4.1. SR 07-19-1993
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ITEM 4.1.
TO:
FROM:
MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL ~
PAT KLAERS, CITY ADMI, TOR
JULY 14, 1993 ,
DATE:
SUBJECT: TRANSPORTATION PRESENTATION
Elk River Area Citizens League Chairperson, Rita Johnson, has
requested to review the attached Elk River Area Citizens League
Report with the City Council prior to it being "written up" in
the 7/21/93 Elk River Star News.
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P.O. Box 490 · 13065 Orono Parkway · Elk River, MN 55330 · (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425
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ELK RIVER AREA
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CITIZENS LEAGUE REPORT
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HOW DO WE GET THERE FROM HERE?
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TRANSPORTATION IN THE ELK RIVER AREA
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June 21, 1993
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Elk River Area Citizens League
508 Tipton Avenue
Elk River, MN 55330
(612) 441- 4 547
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INTRODUCTION
The mission of the Elk River Area Citizens League is to foster a
more informed public, resulting in better choices and decision
making for area residents. The League's purpose is to research
topics and sponsor public forums that have social, political or
economic concern to the greater Elk River Community.
Conference 2001, youth/school concerns and community discussions
have repeatedly identified transportation in the Elk River area
as a concern and needed resource. In fulfillment of its mission,
the Citizens League sponsored a series of three town meetings on
the topic of transportation. The meetings, held during January,
February, and March of 1993, were attended by community leaders,
elected and appointed government officials, Citizens League
members and other interested citizens. Each meeting included
presentations by resource speakers and roundtable discussion.
RESOURCE SPEAKERS:
Donna Allan, Transit Planner, Mn/DOT Office of Transit
Mike Christenson, Director, Metropolitan Transit Commission
Tom Cruikshank, Coordinator, St. Cloud Metropolitan Transit
Commission
Gary P. Dirlam, Design Engineer, Mn/DOT District 3
Donald Hubert, Regional Transportation Planning Coordinator,
Mn/DOT District 3
Tony Kempenich, Traffic Engineer, Mn/DOT District 3
Jarvis Keys, Greater Minnesota Rideshare Coordinator,
Mn/DOT Office of Transit
Joyce Lundstrom, Director, Sherburne Heartland Express
Dale Maul, Transit Planner, Mn/DOT Office of Transit
The Citizens League thanks these resource speakers for their
support and assistance.
REPORT PREPARED BY:
Mary Eberley
Don Heinzman
Rita Johnson
Robert Minton
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I. EXISTING TRANSPORTATION SERVICES AND FUTURE NEEDS
JANUARY 28, 1993
The objectives of the first town meeting were to discover the
level of awareness in the community regarding public
transportation services currently available, to learn more about
how the existing services operate, to determine what concerns
citizens have with regard to public transit and how to work to
get these concerns addressed.
Presenters:
Donna Allan; Mn/DOT Office of Transit
Joyce Lundstrom, Sherburne Heartland Express
Dale Maul, Mn/DOT Office of Transit
Four questions formed the basis for discussion:
1. What are the transportation needs in our area?
2. Do you know what services are available now? What
improvements do you think should be made to these
services?
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3. What new public or private transit serVlces are
needed in our area?
4. If Transportation Commissioner Denn were here, what
would you say to him?
Findinqs
> There are limited public transportation options available
for citizens of the Elk River area. This includes options
in both local transportation, and transportation links to
the Twin City and St. Cloud metro areas, or other locales.
The Heartland Express, Active-Ride, and private taxis are
currently the only options available. Private volunteers
also fulfill some of the otherwise unfulfilled needs.
The Heartland Express is a local transit service heavily
subsidized by state and federal funds with some county
participation in funding. Active-Ride is a hospital-
sponsored private service to transport persons to and from
medical care facilities.
