(The following story by Kathleen Ostroot appeared on the Monticello Times website on December 8.)
MONTICELLO, Minn. — Plans are moving ahead for the proposed Northstar Commuter rail. The current proposal will use existing rail lines that run about 40 miles from Big Lake to Minneapolis and back again.
According to oversight consultant with the Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) Ken Stevens, the Federal Transit Administration found that the cost to benefit would not be met offering the commuter rail from Rice to Minneapolis, therefore the service line will end at Big Lake. Big Lake will also be the site for the maintenance yard, he said.
The line, expected to be completed in 2009, would use existing track and right-of-way owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) Railway. The tracks parallel highways 47 and 10.
The proposal includes six stations: Big Lake, Elk River, Anoka, Coon Rapids, Fridley and Minneapolis.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and the NCDA studied options for development of the corridor to handle the increase in commuters, and decided that a commuter rail line was the best option.
According to MnDOT, the improvements and stations are expected to cost about $265 million, estimated to be approximately 1/3 the cost of upgrading existing highways.
“Because most of the rail that would be used is already in existence, the costs will mostly go into building new train stations, upgrading track, enhancing crossings and adding railroad sidings so that commuter trains and freight trains (which currently run on the track) can pass by each other,” Stevens said.
In addition, a significant portion of the cost is for extending the Hiawatha Line to just above the station proposed on the west side of I-394 and 5th Street, he said. Work is underway there to relocate utilities, he added.
Bus line connections
According to Stevens, buses would bring residents who live along the corridor to the nearest train station. Once in downtown Minneapolis, commuters would be able to walk upstairs to the Hiawatha Line light-rail corridor, or take a bus into neighboring St. Paul and other areas. Current plans would have eight trains run in the morning and evening rush hour periods, along with a few during the day and limited service on weekends and holidays, he said.
Funding
During the 2005 legislative session, a bonding bill passed that was very similar to a proposed 2004 bonding bill that included $37.5 million of funding for the corridor.
The bill, for $866 million, was signed April 11, 2005, by Gov. Tim Pawlenty at the Riverdale Station in Coon Rapids. This funding, along with $55 million in local funding, is matched with federal funds and has allowed the NCDA to enter the final design phase.
A nearly $1 billion budget bill passed by the Legislature in May of 2006 will provide funding to complete the corridor to Big Lake.
The total project cost is $307 million, with funding sources proposed to be 50 percent federal, 33 percent state and 17 percent local.
The NorthStar operating and maintenance costs are estimated at $9.3 million per year, according to MnDOT. This will be covered through fare box revenues, FTA grant, and operating subsidies that are proposed to be split between state and local sources.
“The final design plans are in place. Local and state funding is in place. Now, the final phase is to obtain the full-funding grant agreement from the Federal Transit Adminis-tration,” Stevens said. “When the administration gives their okay, then we can advertise for bids.”
Design of Big Lake station
According to Stevens, the Big Lake Station is to be located off County Rd. 43 and the railroad tracks, where currently there is a Park and Ride facility. The plans include spaces for about 400 cars.
“We plan to work closely with the city for property acquisitions in the area and will need to annex properties for utilities. We will work with property owners and do talk with city staff on a regular basis,” Stevens said. “It is a matter of timing, so everyone is in sync.”
With exception of the downtown Minneapolis commuter rail station, all stations will have a Park and Ride facility.