2022 Vol 16, Issue 2 April Gem Lake News

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Gem Lake News Page 3 of 6 Opposition to the “Purple Line” Bus Grows in Area During mid-March, you may have noticed articles in the Pioneer Press (March 10) and in the Star Tribune (March 13) that went into detail about growing opposition to the bus line once known as the Rush Line BRT (Bus Rapid Transit). This potential future bus line has been renamed the Purple Line, as it enters the final planning stages. However, opposition to this line has been vigorous for the past several years, due to ever declining bus ridership and various other reasons. Things reached a fever pitch when the White Bear Lake City Council voted no to the project this month. Gem Lake had voted no on the project in July of 2020 and White Bear Township voted no a while back. Gem Lake’s “no” vote happened after much thought and much studying of data, bus traffic and overall project goals. A major issue for the city was the almost non-existent ridership on the then current express line that ran from downtown White Bear Lake to downtown St. Paul, (the approximate route of the new bus line) and the fact that the route would actually take longer to ride between downtowns than the express bus or simply driving it yourself. There are 14 planned stops/stations on the route. There were other issues of concern for the Gem Lake City council, such as the fact that about half the route isn’t utilizing current roads, making it far more expensive per mile to build than a typical interstate freeway. About seven miles would run on the Bruce Vento trail, which is now a pristine and forested oasis for bikes running through residential neighborhoods. This beautiful trail would have to be redesigned to hold a two lane cement guideway for buses and a reworked bike path alongside it, all within its 100 foot right-of- way. In addition, the Metro Transit Commission’s report on bus ridership to the Minnesota Legislature last July was dismal. It showed that bus ridership had declined 50- 70% over 2020, which was a new low. The Metropolitan Council then cited their own study stating that they felt remote work was here to stay for about 20% of the workforce, yet another reason that a new bus line seemed questionable in terms of current needs. The White Bear Lake City Council had many of the same points but was also concerned about the 80-90 buses per day that would be traveling in and out of downtown White Bear Lake. It is not clear what this new opposition to the bus line will mean, or whether it will matter. Representatives of the Metropolitan Council have gone on record saying that the consent of cities is not needed in order for this project to proceed. This mindset led to the introduction of a draft bill in the Minnesota Senate on March 15. Senator Roger Chamberlain introduced SF 3859 for its initial reading. Basically, this would require bus projects like this to have the support of the cities they are running through. Part of this shift is in thinking has resulted from the dismal results involved in the Northstar Line, which goes from downtown Minneapolis to Big Lake, Minnesota. It has experienced a 96% decline in ridership in recent years and was the subject of significant opposition even before the rail route started. On March 15, a bill was introduced in the Minnesota Legislature, authored by the Metropolitan Council, asking that this line be terminated. The Metropolitan Council also sponsored Southwest Line, now under construction. It has been in the headlines constantly this year for massive budget overages, unknown completion dates and major construction issues. The Purple Line would be completed by 2026 at a cost of around half a billion dollars. Stay tuned for more information. John Choi to Speak at the April 19 City Council Meeting Ramsey County Attorney John Choi has agreed to be the featured speaker at the Gem Lake City Council Meeting on April 19. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. at Heritage Hall. Choi will repeat his very informative presentation on carjackings, auto thefts and related crimes that he gave on February 15 to city leaders in Ramsey County. Please attend the meeting for the very latest information on these important and timely subjects.