Agenda - Council - 07/27/2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Technical Memorandum #1: General Transit Demand Study April 2004 reasonably assumed that if there were a station in Ramsey, commuter rail might be more convenient to Ramsey residents and thus the number of Ramsey residents who would use commuter rail (i.e., the transit mode split) would increase somewhat. Assuming demand for the commuter rail increased by 5 percent, we arrive at approximately 210 boardings if a Ramsey station is built. We will use this figure as a benchmark in our demand estimates presented in the next section. Part I1: Transit Demand Estimate One of the main objectives of this technical memorandum is to estimate transit demand in Ramsey and specifically in the new Ramsey Town Center. Demand for transit services, however, varies on the type of service in question. For example, the market for local transit service is different than the market for commuter transit services. Likewise, paratransit service for the elderly and disabled population must examine a completely different market. The local transit market depends highly on the population and employment density in a particular area, while the market for commuter services must also factor in regional traffic congestion, the availability of transit advantages (HOV lanes, bus-only shoulder, etc.), parking costs and parking availability in the major, employment centers. Demand responsive service is usually dependent on the elderly and disabled population in a particular area, as well as what other transportation services are available. Because the Anoka Traveler already provides demand responsive service in Ramsey, this demand analysis only focuses on commuter and local transit services. The first step in estimating demand for both local and commuter transit services was to select a "commuter transit market area." For commuter transit services, the market area was determined to include all of the City of Ramsey, as well as all of Burns Township and the northern half of the City of Dayton. While the Mississippi River currently acts as a barrier, the northern portion of Dayton was included in the market area because a new Mississippi River crossing is planned somewhere between Ramsey and Dayton. Fifty percent of the eastern portion of Elk River was also included as part of the commuter market area because traffic along Highway 101 would likely deter some Elk River residents from using the Elk River park and ride. Anoka was not included because it is already well served by transit and is planned to' have a commuter rail. station. And although the City of Andover does not currently have fixed-route transit, it is more oriented towards Anoka and Coon Rapids than Ramsey and therefore was not included in the market area. Because local service is highly dependent on population and employment density in a particular area, the market area for determining local transit demand includes just the City of Ramsey. A map of the commuter transit market area is included below.