Metropolitan Council Chair Alene Tchourumoff has announced the appointment of 15 people to serve on the Corridor Management Committee (CMC), of the METRO Gold Line Bus rapid transit project (BRT). This planning committee will advise on the design and construction of the line which will serve the communities of Woodbury, Oakdale, Landfall, Maplewood and Saint Paul.
“The Gold Line is a critical component of our region’s transit network, which aims to connect more than a half million people to more than 300,000 jobs with a commute time of 30 minutes of less,” said Tchourumoff. “We know it will be the first bus service in the region to use dedicated lanes to bypass traffic congestion and will provide fast, frequent, all-day service for the east metro. But local input is a critical part of the planning process, and I appreciate the participation from the local elected officials, residents and businesses who will be using the line.”
The CMC will make recommendations to the Metropolitan Council on the overall scope of the project, specific design elements and construction. It is primarily made up of local elected officials and other government officials.
CMC members:
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Alene Tchourumoff, Metropolitan Council Chair
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Harry Melander, Metropolitan Council Member, Vice Chair
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Andrea Date, Woodbury Council Member
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Brian Isaacson, MnDOT Director of Planning, Program Management and Transit
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Stan Karwoski, Washington County Commissioner
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Brian Lamb, Metro Transit General Manager
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Jim McDonough, Ramsey County Commissioner
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Rafael Ortega, Ramsey County Commissioner
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Jane Prince, Saint Paul Council Member
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Paul Reinke, Oakdale Mayor
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Bryan Smith, Maplewood Council Member
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Stan Suedkamp, Landfall Mayor
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Lisa Weik, Washington County Commissioner
The first meeting of the CMC is scheduled for April 26, 2018 from 2:30 to 4:00 PM at the Metropolitan Council Chambers, at 390 Robert Street North in Saint Paul.
In addition to the CMC, a Community and Business Advisory Committee (CBAC), made up of local residents and businesses will also advise on how the 11 stations can best serve the neighborhoods where they are located. The committee will be asked for input on items like the placement of park and ride lots, bike storage, and issues that might arise from the construction process.
The Council received many qualified applications for the CBAC and is still reviewing those applications. Additionally, there were a few station areas where no applications were received; the Council will be doing additional outreach to try and fill those positions.
Once the CBAC members are selected, plans are for that committee to begin meeting in May.
As part of the regional METRO system, the Gold Line will connect people across the region to job centers, housing options, transit stations and key destinations in the I-94 corridor. The planned nine-mile line is expected to provide 8,000 daily rides by 2040. It is currently in project development.