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> As the average age of residents of the state and some
parts of Sherburne County continues to rise, the needs for
transportation will grow. An aging population will grow
more dependent upon public modes of transportation to get
to medical facilities, shopping, social and cultural
events, and to visit family or friends. There is a
definitive gap in options during weekends and evenings.
These factors affect the quality of life for elderly
residents.
> Modes of safe and viable transportation are not available
for children and youth in the Elk River area. A city with
its residential neighborhoods so geographically spread out
does not permit all youth access to parks, summer
recreation opportunities and wholesome activities within
the community.
> There is misinformation or no knowledge at all about
several of the local options. For example, many
people believe the Heartland Express provides service
only to the elderly, low-income, or the mentally and
physically challenged. In fact, the service is
available to everyone.
> Coordination of the various services available is
insufficient to create true efficiency or effectiveness.
Analysis
> Marketing and promotion of available services have not
been effective in reaching the general population. This
has led to the misperceptions about who can use current
public facilities. These misperceptions may have
contributed to a lack of needed support and funding to
make the services efficient and effective.
> New options have not been adequately researched, or even
identified. Since gaps in service have been identified,
the opportunity for research into, and analysis of,
additional options has presented itself.
> Land use planning, placement of parks and recreation
fields, siting for industrial and business parks, etc.
are vital factors in long-range traffic volume planning.
Congestion is often a result of inadequate involvement
of all components in "people moving" when planning for
land use and development.
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> Funding of existing services is limited, and almost no
money lS available for expansion of transportation
services or for the creation and implementation of new
options. This funding gap limits the ability to plan and
think in the long range. Many public service providers
face this dilemma, and understand that efficiency and
effectiveness are key to maintaining current funding
levels, as well as to providing justification for
expanded financial support.
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Recommendations
> Communication to the public about available transportation
options needs improvement. Since misinformation about
current services exists, a public information program is
necessary. Marketing and promotion should become a focus
for long term improvement.
> A community-wide needs assessment should be conducted to
properly identify gaps in current programs and gaps in
coordination between these programs, and to identify new
areas of opportunity in the Elk River area. The cities
of Elk River and Otsego, along with Big Lake and
Zimmerman should consider sponsoring such an assessment. .
> A further study of alternatives and new options, possible
structure, and funding sources should be conducted by the
Citizens League with the help of the 2001 Steering
Committee.
> Options for evening and weekend needs should be improved.
Organizations involved with seniors and their activities
should conduct a joint study to identify solutions.
> Transportation should be viewed as a critical component of
community development plans by local units of government,
and should be specifically included in Comprehensive Long
Range Plans. This transportation component should include
alternative modes of transportation including bike,
pedestrian, and future public modes such as buses or other
vehicles.
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II. THE COMMUTER CONNECTION
FEBRUARY 25, 1993
The objectives of the second town meeting were to explore
existing transportation options for commuters, to learn about the
processes used by public and private providers to plan for future
services, and to determine how citizens might have an impact on
the planning process.
Presenters:
Mike Christenson, MTC, Twin Cities
Tom Cruikshank, MTC, St. Cloud
Jarvis Keys, Mn/DOT, Rideshare Program
Four questions formed the basis for discussion:
1. Do you know what commuter services are available now?
2. Regarding currently available services, what are the
positives (what's working well), and what could be
improved?
3. What commuting options would you like to have available?
4. What would motivate you to use a commuting service?
Findinqs
> The American love affair with the car is causing
several undesirable conditions for commuters and
travelers:
-The number of vehicles on the roads is increasing
at the rate of approximately 4% each year. At this
compounded rate, traffic doubles in volume about
every 18 years. This condition will result in
either increased congestion or development of new
and expensive highways.
-In spite of time-saving incentives created by the MTC,
attracting riders to public transit has been slow and
difficult in the Twin City metropolitan area.
-Public transit by either bus or rail in the United
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States is in a comparatively low state of development.
As one participant noted, we even compare unfavorably
with Third World countries.
