Community Corner

Next Step Taken in Gateway Corridor Transit Project

During environmental-impact work, a transit mode will be selected, either light rail or bus rapid transit in a dedicated lane.

The Gateway Corridor Commission recently contracted a company to craft a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS).

The document will mark the next phase in the Federal Transit Administration process for developing a transit line along Interstate 94 between St. Paul's Union Depot and Woodbury with connections to Hudson and Minneapolis.

The DEIS is meant to “inform decision-makers and the public of the social, economic and environmental impact of the proposed transit line,” reads part of a release from the Gateway Corridor Commission. “Examples of impacts include wetlands, protected species of animals and plants, as well as impacts to people, such as minority populations and cultures.”

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The environmental-impact work will take about two years, during which time a transit mode will be selected, either light rail or bus rapid transit in a dedicated lane.

The Gateway Corridor Commission at its May 9 meeting recommended contracting with Kimley Horn to prepare the DEIS.

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“We believe Kimley Horn has assembled an excellent team that will take a comprehensive and inclusive approach to completing this phase of the project in an efficient manner,” Washington County Commissioner Lisa Weik, chair of the Gateway Corridor Commission, said in a statement. “We are excited for this opportunity to proactively manage transportation needs and shape growth in the east metro.”

The cost of the study is not to exceed $3 million, according to the release.

The DIES will allow the group to refine the plans “in order to ensure the proposed transitway provides the most benefit to the people that live and work in the corridor, with the least possible impact,” reads the release.

Depending on study results and funding, the project could be complete by 2022. There will be future opportuneness for public input.

The project seeks to provide 11 stations with all-day transit service. More information is available on the Gateway Corridor website.


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