Light Rail Transit

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Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
Committee of the Whole January 16, 2008
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2008 Project Schedule
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
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2008 Critical Milestones
Jan.

• Key scope information
• Key scope decisions
• Circulate SDEIS
• SDEIS public hearing
• City/County approval of PE
• Update cost estimates
• Request to enter Final Design

Feb.
May
July
July
Aug.
Sept.
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Updated Draft EIS (DEIS) Cost Estimate
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
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FTA Cost Effectiveness Index
Annualized capital and operating costs
CEI
Annual travel time savings
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CEI Value Needed to Advance Project
Enter Final Design 23.99
Secure Full Funding Grant 23.99
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Original DEIS CEI Status
Cost 932 M
Ridership 43,300
CEI 24.84
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FTA Preliminary Engineering Requests
Increase Inflation Rate
Increase Contingency
Include Financing Cost
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932M Estimate Includes

• East Bank Tunnel
• St. Paul Fourth St. to Union Depot
• University Ave. Reconstruction

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932M Estimate Does Not Include

• Increased Inflation Rate
• Increased Contingency
• Financing Costs

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Updated DEIS Cost Estimate
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
DEIS Baseline 932M
Contingency 42M
Construction -31M
Professional Services 41M
Subtotal 984M
Financing Costs 6M
Total 990M
Difference 58M

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Updated CEI Status
Cost 990M
Ridership 43,940
CEI 26.05
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Findings of the Infill Stations Study
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
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Findings of the Infill Stations Study
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit

• Analyze
• Ridership
• Travel time
• Cost
• Cost Effectiveness Index (CEI)

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Findings of the Infill Stations Study
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
Dale
Lexington
Rice
Snelling
Victoria
Western
Hamline
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Findings of the Infill Stations Study
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
Station LPA Add Hamline Add Victoria Add Western
Snelling 2,840 2,530 2,820 2,830
Hamline -- 490 -- --
Lexington 1,070 880 930 1,050
Victoria -- -- 320 --
Dale 750 730 580 760
Western -- -- 280
Rice 1,320 1,290 1,290 1,120
Midway ridership 5,980 5,920 5,940 6,040

• Transfers station boardings from one station to
  another
• Reduces corridor ridership by 400 people
• Does not change Midway ridership

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Findings of the Infill Stations Study
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit

• Increases travel time
• Increases cost 5.5M/station
• Increases project CEI by 0.28-0.50

LPA Add Hamline Add Victoria Add Western
Travel Time 3853 3930 3920 3919
CEI 26.05 26.33 26.51 26.55
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Downtown St. Paul Alignment Alternatives
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Downtown St. Paul Alignments Studied
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit

• DEIS
• No changes proposed
• Used for comparison of alternatives

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Downtown St. Paul Alignments Studied
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit

• DEIS w/ diagonal
• Consistent with St. Pauls Development Strategy
• Less impact on District Energy
• ROW costs not anticipated
• Reduces CEI

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Downtown St. Paul Alignments Studied
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit

• 4th St. to Wacouta Mid-Block
• Requires elevated crossing _at_ Kellogg
• Impacts bus circulation _at_ the Depot Concourse
• Requires taking property

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Downtown St. Paul Alignments Studied
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit

• 4th St. to Broadway
• Meets concourse level
• At grade crossing of Kellogg
• Lesser impact to bus circulation _at_ the Depot
  Concourse

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Downtown St. Paul Alignments Studied
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit

• 2nd St. Viaduct
• Requires reconstruction of viaduct, closes 2nd
  St. to traffic
• Potential closing of 4th and Cedar
• Requires tunnel beneath Kellogg and park
• Cultural resources and park impacts

