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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission - 08/13/2001 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE COMMUNITY PLANNING BOARD WORKSHOP MONDAY,AUGUST 13, 2001 6:00 P.M., CITY CENTER Heritage Rooms I & II 8080 Mitchell Road BOARD MEMBERS: Ken Brooks, Frantz Corneille, Randy Foote, Vicki Koenig, Kathy Nelson, Fred Seymour, Paul Sodt, Susan Stock, Ray Stoelting STAFF MEMBERS: Mike Franzen, City Planner Scott Kipp, Senior Planner Alan Gray, City Engineer BOARD MEMBERS: Ken Brooks, Frantz Corneille, Randy Foote, Vicki Koenig, Kathy Nelson, Paul Sodt, Fred Seymour, Susan Stock, Ray Stoelting STAFF MEMBERS: Stu Fox, Manager of Parks & Natural Resources Mike Franzen, City Planner Alan Gray, City Engineer Scott Kipp, Senior Planner David Lindahl, HRA Manager Leslie Stovring, Environmental Coordinator I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chair Corneille called the meeting to order at 6:15.m. Present: Commissioners Corneille, Brooks, Foote, Nelson, Seymour, Stock, Stoelting. Absent: Koenig, Sodt. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion by Stoelting, second by Sodt to approve the workshop agenda. Motion carried, 5-0. III. TRANSPORTATION A. Southwest Metro Presentation of Bus Service and Circulator Routes John Kragness, Planning and Administrative Manager and Len Simich, Executive Director, Southwest Metro Transit presented the bus service and circulator routes. The bus service and circulator routes are an opt-out system. Bus transportation 15 years ago was MTC. Suburbs formed their own transit Community Planning Board Workshop Minutes August 13, 2001 Page 2 operations. Eden Prairie, Chanhassen, and Chaska formed Southwest Metro Transit. Seven members make up the Southwest Metro Transit Board, two from each community. This has evolved from one route per city to Southdale/Mall of America service. There are 16 routes, service to U of MN, downtown Minneapolis; 70 trips per day. 600,000 riders annually. Riders are mostly commuters with a median income of$60,000. 50 vehicles, 7 park and rides. $11 million operating budget employing 75 people. There are four park and rides in Eden Prairie. Dial- a ride door-to-door service was reduced because of costs. Vanpools through federal program are offered to residents and businesses and subsidized at the same level as express service. Vans require 8 passengers- $2.00 per ride, they are as economical as a bus. There are 8 routes from Minneapolis to the Golden Triangle area 5:30 a.m. — 10:00 p.m. Suburb to suburb creates problem of destination to suburbs without transit. Infrastructure such as shoulder lanes are not in place as on downtown routes. 25 miles were considered severely congested in 1990,by 2010 it will be 125 miles severely congested. Growth is 15% per year in express; the fleet is being expanded. Upgrade of Park and Ride facilities and doubling of the transit system will take place in the next 20 years. There is a trolley for local service, MCI Coach vehicle, 15 passenger champion, and vans. Corneille asked for further definition on the opt-out system. Kragness stated this is a replacement service. It allows people out of the system in place. Stoelting inquired about the funding. Kragness stated funding was through property tax. This is shifting. Transportation and transit is subsidized. Major infrastructure requires cost benefit analysis. Stoelting asked about the suburb to suburb transit. Simich explained a census with the Met Council show traffic is as much is suburb to suburb as to city. There is a definite demand for transportation. Stoelting asked what dictates a fixed local route. Kragness said attractors such as the mall and generators such as fixed density. Traditionally riders were lower income. It is abnormal to see this amount of growth. This is the fastest growing system in the state. The dial-a- ride need is not being met. All weekend services were cut; the demand is there for the elderly and youth. The system used to go to the Mall of America and hotels. It became too costly after the Metro Transit supplied it for free. Community Planning Board Workshop Minutes August 13, 2001 Page 3 Gray asked about percentage of total revenue through the fare box. Simich noted 20-25%; the other 75% is subsidized. The goal is 32-33%. Brooks inquired about the remainder. Simich said the operating budget provides $5-5.5 million; taxes and vehicle excise taxes supply the remainder. Stoelting asked about dedicated corridors. Kragness said shoulders are dedicated for busses; bypasses and HOV lanes are present. Gray stated there are no new corridors; the only corridor that is not used is the light rail corridor, Hennepin County Trail system. There is political resistance to utilizing it from residents along the trail system. Corneille asked how they were working with other suburbs. Kragness said Maple Grove and Plymouth are single cities. MVTA is headquartered in Burnsville. There are six communities as part of this. Franzen asked about circulator routes in Eden Prairie. Kragness explained vening service Prairie Center Drive to Prairie Meadows, Columbine to Chestnut and the Golden Triangle. It links to Chanhassen and Chaska. Gray stated in 1996 a comprehensive transportation plan was put in place. There are no new corridors. Light rail is being implemented over objections of residents who live nearby. The City share of Pioneer between 169 and 212 was over$2 million. Franzen noted the colored map with improvements and growth projections. Nelson stated the changes are significant; neighbors should be made aware. Gray stated projected traffic volumes were 16,000 vehicles per day. Anderson Lakes Parkway contains a 100 foot right of way. It should have built as a four lane in the first place. Franzen stated this was carrying forward from the 1982 plan. They added a reference to the Southwest Metro, Southwest Station, and what to do about transportation in and out of the Golden Triangle. Community Planning Board Workshop Minutes August 13, 2001 Page 4 Motion by Corneille, second by Brooks to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried, 7-0. The meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.