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> The cooperation between the Minnesota Department of
Transportation (Mn/DOT) and the Metropolitan Transit
Commission (MTC) has brought about some noticably
beneficial changes in highway design in the Twin City
metropolitan area, with carpool and bus lanes on highways
and ramps, and with exclusive bus shoulder lanes on some
highways.
> Van Pool Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of
Chrysler, Inc., encourages the use of vanpools, and
leases vehicles for that purpose. The cost depends on
the commuting distance and the type, size and age of the
vehicle.
> Minnesota Rideshare is a Mn/DOT program whose purpose is
to reduce the number of single rider vehicles on the
streets and highways. The program not only encourages the
sharing of transportation, but also biking, walking,
telecommuting from home, or any other alternative which
will reduce vehicular traffic. The program has a number
of suggestions for employers as incentives such as: .
-offering free or preferential parking.
-offering a guaranteed ride home in case of emergency
or the need to work late.
-financing, in the form of Transit Bills (T-Bills) to
employees who use buses, vanpools or carpools. Recent
federal legislation allows employers to subsidize up
to $60 a month per person for busing, vanpools or
carpool parking. T-Bills are business tax deductions,
and are excluded from taxable income for employees.
> The Minnesota Rideshare program has an office in
Minneapolis for the seven county metropolitan area, which
is partially funded by the Regional Transit Board (RTB)
and is housed in an MTC facility. The rest of the state
is serviced by Mn/DOT, with offices in St. Paul, Duluth,
and St. Cloud. The areas immediately outside the seven
county metropolitan area are in somewhat of a vacuum for
attention and promotion. The Twin City office, however,
stands ready to assist areas like Elk River.
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> Some ridesharing and vanpooling is currently taking place
with commuters in the Elk River and Big Lake area. A 12
person vanpool, originating in Big Lake, commutes to
downtown Minneapolis each day. Informal carpools use
several areas as park and ride lots, some of which are on
private property. A need was expressed for the existing
lots to be upgraded and for a new park and ride lot to be
created on the western side of the City of Elk River.
> Two of the greatest problems are the lack of awareness of
opportunities for "corridor commuters" between St. Cloud
and the Twin Cities, and a lack of coordination between
different modes of transportation. Technology is being
improved to allow for more effective networking and
linking of options.
> The Twin City MTC is subsidized by taxes levied in the
seven county metropolitan area which constitutes the
limits of its service area. It may be possible for cities
like Elk River and Cambridge to arrange for an extension
of services to their areas for a negotiated fee.
Analvsis
> As a working definition of transit, the Elk River Area
Citizens league has adopted the proposal of the Twin
City Citizens League several years ago, namely that
transit is defined in its broadest meaning, and involves
any means by which commuters and travelers share
transportation, including public transportation of every
kind, informal carpooling and vanpooling.
> One of the objectives in this report is adopted from
Rideshare, namely to reduce the number of single rider
vehicles on the highways. This objective will encourage
the use of walking, biking and telecommuting as well as
the sharing of vehicles for transportation.
> An effective solution for reducing the number of single
rider vehicles with currently available programs will
probably involve a combination of education and awareness
for the public, along with incentives by government and
employers to encourage the sharing of transportation.
Recommendations
> Community focus on improvement of congestion conditions
is needed. Carpooling and vanpooling, or other multiple
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rider plans should be promoted by all local units of
government along with Chambers of Commerce.
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> The Twin City and St. Cloud offices of Minnesota Rideshare
should be encouraged to promote the benefits and
opportunities of car and vanpooling in the "commuter
corridor" between the two offices. Commuters should
be made aware of which office to call for information
and registration. Even though the Twin City office is
partially funded with taxes levied in the seven county
metropolitan area, its primary concern should be the
destination of commuters, rather than their origin. The
Twin City office should also be urged to conduct research
on the destination areas of commuters in that direction
from the Elk River area and to promote incentives by
employers in those areas. The incentives could include
free or preferred parking, the guaranteed ride horne,
telecommuting opportunities, and the partial subsidy of
vanpools.
