Here is a write up on St Paul's ideas of briding the gap of the Light Rail.
Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman has announced the formation of a task force to lead the city's efforts in the redevelopment of the Central Corridor. He made the request in a letter to planning commission chair Brian Alton.
"The development of the Central Corridor will change the face of Saint Paul,” Coleman says. “It will be the largest project our city has seen in a generation, and we will move this project forward in the right way. The work of this task force will guide our efforts in an inclusive, focused way.”
The city, Ramsey County and the Metropolitan Council have plans to redevelop the 11-mile stretch of University Avenue into either a light rail (LRT) or bus rapid transit corridor. An earlier task force made up of local government officials determined that LRT linked with the existing Hiawatha Line would be their preferred course, but that would cost nearly $900 million and the fight for federal funding is becoming more competitive.
Many challenges would also have to be overcome to redevelop the Central Corridor, including wholesale zoning changes and working with the eight community councils with jurisdiction along the stretch.
Coleman says the Central Corridor Task Force will be “a community-based group of 13 to 17 community leaders representing area residents, businesses and communities of color, as well as those with interest and expertise in several essential areas.”
"It is important for us to consider how we go about this process as a top priority,” he says. “As we look into the essential development areas -- affordable housing, urban design, sustainable and transit oriented development, the city is going to need the service of the best and brightest to do this the right way.”
The charge of the task force is to determine the Central Corridor Development Strategy that will frame dozens of individual decisions that will be made over the next decade. Coleman also notes the importance of the strategy in guiding public decisions about land use and zoning, capital investments, and the delivery of city services.
The goal is to have the bulk of the work done by the end of this year.
