2015 Vol. 9 Issue 1 January - Laserfiche WebLink

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Gem Lake News Page 5 of 6 Officially, the Rush Line Corridor is an eighty mile transportation corridor that extends from Hinkley to St. Paul, roughly following Highway 61 and Interstate 35 between Hinkley and St. Paul’s Union Depot. Transportation officials from numerous city and county government units are looking at how transportation needs will be met in the next 25 years. In the immediate metro area it impacts communities in Anoka, Ramsey, and Washington counties. The Rush Line Corridor task force is chaired by Ramsey County Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt and includes elected officials from along its route. Communities within the Rush Line’s boundaries expect to see a population increase of 24% between now and 2040, and have a 30% growth in employment over that same period. At the same time a large segment of that population will age and those without access to automobiles will increase. The net result is an expanding amount of the corridor’s population will look towards public transit as their primary source of transportation. The project is still in the Pre-Project Development Study phase, which is the earliest of all its potential phases. Officials are looking at all modes of transit and weighing their options with regards to efficiency, need, cost, and potential ridership. Some of the options being reviewed include adding more bus routes, improving existing bus routes, light rail, and various combinations of the above. No decisions have been made and public comment is welcome. The task force expects to host additional open house/project update sessions in June, though no actual date has been set. But one look at the project map shows how Gem Lake is right between either potential corridor route. Thus our voice needs to be heard. For more information, including upcoming meeting notices, please visit www.rushline.org. (Written by Jim Lindner, Council Member for Gem Lake.) Rush Line Corridor Update: Transportation Options at Our Doorstep in the Future?