Bloomington light rail policies

On December 7, 1998, the Bloomington City Council, after receiving input from public meetings and recommendations from City staff, the Planning Commission and the Traffic and Transportation Advisory Commission, adopted the following modified light rail policies.

The metropolitan Twin Cities area is faced with the combined problems of:

ever increasing low-density growth at its edges,
ever increasing congestion on its main transportation arteries,
the need for renewal in its older sections that are no longer as economically vital, and
very limited funding to address congestion through road construction or to address needed economic redevelopment.

The City of Bloomington supports the implementation of light rail transit (LRT) as an opportunity to address each of these problems, as well as one way to diversify available transportation options, conserve natural resources and increase the number of people with easy access to employment in Bloomington.

For LRT to be successful in this region, it needs to become a complete, metro-wide system. To enable the creation of a complete, metro-wide system, the inaugural Hiawatha corridor LRT investment must be successful in both attracting riders and in substantially transforming land use patterns along the corridor. A poor implementation of this backbone route of the metropolitan system will not only preclude all other LRT investments, but will squander the opportunities created by this significant investment.

The metropolitan area is in the process of completing a federal funding application for an LRT line linking downtown Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota, MSP Airport, Bloomington's South Loop District and potentially Dakota County. By advocating the following policies, the City will promote the development of LRT in a manner that minimizes negative impacts.

Route alignment

Policy 1:
The City's preferred LRT route alignment is from I-494 to a station at or very near the Mall of America. No LRT line past the Mall of America is favored as part of this phase. This will require adequate park and ride facilities in Dakota County, limited, but adequate, park and ride at the last station and an integrated bus transit facility at the last station. No extension beyond the Mall of America is to occur without significant environmental analysis and public involvement.

Policy 2:
The City favors the consideration of a future extension of LRT to Dakota County. While a continuation of the LRT to Dakota County line would enhance its viability and reduce the amount of traffic in South Loop and the need for as significant a park and ride facility, it is expected that such as extension will need to be the subject of an environmental impact statement if it is to go ahead. Additionally, it will need to have its priority determined based on both a regional and national basis to obtain funding. Such an extension subject to these could be many years off, if it is ever extended at all.

Policy 3:
Encourage an LRT design that allows for future extension of the system to the west and to the south.

Stations

Policy 4:
Develop three LRT stations in Bloomington as part of this phase of LRT, subject to public review, at 80th Street, South Loop and at or very near the Mall of America. The determination of a location should be subject to additional review and participation by all property owners east of Bloomington Avenue.

Policy 5:
Encourage formation of resident/business advisory groups that are directly affected or adjacent to stations to help design the Bloomington LRT stations.

Policy 6:
To ensure good access to the LRT system, station design must include pedestrian and bicycle access improvements on adjacent streets.

Policy 7:
The station at or very near the Mall of America must include convenient skyway access from the station to the Mall of America.

Policy 8:
Extension of LRT across the Minnesota River into Dakota County in the future should take into consideration an additional station in Bloomington between the Mall of America and the Minnesota River. No decision on the location of this station will occur until the necessary environmental work is accomplished and extensive citizen involvement occurs.

Policy 9:
The support of the LRT station at or very near the Mall of America, serving as the most southerly end of the line for this phase of the Hiawatha line, is conditioned on the provision of adequate park and ride facilities being in place in Dakota County to significantly reduce the parking impacts to the Bloomington Stations. The south end of the Hiawatha LRT will require a significant park and ride facility, which, if constructed in the South Loop District commercial area, would negatively impact Bloomington by 1) drawing additional vehicle traffic into the area and diminishing the effectiveness of an otherwise excellent opportunity to reduce automobile traffic and congestion within the area, and 2) occupying valuable land otherwise available for high intensity commercial development, thereby reducing the tax base. If such an end station LRT park and ride were not constructed or were undersized, the City is concerned that existing parking areas in the South Loop District would become de facto park and rides. The Mall of America station must provide for the still remaining park and ride needs and do so in a manner that does not intrude onto adjacent property owners in an unacceptable manner.

Transit

Policy 10:
Encourage the development of enhanced feeder bus service. For LRT to be successful, it will need to work hand in hand with bus systems. Such systems need to include not only riders from Bloomington, but from Dakota County also.

Policy 11:
The Mall of America station must incorporate an adequately sized bus transfer facility.

Land use

Policy 12:
Throughout the corridor, land within 1/2 mile of the stations should be guided for high-density development. The primary reason for a significant investment in LRT is to direct high-density development and redevelopment along the corridor in place of low-density development on the urban fringe and beyond. While the City will promote redevelopment and intensification around the Bloomington stations, it is vital to the success of LRT that other jurisdictions along the line also actively undertake station-oriented redevelopment and intensification in conjunction with private developers.

Policy 13:
The City will prepare detailed land use plans for areas within one-half mile of the proposed LRT stations.

Funding

Policy 14:
Given LRT's regional role in changing land use and transportation patterns, it is the City of Bloomington's position that it is opposed to local City funding and that the LRT, all of its attendant facilities, including Park and Ride and skyways, any studies, together with the associated feeder bus and facilities, should be funded by regional, state and federal sources, together with county rail authorities.

Citizen involvement

Policy 15:
Any feasibility studies, environmental analysis, or Environmental Impact Statements for routing an LRT line south of the Mall of America in the future must provide ample time and opportunity for citizens to be informed and comment upon the documents.

Timing

Policy 16:
Request state and regional agencies to proceed as soon as possible with the necessary environmental process to allow LRT implementation from I-494 at 34th Avenue to the station at or very near the Mall of America.

Policy 17:
Dakota County, in association with the City of Bloomington, is requested to undertake a feasibility study to determine if a future extension of the Hiawatha LRT into Dakota County should have further consideration. Alternative alignment, station location, parking needs, costs and land use impacts will be needed for such a study. No extension may occur without adequate citizen involvement and final City of Bloomington approval.

For more information on LRT, please visit the Metropolitan Council web site at www.metrocouncil.org external link .