> Park and ride lots appear for the most part to be informal
gathering places for commuters who are already sharing
rides, and some commuters are evidently parking on private
property. These lots should be given more formal
recognition, and more parking opportunities should be
solicited on lots that are less used during working hours, .
such as those owned by churches. All the lots should be
promoted by Mn/DOT for use by commuters, and the formal
lots should include amenities such as hard surface,
proper signage, adequate lighting, a high priority for
early snow removal, and a commitment from law enforcement
officials to periodic monitoring. An additional lot
should be created on the westerly end of Elk River.
> The Elk River City Council should explore the terms and
conditions for expanding Twin City MTC service to the
Elk River area for express bus service to destinations
of high Elk River emploYment in the metropolitan area.
If reasonable terms can be negotiated, a private-public
partnership should be considered for the raising of funds
to partially subsidize the service.
> When considering development proposals, area planning
commissions, city councils and county boards should
encourage pedestrian and non-motorized circulation. Since
cul-de-sacs are becoming more popular in residential
developments, easements for pedestrian and bicycle traffic
should be provided to allow for more direct access to
surrounding areas.
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III. HOW DO WE GET FROM OXCART TRAILS TO SUPERHIGHWAYS?
MARCH 25, 1993
The objectives of the third town meeting were to look at
Minnesota's changing surface transportation system, to gain an
understanding of how highway planning takes place, and to learn
ways in which citizens can influence planning decisions.
Presenters:
Gary P. Dirlam, Mn/DOT, Design Engineer
Donald Hubert, Mn/DOT, Transportation Planning Coordinator
Tony Kempenich, Mn/DOT, Traffic Engineer
Five questions formed the basis for discussion:
1. How has Minnesota's surface transportation changed
in the last 20 years?
2. Regarding highway planning, what are the effects of
and impact on, economic growth and business
development in an area like ours?
3. What factors are taken into consideration when you
do forecasting? (Projected population growth,
average age of the population, business needs,
accounting practices such as "just in time"
manufacturing, etc.)
4. How do you think highway planning and development
impact on our area's economy?
5. What major transportation events will occur in the
next 10 years, and how do you think these events
will affect this area of the state?
Findinqs
> The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of
1991 (ISTEA) is significantly changing the way in which
the public is involved in transportation planning.
Whereas planning was previously done with input primarily
from highway engineers, ISTEA makes public involvement a
key factor in decision-making.
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> The Elk River area has been under-represented ln
transportation planning since the 7W Regional Development
Commission was dissolved in 1982.
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> There is a loose confederation of Sherburne, Wright,
Stearns and Benton counties that meets periodically on
economic development mattters. This group could be
included in the transportation planning process.
> Areawide Transportation Partnerships have been formed as
required by ISTEA for planning purposes. These
partnerships include individuals from transit, rail,
highway, and air transportation specialities, as well
as interested citizens. As also required by ISTEA,
community leaders will rank projects on a point system in
which local input carries a lot of weight. While the
emphasis on public input is a change, the basic elements
of planning remain the same.
> By fall of 1993, the Statewide Transportation Improvement
Program (STIP) should be completed. Only projects
included in the STIP will receive funding.
> The major criteria for highway planning is moving traffic
quickly and safely. The number and severity of accidents, .
not necessarily the number of deaths, influences highway
widening and signalizations. For example, the high
traffic volumes and high accident rates on Highway 101
dictated its major reconstruction.
Analvsis
> The Citizens League's interest in transportation is very
timely because of the federal Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act which is changing how the
public will be involved in transportation planning.
> Historically, input for transportation planning has come
from regional agencies, which hurt this area because of
the dissolution of the 7W Regional Development Commission.
City and county officials had little input into the
ranking process of highway construction projects because
they lacked a regional organizing mechanism.