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Downtown St. Paul Capital Operating Cost
Difference from DEIS
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
Alternative DEIS with diagonal Wacouta Mid-Block Broadway 2nd St. Viaduct
Change in Capital Cost () -2.6M 32.2M 42.1 M 57.8 M
Change in Op. Cost () -76,000 806,000 1,088,000 679,000
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Downtown St. Paul Travel Time Difference from
DEIS
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
Alternative DEIS with diagonal Wacouta Mid-Block Broadway 2nd St. Viaduct
Change in Travel Time (minsec) -028 158 247 -053
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Downtown St. Paul Ridership Difference from DEIS
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
Alternative DEIS with diagonal Wacouta Mid-Block Broadway 2nd St. Viaduct
Change in Ridership -990 170 150 -780
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Downtown St. Paul CEI Difference from DEIS
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
Alternative DEIS with diagonal Wacouta Mid-Block Broadway 2nd St. Viaduct
Change in CEI from DEIS () -0.39 0.83 1.21 1.55
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Washington Avenue East Bank Tunnel and At-Grade
Alternatives
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
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East Bank Alternatives - DEIS
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
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DEIS Tunnel

• 2050 feet in length
• East Bank Station open air in portal in front of
  Coffman Union
• University and private ROW required

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East Bank AlternativesRealigned Tunnel
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
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Realigned Tunnel Alternative

• Extends tunnel 950 feet
• Includes East Bank Station underground with
  mezzanine
• Requires University private ROW
• Assumes existing four-lane configuration on
  Washington Ave.
• Maintains all existing traffic movements bus
  stops
• Assumes traffic impacts include 10 of vehicles
  divert off Washington Ave.

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East Bank Station with Mezzanine
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
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East Bank Station with Mezzanine
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
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East Bank AlternativesAt-Grade
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
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At-Grade Alternative

• LRT center running along Washington Avenue
• East Bank Station is split side platform
• University and private ROW required
• One through lane each direction on Washington
  Avenue
• Left turn lanes at Church, Harvard, Oak
• Bus stop pull-outs at Coffman Union and at Walnut
  St.
• Assumes traffic impacts include 10 of vehicles
  divert off Washington Avenue

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East Bank Alternatives
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
Change from DEIS East Bank Realigned Tunnel At-Grade
Change in Travel Time (minsec) -012 136
Ridership 450 -1,660
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East Bank Alternatives
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
Change from DEIS Realigned Tunnel At-Grade
Capital Cost 110 to 130 M -128 to -148M
OM Cost -80,000 -260,000
CEI 2.51 to 3.05 -2.79 to -3.33
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East Bank Alternatives Prelim. Traffic Analysis
Results
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
Tunnel Option Intersections of Concern
At Grade Option Intersections of Concern
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East Bank Alternatives Continue Collaboration
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit

• Realigned tunnel
• Examine potential cost savings
• At-grade alignment
• Continue to refine traffic operations
• Examine service and emergency vehicle access
• Pedestrian safety
• University and private ROW including sidewalks
• Continue to identify and analyze mitigation
  measures

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Project Issues Cost/Savings Options
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
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Project Issues Costs/Savings
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
Project Issue Est. Change in Cost Est. Change in CEI
Hiawatha/Central Connection 7.5M 0.20
Washington Ave. Bridge 25M 0.67
East Bank Realigned Tunnel 110 to 130 M 2.51 to 3.05
East Bank At Grade -128 to -148M -2.79 to -3.33
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Project Issues Costs/Savings
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
Project Issue Est. Change in Cost Est. Change in CEI
Downtown St. Paul Alignment DEIS w/diagonal station Concourse via Wacouta mid-block Concourse via Broadway Concourse via 2nd St. Viaduct - 2.6M 32.3M 42.2M 57.8M - 0.39 0.83 1.21 1.55
3-car platforms 15M 0.40
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Project Issues Costs/Savings
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
Project Issue Est. Change in Cost Est. Change in CEI
Add station at Victoria 5.5M 0.46
Add station at Western 5.5M 0.28
Add station at Hamline 5.5M 0.50
Reconstruct ROW - 25M - 0.67
MCRR bridge clearance - 1.5M - 0.04
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Project Issues Costs/Savings Summary (in
millions)
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit
Change from Updated DEIS Cost Estimated Project Total
All Cost Elements 252 1,242
All Saving Elements - 177 813
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More Information
Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit

• Check out our website
• www.centralcorridor.org
• Contact the Central Corridor Project Office
• 540 Fairview Avenue North, Suite 200Griggs
  Midway Building
• St. Paul, MN 55104
• 651-602-1940
• centralcorridor_at_metc.state.mn.us