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Metropolitan Council - News & Info. Met Council Hosts Public Meetings on Regional Tr... Page I of 3 "'~~ . ....It ' A Metropolitan . ., .,. "'~' 'k'" . r ~Counci1 :;;; '~?""" ~'~iw. .H'~~ A., ,;tl-: '. h_ r:"'-"Ai;,..' '~--*,:.;<:l.'1i:L'.J'~ .". ~1iImBI~~~1mD ' News Release Metropolitan Council Hosts Public Meetinas on Reaional Transportation Plan Public hearing set for Sept. 27 at 5 p.m. ST. PAULo-Aug. 31, 2004--With more people, and more people making more trips and traveling longer distances, the Twin Cities is expected to generate another 4 million daily trips by 2030, for a 37 percent Increase in travel on metro.area roads. Currently, motorists travel about 56 million miles a day in the region. In an average week, the number of vehicle miles traveled In the Twin Cities is three times greater than the distance to the sun--93 million miles away. S!1e tM_2Q30 Ir~ru!l2Q!1<!tiQn E'OJjj:.j & details on the pul hear.i!!9-amtI2Y!:!!i infQr.I!1<!tiQRmeltti!! To help plan and prepare for growth in travel, the Metropolitan Council is updating the regional Transportation Policy Plan (TPP), an update that federal law requires every three years. The Council has adopted a draft plan and will take comments and questions at a series of upcoming information sessions, with a public hearing Sept. 27 and final adoption in December. "The region is at a crossroads with respect to transportation," said Council Chair Peter Bell. "While there is no 'silver bl eliminate congestion, the TPP includes policies and strategies to help slow the growth in congestion and improve mobil In 1990, 30 percent of the region's freeway lanes were congested during peak periods; by 2000, the figure had grown percent. In the Council's 2003 survey of metro area residents, traffic congestion ranked as the No.1 concern, outpacir education and housing. "Growth is a good thing, with many benefits and positive implications for the region," said Bell. "But it also comes with challenges, as anyone who sits in rush hour traffic can attest. Our goal is to help manage and mitigate congestion in tt cost-effective way possible. " Policies in the TPP include: . Planning and investing in multi-modal transportation choices based on the full range of costs and benefits. . Encouraging mixed-use development in centers along transportation corridors that better links housing, jobs an amenities, and reduces the need for single-destination trips. . Making more efficient use of the regional transportation system by encouraging flexible work hours, telecommu ridesharing and transit ridership. . Focusing highway investments first on maintaining and managing the existing system, and second on slowing c . Building transit ridership by expanding the current bus system and developing a network of dedicated rail and/, "transitways. " . Encouraging local communities to implement a system of fully interconnected arterial and local streets, pathwa1 bikeways. Council members and staff will be on hand at public information sessions to hear from the pUblic and respond to questi addition, officials from the Minnesota Department of Transportation will be available to discuss the update of their Trar System Plan. The Council and Mn/DOT work collaboratively on transportation planning in the metro area. For a summary of the draft TPP, or to view the entire draft policy plan, visit the Council's web site at www.m!:t!I!!;QUnCil.!1[g/pl~nn.inJl/t@DsPortati911/T-..PJ2~OQMsYmma[y.htm or, contact the Regional Data Center at 651.6 Public Information Meetings . Tues., Sept. 7, noon - 1:30 p.m. Association of Metropolitan Municipalities 145 University Ave. W., St. Paul, MN http://www.metrocouncil.org/news/2004/news_456.htm 9/16/2004