2.0 TRANSIT ROUTES AND PARK-AND-RIDE LOTS

As noted in Chapter 1.0, the Minnesota UPA transit projects include adding parking spaces to existing park-and-ride lots, constructing new park-and-ride lots, adding service to existing bus routes, implementing new bus routes, constructing the MARQ2 dual bus lanes in downtown Minneapolis, adding real-time transit and traffic information signs, and other improvements. These projects, in combination with the HOT lanes, the PDSL, the Transit Advantage project, and the lane guidance system for shoulder-running buses will increase bus travel speeds, reduce bus travel times, improve on-time performance, increase service levels, and provide more accurate information on the status of buses. These elements will improve the attractiveness and competiveness of riding the bus rather than driving alone. Increases in ridership, including attracting individuals who formerly drove alone, should result from the UPA projects.

The Minnesota UPA transit projects focus primarily on the I-35W corridor, both north and south of downtown Minneapolis, Cedar Avenue, and downtown Minneapolis. The projects will enhance existing and new bus service operated by Metro Transit and MVTA in these areas. The routes and park-and-ride lots that will be affected by the Minnesota UPA projects, and thus are the focal point for the national evaluation, are identified in this section. In addition, the routes and park-and-ride lots in the I-394 and the I-94 North corridors, which will serve as control corridors, are also identified.

Table 2-1 presents the Metro Transit and MVTA routes influenced by the Minnesota UPA projects that will be included in the transit analysis. The route number, route description, and service type (express or local) are included in the table. The number of a.m. inbound bus trips are also presented to provide an indication of the current service level. A total of 30 routes have been identified in the I-35W corridor, including Cedar Avenue, to be included in the analysis. As shown in Table 2-1, the majority of Metro Transit and MVTA routes in the corridor provide express service to downtown Minneapolis. The MVTA also provides local service oriented to the Mall of America in Bloomington. In addition, the new route from Lakeville to downtown Minneapolis and the new route from the 95^th Avenue North Park-and-Ride lot to the University of Minnesota are listed in the table. These two routes were implemented as part of the new and expanded park-and-ride lots associated with the UPA.

Table 2-1. Transit Routes in the I-35W Corridor

Route	Route Description	Service Type	Number of a.m. Trips1
Metro Transit
I-35W North
250	Lino Lakes to Downtown Minneapolis Via I-35W	Express	29
260/261	Roseville to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	18
288	Forest Lake to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	6
252	Blaine University of Minnesota (New)	Express	3
I-35W South
133	South Minneapolis to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	5
135	South Minneapolis to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	6
146	Edina or South Minneapolis to Downtown Mpls.	Express	9
152	Southdale to the University of Minnesota	Express	3
156	South Minneapolis to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	9
535	Bloomington and Richfield to Downtown Minneapolis	Express/Reverse Commute	13
576	Bloomington and Richfield to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	8
597	Bloomington to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	7
552	Bloomington to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	3
553	Bloomington to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	5
554	Bloomington to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	6
558	Bloomington to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	7
578	Bloomington/Edina to Downtown Mpls. Via I-35W	Express	7
467	Lakeville to Downtown Minneapolis (New)	Express	6
Minnesota Valley Transit Authority
440	Apple Valley/Eagan to MOA2	Local	103
441	Apple Valley/Eagan to MOA2	Local	123
442	Burnsville/AV to MOA2	Local	223
444	Savage P&R/Burnsville to MOA2	Local	273
445	Eagan to MOA2	Local	203
460	Burnsville to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	36
464	Burnsville/Savage P&R to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	8
465	Apple Valley/Burnsville to Downtown Minneapolis and University of Minnesota	Express	10
470	Eagan to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	10
472	Eagan to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	8
476	Apple Valley to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	10
477	Apple Valley to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	19
479	Rosemount to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	2

