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The Northstar Line runs on existing Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) tracks with five <br /> weekday morning downtown inbound trips and five outbound weekday trips. There is one <br /> reverse commute trip each day. Daily ridership averages 2,400 riders per day with a target of <br /> 5,900 riders per day by 2030. There is limited weekend service as well as extra trips provided <br /> for special events such as Minnesota Twins (baseball) and Vikings (football) games. <br /> Commuter Rail <br /> Commuter rail differs from light rail or heavy rail in terms of its characteristics and markets <br /> served; similarly TOD opportunities associated with commuter rail also have some important <br /> distinctions. Commuter rail is most often passenger transit service utilizing diesel or electric <br /> propelled trains on existing track that are also utilized by freight or other passenger trains. It <br /> generally provides frequent peak-hour service and work trip oriented service of longer distances, <br /> typically 20 miles or more, with spacing between stations ranging from two to five miles, <br /> compared to light rail with station area spacing of three to six blocks and frequent service for 22 <br /> hours per day. <br /> Commuter Rail Transit-Oriented Development <br /> Transit-oriented development (TOD) can be defined as mixed-use residential or commercial <br /> development within walking distance of a transit station designed to maximize access to transit <br /> and incorporating features designed to encourage transit ridership. A TOD often resembles other <br /> activity centers with a greater mix of uses and higher densities than the surrounding market area. <br /> The presence of transit at a station location can have a positive effect on market and development <br /> potentials in the immediate area because transit improves the regional accessibility of the station <br /> area properties, which has a positive impact on property values. These higher land values can <br /> support higher development densities and in some cases a different mix of land uses in much the <br /> same way as property adjacent to a highway interchange is different from development farther <br /> away. However, the presence of transit alone does not translate to greater development <br /> potentials. <br /> Commuter rail TOD opportunities are also different than those associated with light rail or heavy <br /> rail systems due to its more limited scope, both in terms of frequency of service as well as the <br /> portion of the region that easily can be accessed by transit. Both factors limit the accessibility <br /> premiums that translate to increases in real estate market demand and higher land values. The <br /> nature of the commuter-freight rail corridor can also be less compatible with adjacent TOD. The <br /> sound levels associated with diesel locomotives and horns are louder, there are often larger <br /> transit parking fields, and the frequency of freight rail trains all creates land use impacts that are <br /> less compatible with residential and office-based employment development. The existing land <br /> development pattern in commuter rail corridors is also often not compatible with TOD, as it can <br /> include manufacturing and distribution uses requiring direct rail service as well as other heavy <br /> industrial uses which have located near like uses and away from residential and community <br /> serving commercial uses. Despite these limitations, there remains a great deal of interest in TOD <br /> at commuter station locations, and in particular where the land use and development pattern is <br /> less fully built out. There are a number of principles that apply to capitalizing on TOD <br /> opportunities at commuter rail station locations. <br /> A station area plan that addresses individual station location characteristics, land use, market <br /> opportunities and infrastructure needs is key as it provides direction for future development <br /> ix <br />