> Mn/DOT plans and constructs highways to move volumes of
traffic quickly and safely. Local businesses are
interested in diverting travelers from the main highways
into their cities and towns. These interests seem to be
fundamentally opposed.
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> The safety of the traveling public could be compromised
by the lack of available funds for highway projects.
Mn/DOT is in a "patch and repair mode" due to funding
cuts. While the projected highway funding needs into
1998 are $400 to $500 million per year, only $335
million per year is expected to be available.
Recommendations
> Since cities and counties in the former Region 7W have
not been represented in planning for transportation or
in other areas inVOlving governmental funding, a
regional planning and economic development agency
be created at the earliest possible opportunity.
action should be taken not only to take advantage
planning and funding opportunities, but also to
demonstrate a willingness to plan and coordinate on a
regional basis.
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> In the interim, representatives from the former Region 7W
should be involved immediately in transportation planning
for MnDOT Region 3. The representation should be
intermodal, involving not just highway engineers, and
should be selected by the County Commissioners and City
Councilmembers in Region 3. MnDOT Region 3 officials have
indicated that such representation would be welcome.
> Government and civic leaders in this area should analyze
the ISTEA bill and take advantage of funding and grants.
City councils and county boards should take the initiative
in seeking grants as well as input into the planning
process.
> Cities and counties should utilize the expertise of Mn/DOT
planners in designing and updating their comprehensive
plans so that transportation and traffic movement issues
are given adequate attention throughout the process.
> The concept of intermodal planning and thinking that
permeates the ISTEA bill should trickle down to, and be
incorporated by, local units of government. This would
mean that transportation planning on the county and city
levels would encompass not only vehicular circulation,
but also public transportation, incentives for sharing
rides, and facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists.
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SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
Transit
> Communication to the public about available transit options
needs improvement. Since misinformation about current
services exists, marketing and promotion should become a focus
for long term improvement of transit options.
> A community-wide needs assessment should be conducted to
properly identify gaps in current programs, gaps in
coordination between these programs, and identification of
new areas of opportunity for the Elk River area.
> The Citizens League should conduct a further study of
alternatives and options, structure and possible funding
sources to improve transit areawide.
> Organizations involved with seniors and their activities
should conduct a joint study to identify solutions to gaps
in weekend and evening transportation services.
> Transportation, including bike, pedestrian, and future
public modes such as buses, should be viewed as a critical
component of community development plans by local units of
government, and should be specifically included in
Comprehensive Long Range Plans.
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Commutinq
> Community focus on improvement of congestion conditions is
needed. Carpooling and vanpooling, or other multiple rider
plans should be promoted.
> The Twin City and St. Cloud offices of Minnesota Rideshare
should be encouraged to inform commuters of the benefits of
and the opportunities for carpooling and vanpooling in the
"commuter corridor" between the two cities. The Twin City
office should also be urged to conduct research on the
destination areas of commuters in that direction from the Elk
River area, and to promote incentives by employers in those
areas.
> Safe, well-maintained park and ride lots should be promoted by
MnDOT. Ari additional lot should be created on the westerly end
of Elk River.
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4It > The Elk River City Council should explore the terms and
) conditions for expanding Twin City MTC express bus service
to the Elk River area.
> Area planning commissions, city councils and county boards
should encourage pedestrian and non-motorized circulation in
development proposals.
Hiqhways
> A regional planning and economic development agency should be
created to take advantage of planning and funding opportunities
and to demonstrate willingness to plan and coordinate on a
regional basis.
> Representatives from this area should be involved immediatly in
transportation planning for MnDOT Region 3. Representation
should be intermodal, involving not just highway engineers.
> Government and civic leaders in this area should analyze the
ISTEA bill and take advantagae of funding and grants.
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> Cities and counties should utilize the expertise of Mn/DOT
planners in designing and updating their comprehensive plans.
> The concept of interrnodal planning and thinking that permeates
the ISTEA bill should trickle down to, and be incorporated by,
local units of government.
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