Apple Valley seeks skyway for BRT stations | Finance & Commerce

Posted: 3:58 pm Tue, July 24, 2012
By Drew?Kerr
Tags: Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transit, Dakota County Regional Rail Authority, Mary Hamann-Roland, Metropolitan Council, Tom Lawell

The city of Apple Valley wants to build a skyway (as shown above) between two bus stations north of the 147th Street and Cedar Avenue intersection so that riders can safely cross the street. The stations will become part of the Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transit line. (Submitted rendering)

Rail authority rejected proposal because of low ridership projection

Despite concerns that ridership projections may not justify the expense, the city of Apple Valley wants to spend $2.37 million to build a skyway connecting two bus rapid transit stations on busy Cedar Avenue.

The skyway would link northbound and southbound stations to be built just north of the Cedar Avenue and 147^th Street intersection as part of the 16-mile Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transit line, which is scheduled to go into service in early 2013.

The Cedar Avenue BRT line, a first for the state, will bring high-speed buses from Lakeville to the Mall of America in Bloomington. State bonding and federal highway funds are paying for the bulk of the $112 million project.

Apple Valley officials say the skyway needs to be added to the 147^th Street station so that bus riders can safely cross Cedar Avenue, which is nine lanes wide and sees around 50,000 vehicles a day. They also argue that it should be built now, while the station area is under construction, to avoid future disruptions and higher costs.

?In our mind, we thought this project should have been incorporated from day one,? Apple Valley City Administrator Tom Lawell said Tuesday.

The Dakota County Regional Rail Authority and the Metropolitan Council are partners on the BRT line and are putting $1.6 million into the construction of the 147^th Street station. Plans for the skyway were left out of the final design after rail authority officials determined there would not be enough riders to justify the expense.

They anticipate 207 passengers will board the BRT line every day at the 147^th Street station and say that a skyway will not be needed until 2020 at the earliest.

Even so, a proposed agreement between the rail authority, the Met Council and Apple Valley would allow the city to build the skyway at its own expense and to recoup the costs if ridership exceeds projections. The city expects the skyway to cost up to $2.37 million, though bids could come in lower.

The city would also assume the skyway?s operating costs, estimated at up to $55,000 a year.

If more than 600 people are using the station every day before 2018, Apple Valley would be fully reimbursed by Dakota County over a five-year period, according to the proposed agreement. If more than 600 riders use the station every day between 2019 and 2030, the city would be repaid 8 percent of the capital costs annually through 2030.

If the daily ridership goal isn?t met, the city would not be repaid. City officials have yet to decide how they will pay for the skyway, but say the general fund could be used.

The hope is to get bids by September and to begin work this fall so that the project is finished before the BRT line goes into service next year.

Apple Valley Mayor Mary Hamann-Roland said she thinks the ridership goal can be met within five to 10 years based on the use of a park-and-ride transit station built by the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority at 155^th Street. Apple Valley officials hope to add two levels of parking there because of high use, bringing the number of spaces from 750 to 950.

The skyway ? like the in-ground rail lines being installed on the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit line ? is also a sign of permanence that should inspire confidence in developers and business owners who see the transitway as an asset, Hamann-Roland said.

?This is a corridor of opportunity, and we have to have some vision and commitment,? she said.

A BRT station at 140^th Street will not include a skyway, though one could be added later if the area becomes more developed, Hamann-Roland said.

The Met Council on Wednesday will also consider a grant agreement with the Dakota County Regional Rail Authority that would allow the council to take the lead on a number of projects that need to be completed before service begins.

The agreement would put the Met Council in charge of installing signs, ticket vending machines and a signal priority system at a cost of around $1 million. The agency would also lead a $100,000 marketing campaign for the Cedar Avenue BRT line.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 24th, 2012 at 3:58 pm and is filed under Construction & Development, Top Story. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Source: http://finance-commerce.com/2012/07/apple-valley-seeks-skyway-for-brt-stations/

heisman cp3 lakers news rachel crow rachel crow steelers browns va tech