Central Corridor LRT route refined

by DENNIS GEISINGER

Continued planning for the line now includes an $11.1 million transit-pedestrian mall on Washington Avenue from Pleasant Avenue to Walnut Street in the middle of the University of Minnesota’s East Bank. Ridership data showed numbers that did not justify the cost of the Northern Alignment alternative because they did not comply with the federal government’s Cost Effectiveness Index, according the Metropolitan Council. The Washington Avenue mall will accommodate LRT, buses, emergency vehicles and pedestrians.

“I am convinced that the only way the Washington at-grade alignment will work is if it is closed to vehicles, other than buses and emergency vehicles, and if adequate improvements are made to area roads,” said Minneapolis 2nd Ward Council Member Cam Gordon in his June 4 Second Ward Blogspot entry.
Conclusions from four traffic studies that looked at intra-campus roads and surrounding roadways to determine how to reroute autos off the mall have suggested a number of traffic mitigation steps. These include installing traffic signals and constructing turn lanes at six intersections on the East Bank, and converting Harvard and Beacon Streets from one-way to two-way traffic, with an extension on each for one block to improve connections with adjacent roads. Adjustment of traffic signals, and extensions or additions of turn lanes also will be completed at five intersections.

According to light rail planners, discussions are underway on how to accomplish needed improvements in areas that are outside of the project’s scope and budget, such as congested intersections near campus and previously planned roadways. Technical design staff from all entities with a stake in the light rail say that “the direct impacts of the Washington Avenue at-grade alignment have been adequately identified and can be mitigated,” according to the Met Council.
Local governments are concluding public comment hearings on the schematic drawings for the Central Corridor LRT Project before they take formal action on them in July. The last of such hearings will be June 17, 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the Hennepin County Government Center, A-2400, 300 S. 6th St., Minneapolis. An open house will begin at 12:30 p.m. where any questions will be given informal answers from project staff.

Called the municipal consent process, these hearings deal only with the content of preliminary design plans showing the general dimensions and location of the light rail alignment, including approximate station locations and a plan for disability access. Earlier design decisions, like the number of total stations, will not be discussed and no formal actions will be taken. Issues of public art, station design and streetscape will be addressed at future meetings.

The Central Corridor LRT Project website is centralcorridor.org. Project plans may also be seen in Minneapolis at the Franklin Library, 1314 E. Franklin Ave.; Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall; and Southeast Library, 1222 4th St. SE. The public may submit written comments focused on the plans’ technical details until June 23 to Hennepin County, Joe Scala, 417 N. 5th St., Ste. 333,