Additional trips may be added to some of these routes to accommodate the anticipated ridership growth from the new park-and-ride lot spaces and the travel-time savings provided by the HOT lanes, PDSL, and MARQ2 lanes. Other routes may have available capacity for new riders. Also, new routes may be added to serve new park-and-ride lots. The service plan for the new park-and-ride lot on I-35W in Roseville is still being finalized, some changes are known at this time. A new route, Route 252, was implemented in September 2009 from the 95^th Avenue/I-35W Park-and-Ride Lot to the University of Minnesota. Three a.m. and three p.m. trips are provided. A new route, Route 467, from the new Lakeville Park-and-Ride lot to downtown Minneapolis was also added in September 2009. Currently six a.m. and six p.m. express trips are provided. A new route from the new park-and-ride lot in Roseville with six a.m. and six p.m. peak period trips is planned for implementation in December 2009. As discussed in Sections 3.0 and 4.0, implementing new routes, adding trips to existing routes, and other service changes will be documented in the national evaluation, along with ridership and travel-time data.

Table 2-2 provides a list of new and existing park-and-ride lots on the I-35W corridor. The table includes the number of parking spaces in current lots, additional parking spaces being added to current lots, and the number of spaces at new park-and-ride lots.

Table 2-2. Park-and-Ride Lots in the I-35W Corridor

Lot	New/Existing	Current Spaces	New Spaces	Total Spaces
I-35W North
95th Avenue/I-35W	Existing	1,000	500	1,500
Roseville/I-35W	New	—	460	460
Rosedale Transit Center	Existing	375	—	375
County Road H/I-35W	Existing	211	—	211
I-35W South
Lakeville/I-35	New	—	750	750
Cedar Avenue/Highway 13	New	—	120	120
S. Bloomington Transit Center	Existing	195	—	195
Burnsville Transit Station	Existing	1,376	—	1,376
Knox Ave/Best Buy	Existing	525	—	525
Heart of the County	Existing	370	—	370
Cedar Ave/180th	New	—	200	200
Cedar Ave/155th	New	—	750	750

In addition to the bus routes and park-and-ride lots listed in Tables 2-1 and 2-2, selected bus routes and park-and-ride lots along I-394 and I-94N, which are identified as the control corridors in the Exogenous Factors Test Plan, will also be monitored and analyzed. Routes 672 and 652 in the I-394 corridor and routes 724 and 762 in the I-94N corridor are suggested to be used as control routes. Information on these routes is presented in Table 2-3. The park-and-ride lots in these two corridors to be included in the control group are Plymouth Road Transit Center, General Mills Boulevard, County Road 73, and Louisiana Transit Center in the I-394 corridor and the Brooklyn Center Transit Center in the I-94N corridor. Information on these park-and-ride lots is presented in Table 2-4. Total annual bus ridership on all Minneapolis express routes and total annual utilization of all bus park-and-ride lots will also be monitored. Changes in ridership and park-and-ride lot use in the control corridors and system-wide will be used as comparisons with changes in the I-35W corridor.

Table 2-3. Bus Routes in the Control Corridors

Route	Route Description	Service Type	Number of a.m. Trips1
I-394
672	Wayzata Park-and-Ride Lot to Downtown Minneapolis	Express	5
652	Plymouth Road Transit Center to University of Minnesota	Express	2
I-94N
724	Brooklyn Park to Downtown Minneapolis	Local	15
762	Brooklyn Transit Center to Downtown Minneapolis	Local	2

Table 2-4. Park-and-Ride Lots in the Control Corridors

Lot	New/Existing	Current Spaces	New Spaces	Total Spaces
I-394
Plymouth Road Transit Center	Existing	111	—	111
General Mills Boulevard	Existing	123	—	123
County Road 73 – South	Existing	732	—	732
County Road 73 – North	Existing	288	—	288
Louisiana Transit Center	Existing	330	—	330
I-94N
Brooklyn Center Transit Center	Existing	239	—	239