Gateway Corridor Commission Holds Open House in Hudson to Discuss Mass Transit Options Along I-94

Members of the public were invited to attend an open house on Tuesday put on at the St. Croix County Government Center by the Gateway Corridor Commission. The group put on the open house so the public could get the opportunity to learn about the group's transit plans from downtown Minneapolis through St. Paul, Woodbury, Hudson and all the way to Eau Claire.

The group has identified eight transit alternatives to study in greater detail over the next several months. Some of the options include bus service, others include light rail service. One option includes commuter rail service along existing tracks.

The City of Hudson recently appointed Leif Halverson to represent Hudson on the commission, and he thinks at this point light rail would be the best option.

"I think the ideal solution for the Gateway Corridor would be the implementation of light rail transit as it would have the greatest flexibity for commuter scheduling," Halverson said. "Commuter rail is appealing in that it would utilize existing resources however it is limited in the number of trips per day."

Halverson also expressed concerns that many Hudson residents may balk at the idea of transit because of the costs involved and the extremely long timeline. Federal funding will be sought after the commission completes its studies, and depending on which alternative is chosen, it could take until 2030 to see the completion of the project.

"Our community needs to embrace this transportation development with our state motto in mind—Forward—in that future generations will reap the benefits from our forethought and planning to move toward more efficient, environmentally sound means of public transport, rather than continually embellishing our crumbling, antiquated highway system," Halverson said.

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What is the Gateway Corridor? 

The Gateway Corridor, is a portion of the I-94 corridor that follows the interstate from Eau Claire to Minneapolis.

What are the alternatives being studied?

Alternative 1: The “no build” option would maintain current express bus service from the central cities to Woodbury. The buses would travel on MnPASS lanes between Minneapolis and St. Paul and then use the shoulder when traffic is moving slow between St. Paul and Woodbury.

Alternative 2: This option is the same as the first option, except it adds express bus service all the way to Eau Claire from the central cities. 

Alternative 3: This option would incorporate bus rapid transit—similar to express bus service, but faster—in a MnPASS lane from Minneapolis to St. Paul and a bus-only lane from St. Paul to Hudson along Interstate 94. Express buses would connect Hudson to Eau Claire.

Alternative 4: This option would be the same as Option 3, however the route would travel along Seventh Street in St. Paul and would travel along Hudson Road in Woodbury.

Alternative 5: This option provides light rail transit from St. Paul’s Union Depot to Hudson along Interstate 94. Express buses would connect Hudson to Eau Claire.

Alternative 6: This option provides light rail transit on a more windy route than Option 5. The route would travel down Seventh Street in. St. Paul, then travel along Interstate 94 starting at White Bear Avenue, and then travel along Hudson Road in Woodbury and connect back with Interstate 94. Express buses would connect Hudson to Eau Claire.

Alternative 7: The seventh option would create commuter rail from Minneapolis to Eau Claire using existing track. There are two potential routes to the Union Depot in St. Paul. From the Depot, the route would travel along Union Pacific Railroad tracks north of Interstate 94 to Eau Claire. 

Alternative 8: The eighth option would use MnPASS lanes from Minneapolis to Hudson. The option would include adding Park and Ride lots throughout the corridor. Express buses would connect Hudson to Eau Claire. 

What is the timeline for studying this corridor, and building something there?

The Gateway Corridor study started in October 2010, said 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 Hudson?

Yes. For all eight alternatives, the commission is hoping to use the now closed Wisconsin Tourism Center as a bus and/or light rail station just off of Interstate 94 near Carmichael Road. Alternative 7, which includes commuter rail all the way to Eau Claire, would include a Hudson station near the intersection of County Road U and Highway 12 in the town of Hudson. That would be in addition to the proposed Carmichael transit station.

Are you getting a lot of feedback from Wisconsin residents?

“Yes and no,” Schoenecker said. Since the major infrastructure for most of the alternatives other than commuter rail ends in Hudson, their support tends to be toward commuter rail, he said, because they’re looking at high-speed rail through that corridor. 

Are there other ways to give feedback without attending an open house?

Yes, you can email your comments to gatewaycorridor@gmail.com.