Sorensen Neighborhood

New transit line could serve Sorensen-Become involved!

Aug 13, 2006

Southwest Transitway study to examine transit options

Tired of being stuck in traffic with few good options for getting from Point A to Point B Hennepin County and the cities in the southwest metro area are presently looking at transitway alternatives that would improve your ability to get around throughout a corridor that goes from Eden Prairie and Minnetonka, through Hopkins and St. Louis Park, into downtown Minneapolis through the southwest part of Minneapolis.

The Southwest Transitway is a proposed high frequency transit line that would connect southwest metro suburbs and downtown Minneapolis, providing commuting options - going both ways along the corridor - as well as serving citizens who want a better travel option for other types of trips. As the Hiawatha light rail line has shown, light rail transit, which is one of the transit alternatives being studied, is a convenient and reliable option not only for daily commutes, but also for traveling to baseball games, shopping centers, entertainment venues, and other destinations.

The southwest metro area is growing rapidly and this growth puts more demands on our roads and transit systems. Between 1990 and 2000, the southwest metro area added 34,000 new residents and 37,000 new jobs, and by 2030, cities in this area are expected to add another 63,000 residents and 79,000 jobs.

According to Hennepin County Commissioner Gail Dorfman, who is leading this study on behalf of the County Board and is the Chair of the Southwest Policy Advisory Committee, The county's job is to think long-range and to anticipate future needs now is the time to plan for a transitway in the southwest metro area to serve the transportation needs of workers, youth, our growing population of seniors, and other people who want a better option for getting around.

The county is conducting an alternatives analysis to identify and compare the benefits, costs and impacts of a range of transit alternatives to determine which will best serve the growing needs of the southwest metro area. This analysis began in January 2005 and will be completed in December 2006.

In September and October 2006, a committee composed of Hennepin County commissioners, city officials, and business leaders from the southwest metro area will review technical recommendations as well as the results of an extensive public outreach effort to determine the optimal solution for a Southwest Transitway.They will select from three transit modes - light rail, bus rapid transit, or enhanced bus service. They will also recommend a route for the transitway the alternatives include eight light rail route alternatives, two bus rapid transit route alternatives, and an enhanced bus service route alternative.

It is important that the Southwest Policy Advisory Committee (SW PAC) hear from residents of the southwest metro area about their preferences, interests and transportation needs. There will be several ways people can get information and provide input:

Web site - find out more about the alternatives being studied, and send comments through the SW Transitway Study web site - address:www.southwesttransitway.org

Open Houses - at least three open house presentations at locations within the corridor will be scheduled for October 2006 check the web site and city newsletters for dates, times, and locations

Community Meetings - Hennepin County and city staff frequently attend meetings of interested citizens at their invitation just send a request for a presentation through the web site, or call (612) 348-9260 and leave a message ? every effort will be made to respond promptly and to attend scheduled meetings

If you live, work, or play near the proposed Southwest Transitway, consider learning more about this important proposed transit project, and send your ideas and comments to Hennepin County. We want to hear from you!