hills could easily get to Minneapolis but not to St. Paul. Mr. Carlson stated that this is in the plan; however, he indicated that the BRT route would not coincide with park and ride lots. He stated that the expense for the proposed BRT project would be $25 million which would cover the cost of new stations, technology, purchasing the BRT vehicles, and signal changes. He reported that Metro Transit is taking into consideration how this route could be extended into TCAAP once the redevelopment of the site is complete. Mayor Grant thanked Mr. Carlson for his presentation this evening. Councilmember Holden questioned if the Met Council supported the line extension. Jonathan Weinhagen , St. Paul Chamber of Commerce, stated that he has been encouraging the Met Council and Metro Transit to evaluate this line. He anticipated that the Met Council would thoroughly evaluate the proposal given the demand and need for additional public transportation in the area. Mayor Grant questioned when work on the BRT plan would begin. Mr. Carlson stated that he was uncertain at this time. Councilmember Holmes recommended that Metro Transit further consider a park and ride facility in association with the BRT line. She questioned how Metro Transit would be able to increase their ridership if all riders along the BRT would have to walk to a bus stop. Mr. Carlson acknowledged that the need for park and ride facilities should be considered in the study. Councilmember McClung stated that a transit hub could be built into the line on the TCAAP site to allow for park and ride facilities. Mr. Carlson reiterated that one of the benefits of the BRT line was that it would connect to numerous bus routes and different employment sites or activity centers. The goal would be to connect the route to larger employers. Councilmember McClung was pleased that the City had the opportunity to work with Metro Transit while the TCAAP project was being developed to assure that the transit needs of that area were going to be met. Mayor Grant found the BRT route to be a good thing. It would leverage infrastructure already in place, with the end goal being to increase ridership while reducing traffic. A. 2014 Budget (Continued) Mayor Grant requested the Council continue their discussion on the 2014 budget.