Politics & Government
Oakdale Residents Asked to Weigh In on the Future of Transit Along I-94
The Gateway Corridor Commission will hold an open house Tuesday, July 26.
The group working on a plan for future transit along Interstate 94 from Wisconsin into St. Paul and Minneapolis is giving local residents another chance to look at their plans, and give feedback.
The Gateway Corridor Commission will have an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 26, at Woodbury City Hall where maps of the eight different options for transit along the corridor will be on display, and the elected officials and government staffers who are on the commission will be around to answer questions and take feedback.
“Coming out of this open house we want to have affirmation or confirmation that we have the right alternatives and these alternatives are reasonable and sound alternatives,” said Washington County Traffic Engineer Ted Schoenecker.
Find out what's happening in Oakdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The options include commuter rail, light rail, bus rapid transit and express buses.
All of the alternatives would pass through Oakdale or very close to the southern border, however, three of the options would stop in Oakdale.
Find out what's happening in Oakdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The possibilities include bus rapid transit or light rail transit routes that would stop at The Oaks (Carlson) Business Park, and commuter rail along existing track that would stop on Ideal Avenue.
Oakdale Community Development Director Bob Streetar said especially with the options that stop at the business park, the city would like to see whatever mode of transit is chosen move Oakdale workers into the central cities, but also move residents in the central cities out to Oakdale for work.
“We want to make sure if there are people living in St. Paul, that they can get out to the suburban work locations,” he said.
The Oaks Business Park, located at the northeast quadrant of Interstate 94 and Interstate 694 could contain up to 650,000 square feet of commercial space, which will mean hundreds of jobs, Streetar said.
Here are a few facts about the Gateway Corridor:
What is the Gateway Corridor?
The Gateway Corridor, formerly known as the I-94 corridor, follows the interstate from Eau Claire, WI, to Minneapolis.
What is the timeline for studying this corridor, and building something there?
The Gateway Corridor study started in October of 2010, said Washington County Traffic Engineer Ted Schoenecker. After this round of open houses, there will be one more round in early 2012 at which a cost/benefit analysis of each option will be available. Then the study should be complete in April or May of 2012, he said. After that, “If everything were to go sequentially, funding was available, a corridor of this size could probably be operational somewhere around the 2022 timeframe,” he said. It will depend on the political environment and the scope and size of the project, he said.
What has changed since the last round of open houses last February?
Due to the feedback from the public, the Gateway Corridor Commission changed the alignment of a proposed bus rapid transit or light rail transit route that would have traveled along 10th Street in Oakdale. Now those routes will travel along the frontage road just north of Interstate 94, stopping at the Sun Ray Shopping Center, 3M and the The Oaks (Carlson) Business Park in Oakdale, and then head either straight down Interstate 94 or through Woodbury along Hudson Road, Schoenecker said. The other new option being considered is adding a MnPASS lane along the corridor. These lanes are free to buses and carpoolers, but individual drivers have to pay a toll to use them. Also since the last open houses, the commission has started putting stations on the map.
Are there any proposed stations in Oakdale?
Yes, Options 4 or 6, which would use either bus rapid transit or light rail transit would stop at The Oaks (Carlson) Business Park in Oakdale. Also, the commuter rail option would stop at a Park and Ride lot on Ideal Avenue in Oakdale.
Are there other ways to give feedback without attending an open house?
Yes, you can email your comments to Gatewaycorridor@gmail.com.