Cedar Avenue Transitway
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Proposed Transitway Stops (North to South)
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The Cedar Avenue Transitway is a 16 mile Bus Rapid Transit line currently going through Final Preliminary Engineering by the Metropolitan Council, Dakota County, and the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority. The future busway is planned to run directly on the sides of Cedar Avenue (Minnesota State Highway 77/County Road 23) between the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota and 215th Street in Lakeville, Minnesota as an extension of the Hiawatha Line.
The corridor has seen rapidly increasing traffic volumes over the past 20 years due to explosive growth in Dakota County. Traffic congestion is a commonplace along much of the corridor as far south as County Road 42. the Metropolitan Council, county, and local officials are promoting the transitway as a means to improve mobility in the corridor.
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[edit] Project Details
Cedar Avenue will be reconstructed with new bus lanes (an express tunnel might be placed for construction) for easier travel between Downtown Minneapolis and Lakeville. The Busway will begin in Bloomington around Mall of America, and expand southward into Eagan, Apple Valley, Lakeville, and Farmington, with two bus lanes on each side of Cedar, making it easier to bypass traffic.
[edit] Background (Phase 1)
The Cedar Avenue Transitway will serve the Mall of America in Bloomington to 215th Street in Lakeville, some of the fastest growing areas in the Metropolitan Area and in the State of Minnesota. Traffic volumes on Cedar Avenue currently exceed 100,000 vehicles a day at the Minnesota River bridge on any given morning, with congestion sometimes extending as far south as County Road 42 in Apple Valley, Johnny Cake Road and Garden View Road, as well as even the largest highways & county roads of Pilot Knob and State Highway 3 (Between Eagan and Rosemount), a distance of several miles away. The cities of Lakeville, Farmington, and Eagan are projected to double in population between the year 2000 and 2025, and the City of Apple Valley will gain half again its current population: 90,000 more residents in the Corridor. Also, a plan for Cedar has been made for signals (Like the ones seen on the Hiawatha Line or bus transitways that have been seen in Minnesota), since the Bus Rapid Transit buses will have more future/Tech like 2010 commercial detail and other features, such as elevators, that will be installed between Highway 13 in Eagan and County Road 70 in and Lakeville.
[edit] The Implementation Plan (Part 1/Phase 2) (2005 to 2006)
- Preliminary engineering and environmental documentation
- Apple Valley Transit station expansion of park and ride capacity
- Cedar Grove west station preliminary engineering
- Lakeville 180th Street vicinity transit station land acquisition
[edit] The Implementation Plan (Part 2/Phase 3) (2006 to 2008)
- Construction of Cedar Bus lanes and bus lanes added from 138th Street to 180th Street Station for use though Apple Valley and Lakeville.
- Expand MVTA Express Routes 477 & 480 the to 180th Street Park & Ride lot.
- Expand MVTA service to the new Cedar Grove Park & Ride Station (Could become new transfer point between the 444 & 445)
- Launch MVTA Bus Service from Farmington to 157th Street Station.
- Launch MVTA Bus Service on Pilot Knob Road From the 157th Street Station to the Eagan Transit Station & Cedar Grove.
- Launch Palomino Park & Ride MVTA Bus Service to the to Saint Paul Union Depot Station in Downtown Saint Paul.
- Launch MVTA Minneapolis Express Service from 180th Street Station to Gateway Ramp in Downtown Minneapolis.
[edit] On-Line Operational Service (Phase 4) (2009 and Beyond)
Due to funds being donated to the Metro Council for the Interstate 35W Bridge Collapse, This project has been only delayed by a few months, and will continue to be completed by late 2009.
[edit] See also
[edit] More Info (External Links):
- Ceder Avenue Information
- Preferred Plan Map (PDF)
- February Newsletter (PDF)
- Metropolitan Council Fact Sheet (PDF)
- Metropolitan Council webpage on the project
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