2015 Vol. 9 Issue 6 October - Laserfiche WebLink

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Gem Lake News Page 3 of 6 Rush Line Corridor Update because average annual daily traffic on Highway 61 now comprises about 55,000 vehicles on the section of Highway 61 that is north of Interstate 694. This traffic volume has risen about 9% since 1998 and is expected to continue to rise. “Improvements to the corridor area transit network will increase its attractiveness to commuters, and will encourage some citizens to shift from driving to transit. This could offer them consistent commute times and will support reduced commute times for everyone, as well as reduced peak congestion levels.” For more information on the Rush Line Corridor planning process, contact Andy Gitzlaff at 651- 266-2772. Sanibel Dance Studio Opens Doors in Gem Lake A new business has opened in Gem Lake as of September. The Sanibel Dance Company has opened a studio in the Hoffman’s Corner Business District in the strip m all area owned by the Waldochs at 3591 Hoffman Road. The Sanibel Dance Company will offer classes in various forms of dance, including ballroom, tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, etc. There will be some classes for children, and others for adults. Andy Gitzlaff of the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority provided an update on plans to extend light rail and/or other forms of mass transit in the northern suburbs. The project is referred to as the Rush Line Corridor Transit Study. According to Mr. Gitzlaff, community involvement in the project is very important. “Over the past few months, all potential route and vehicle options have been reviewed for the Rush Line Corridor Study.” This past September, three community meetings were held to learn more about narrowed down route options, get feedback and learn about possible next steps for such a large project. Although the project will probably not really begin until around 2020, plans are now underway to determine modes of extending transportation options. The idea of the project is to provide all day and frequent rush line service that link various suburban downtown areas with things like shopping malls, and downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis, in order to reduce traffic congestion, wherever possible. Some routes now under consideration roughly follow Highway 61 north to downtown White Bear and perhaps further to Forest Lake, using a combination of transportation modes. Thinking ahead is especially important, according to Mr. Gitzlaff