Local transit

This Environmental Assessment (EA) provides background information including: (1) the need for the proposed project (2) reasonable alternatives (3) environmental impacts (4) agencies and persons consulted It is prepared as part of the federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and state environmental process to fulfill requirements of both 42 United States Code (USC) 4321 et. seq. and Minnesota Rules Ch. 4410. At a federal level, it is used to provide sufficient environmental documentation to determine the need for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or that a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is appropriate. At a state level, it is used to provide sufficient environmental documentation to determine the need for a State EIS or that a Negative Declaration is appropriate. This document is made available for public review and comment prior to the above decision on significance of environmental impacts.

The objective of the Cedar Avenue Corridor Transitway Study was to investigate transit options and feasibility along Cedar Avenue from the Mail of America in Bloomington to the Transit Station on 157th Street in Apple Valley. Additional objectives of the project included assessing the effect of transit options on land use and the siting of a transit hub near the junction of Cedar Avenue and Trunk Highway 13. The project began in the summer of 1999 and concluded in January, 2001. This first phase feasibility study is designed to determine if a transit solution should be pursued for the Cedar Avenue Corridor.

Transit service in Greater Minnesota is provided through a combination of multi-county systems, single county systems, small urban systems, urban systems and large urban systems. There are 10 rural multi-county systems serving 33 counties and 30 rural single county systems. Nine of the remaining 16 counties without countywide service contain one or more of the small urban or urban systems. The number of large urban systems in Greater Minnesota has remained constant, with Duluth the sole large urban system. Between 1993 and 1998, Duluth's ridership decreased by nine percent. There has been no change in the number of urban systems in Greater Minnesota during the mid-1990s. East Grand Forks, Moorhead, Rochester, and St. Cloud comprise this system category. Between 1993 and 1998, urban system ridership increased by 2 percent. There has been a decrease in the number of small urban systems in Greater Minnesota during the mid-1990s as some were coordinated into countywide rural systems. Between 1993 and 1998, small urban system ridership decreased by 7 percent. A portion of the decline in ridership can be attributed to the restructuring of two small urban systems to countywide systems over the same period of time. There has been an increase in the number of rural systems in Greater Minnesota during the mid-1990s. Between 1993 and 1998, rural system ridership increased by 75 percent. Some of the ridership increase can be attributed to the gain of 10 new systems over the same period of time. The objectives of the overall study were as follows: • To identify and develop a profile of current transit riders, non-riders, and those for whom transit is unavailable. • Determine unmet transit needs. • Measure awareness and satisfaction with current transportation services. • Develop strategies to expand the base of possible users of public transportation. • Provide information that would be useful in developing a marketing manual for small urban and rural public transportation providers.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Office of Transit is responsible for providing transportation services in Greater Minnesota, in partnership with the federal government and local communities. As part of its role in providing assistance, the Office of Transit obtained financial support to develop a Transit Market Research Study. The study was conducted to: a) determine statewide transit needs; b) identify service designs and areas that have a need for such services; c) identify the reasons certain segments of the population who could be using these service but are not; and d) assist transit programs in developing marketing programs.

Transit performance measures can be used to gauge the health of a transit system by providing quantitative indicators that relate to the goals and objectives of the system. Transit managers can use these measures to check their current operation against the stated objectives and they can also check their progress in attaining the long-range goals by looking at the measures over time. Performance measures can also be used for comparative studies between similar transit operations, but these types of studies have progressed slowly in recent years because of skepticism within the industry. Much of this skepticism revolves around the inability of the transit industry to develop a standardizer) measurement system and a dependable peer grouping technique that truly accounts for the inherent differences in transit operating environments. This study was conducted in order to test the effectiveness of applying a standardized performance measurement system to all Minnesota transit systems. The long-range goal of this and subsequent research is to develop and apply a standard performance evaluation program to all transit systems on an annual basis. The results of this annual evaluation will then be used by the Minnesota Department of Transportation to help manage the state's transit assistance program.

In January 1999 the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) presented the results of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Commuter Rail Feasibility Study to the Minnesota Legislature. After hearing those results the legislature passed M.S. 174.80 to 1 74.90 which gave the Commissioner of Mn/DOT the authority to plan, design, construct, and operate commuter rail in the State of Minnesota. Further, the Commissioner was charged with the responsibility of developing a commuter rail system plan that would ensure that, if built, commuter rail would be part of an integrated transportation system that would interface with all other forms of transportation including Light Rail Transit (LRT), buses, park and ride, bicycles, and pedestrians. In developing the Commuter Rail System Plan Mn/DOT has built on the results from the Twin Cities Metropolitan Commuter Rail Feasibility Study and in particular the implementation strategy presented in the final report.

This document highlights the results available to date from the $4.5 million paratransit demonstration program. Briefly, the demonstration program has successfully implemented numerous projects designed to test the effectiveness and efficiency of a broad range of paratransit services in a cross-section of urban and rural environments. The results from the operating projects are generally encouraging and provide some valuable information to address the legislative program objectives. Once the full data set for all of the projects becomes available, a complete analysis and assessment of each project as well as the total program can be made.

This document presents the results available to date from the $4.5 million paratransit demonstration program. Briefly, the demonstration program has successfully implemented numerous projects designed to test the effectiveness and efficiency of a broad range of paratransit services in a cross - section of urban and rural environments. The results from the operating projects are generally encouraging and provide some valuable information to address the legislative program objectives. Once the full data set for all of the projects becomes available, a complete analysis and assessment of each project as well as the total program can be made.

The Minnesota State Legislature created the Minnesota Council on Transportation Access (MCOTA) in 2010 to study, evaluate, oversee, and make recommendations to improve the coordination, availability, accessibility, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and safety of transportation services provided to the transit public. In its annual report, the Council provides a summary of the past year’s activities and an overview of member agencies’ efforts to foster an environment of heightened communication and cooperation among transportation providers in Minnesota. This document also offers the Council’s recommendations for further improvements of transportation coordination in Minnesota.

The Minnesota State Legislature created the Minnesota Council on Transportation Access (MCOTA) in 2010 to study, evaluate, oversee, and make recommendations to improve the coordination, availability, accessibility, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and safety of transportation services provided to the transit public. In its annual report, the Council provides a summary of the past year’s activities and an overview of member agencies’ efforts to foster an environment of heightened communication and cooperation among transportation providers in Minnesota. This document also offers the Council’s recommendations for further improvements of transportation coordination in Minnesota.