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Regular City Council Meeting Monday,July 21,2014 Page 5 Ms. Roth provided an overview of the BRT A-Line along Snelling Avenue, one of twelve planned arterial BRT lines in the metropolitan area, running these buses in mixed traffic with other vehicles with an overall total budget for the project at $25 million; and intended for initial launch in 2015. Ms. Roth advised that the goal was to provide faster service and more attractive facilities on highest rid- ership transit routes; and in this case, building upon the strong ridership for the Route 84 service on Snelling Avenue, with current ridership documented at over 4,000 rides/day. Ms. Roth noted that the intent was to provide service in the most cost-effective and timely manner possible, similar to that of the rail-like experience stations on clearly-delineated platforms set off the curb lines. Ms. Roth noted that Route 84 would continue to run along Snelling every thirty minutes, with the BRT service supplementing that, with stations placed every half-mile based on ridership de- mand, and available every ten minutes. In order to facilitate this speedier service and make it more functional, Ms. Roth advised that passengers would utilize a "pre-boarding fare payment,"rather than paying upon boarding. Ms. Roth briefly reviewed the current design process underway; and the most re- cent rationale and recommendations deferring the previously planned Roselawn at Snelling station. Following extensive preliminary planning and public infor- mation and open houses held over the last few years, Ms. Roth reported that those comments had indicated a consistently higher ridership at Hoyt-Nebraska and serving the Job Corp office and other destinations in that area; and supported by average daily boarding activity comparisons from 2010 — 2014. Therefore, Ms. Roth advised that revised feasibility studies addressed citing of a station at that location versus a station at Roselawn and Snelling, even though at the 1/2 mile mark, but having very low demand documented for ridership, making it hard to continue justifying the Roselawn location. Ms. Roth noted that the revised plan, and station located at Hoyt-Nebraska would serve ten times as many people than both current north and southbound riders using the Roselawn stop. Ms. Roth advised that, during the planning process, she had shared preliminary plans to-date at that time with the Roseville Public Works, Transportation and Environment Commission in April of 2014; in addition to the four open houses held by the Metropolitan Council in May that included the revised plans; with that revised plan approved by the full Metropolitan Council earlier in July of this year. Ms. Roth noted that, also based on public comment received during this planning process, not only did participants express a strong confirmation for this new direc- tion; but also, for consideration in the near future of expanding the northern Snel- ling Avenue BRT north of Rosedale and up to the TCAAP redevelopment area in Arden Hills. Given the public interest and support for that expansion, Ms. Roth advised that Metropolitan Transit anticipated preliminary studies this summer with kick-off meetings for the public, and to consult with primary employers and