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I-694 NON-MOTORIZED CROSSING STUDY PAGE 11 TRANSPORTATION NETWORK I-694 is a corridor within the designated National Highway System. It is an Urban Principal Arterial that runs east / west through the study area in northern Ramsey County. It carries 110,000 vehicles per day in the western part of Ramsey County and 70,000 vehicles per day in the eastern portion of the study area. The function of the Interstate within the overall transportation network requires that it serve high traffic volumes, longer trips, higher speeds, and express bus service. In order to preserve these functions, land access and roadway crossings are limited along the corridor. Most non-freeway roadway crossings of I-694 are classified as minor arterials and generally spaced between one-half and one mile apart. These arterials provide the primary means for pedestrians and bicyclists to cross I-694. However, these roadways are also characterized by high volumes of vehicular traffic, and, in many cases, are subregional corridors for scheduled bus service. Many pedestrians and bicyclists consider these corridors difficult and uncomfortable to navigate due to high traffic volumes and complicated crossings at interchange locations. There are several roadways that cross I-694 but do not have an interchange, generally offering a more safe and comfortable experience for pedestrians and bicyclists. The non-interchange crossings within the study area are Old Highway 8, Old 10 / Old Snelling, Edgerton Street, Labore Road, and McKnight Road. There are two bridges within the study area that provide crossings completely separated from automobile traffic, Grass Lake Trail and Bruce Vento Trail. East west connectivity in the study area is provided primarily via Ramsey County Highways that are spaced at approximately one mile intervals (with some exceptions). Local roadways and residential streets with low speeds and traffic volumes provide opportunities for short pedestrian and bicycle trips within the study area, however these routes rarely connect across barriers such as major roadways, and the many lakes in the area. The lakes and wetlands in this part of the County create challenges for roadway and trail connectivity, even for higher classification roadways on the County system. Transit is an important element for pedestrian and bicycle travel since most transit trips begin and end with a pedestrian or bicycle trip. Many of the arterial streets within the study area provide local bus service with some limited stop service into St. Paul and Minneapolis. Express service into downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul is provided along the Interstates (I-694, I-35W, I-35E) with access at some park-and-ride locations and local stops. Figure 5 shows existing transit routes and park-and-ride facilities within the study area. The Rush Line is a future transitway corridor that is currently in the planning phase. The entire corridor is envisioned to link Union Depot in St. Paul to communities along the corridor, which extends north to Hinckley. Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority (RCRRA) is in the process of a Pre Project Development (PPD) study to identify the corridor’s locally preferred alternative (LPA) between St. Paul and White Bear Lake, with some alternatives extending to Forest Lake. The two primary options under consideration include bus rapid transit (BRT) or a rail- based option.. Timing for selecting the LPA is expected within the next two years. Timing for developing the project is uncertain but is a more long-term proposition. There are two trails designated as Regional Trails by the Metropolitan Council in the study area. These trails provide connections to regional parks and are included in the Regional Parks Policy Plan. The Highway 96 Regional Trail runs east/west from Arden Hills to White Bear Lake. The Bruce Vento Regional Trail is a north/south connection from downtown St. Paul to just north of I-694 in White Bear Lake, with plans for an extension to the north. Just beyond the study area, the Birch Lake Regional Trail begins at Highway 96 near 35E and connects north to the Tamarack Nature Center. The Rice Creek North Regional Trail and the Trout Brook Regional Trail are existing regional trails outside of the study area that have future planned connections to the study area. The 2040 Parks Policy Plan also identifies Lexington Avenue / Parkway as a Regional Trail Search Corridor. A Search Corridor