2024 Vol 18, Issue 4 August Gem Lake News

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Gem Lake News Page 3 of 8 Planning Continues for the “Purple Line” Bus System A status report on planning for the Metro Council’s future “Purple Line” bus route was presented at a recent Corridor Management Committee (CMC) meeting on June 6. Gem Lake sits on this committee, along with representatives from surrounding cities, the county and other involved parties. The proposed Purple Line bus route extends from downtown St. Paul to somewhere in the northeast Metro area. Detailed presentations were given on the two major remaining development aspects of this bus line. First, what exact route will the bus line take, and second, where will the bus line terminate. The meeting on June 6 was led by Ramsey County Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt, who is also Vice Chair of the CMC. The major issue was which of two routes will the purple line take from downtown to the north metro. One route utilizes the Bruce Vento Trail for over 7 miles of its journey, ending at the Maplewood Mall area. The other proposed route departs the Phalen Blvd area, jogs east on Maryland Avenue and then runs north on White Bear Avenue to the Maplewood Mall area. Each option allows for the route to perhaps go even further someday, to the Vadnais Heights Transit Center or to Century College. The pros and cons of each of these two very different options was presented during the meeting. In terms of distance, the Bruce Vento option, or Option 1, goes for 9.5 miles from start to finish, with 17 stops. The White Bear Avenue option, or Option 2, goes for 11 miles with 24 stops. Option 1 runs by an area with 19,983 people near it. Option 2 runs by an area with 35,429 people near it. (Meaning within walking distance.) Transit times were also compared. From start to finish, Option 1 would take 28 minutes to complete, while option 2 would take 39 minutes to complete. While, Option 2 would serve far more households, (12,226, versus 7093) and pass far more businesses, it would also cost more. (Option 1 is now projected to cost about $370M to build, while option 2 would cost between $420-$450M to build. Traffic impacts are also vastly different for these options. Option 1 runs on the Bruce Vento Trail and requires less adjustment to existing roads, intersections, and private property. Option 2, however, would require dedicated traffic lanes, significant road widening in places, revised traffic flow in some intersection points, etc. This is because, much of the route runs on two already busy roads—Maryland Avenue and White Bear Avenue. Option 1 is projected to have less ridership than Option 2. This is due to the fact that there are fewer key destination in the “walkshed” along Option 1 than Option 2. Walkshed is defined as places within walking distance of bus stops. In summary, it was thought that although Option 1 had far fewer traffic impacts, it also served fewer people. Conversely, while Option 2 served a significantly larger potential ridership pool, it also was more expensive and had more property and traffic impacts, especially on White Bear Avenue. The other key matter discussed at the CMC meeting was the bus line end point. The primary choices at this point are the Maplewood Transit Center or a layover spot on County Road D. The County Road D option would be somewhat more expensive. The next CMC meeting is scheduled for August 1. Between now and then, a “robust engagement process” will take place with the public and gather feedback on these options, according to county commissioner Reinhardt.