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

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Technical Memorandum #1: General Transit Demand Study April 2004 many as four transit vehicles at one time. A facility with four bus bays would allow enough space for the Northstar Commuter Coach and up to three smaller transit vehicles. It should be noted that when the Northstar Commuter Rail line station is built, connections will be integrated into the transit center and park and ride. Part IV: Long-Term Transit Needs As shown in our transit demand analysis, we believe the potential for local transit service in Ramsey will be much more feasible in the long term (5-15 years). According to the Metropolitan Council, the population in Ramsey is expected to grow from 18,510 to 30,000 (a 62 percent growth rate) between 2000 and 2010. By 2020, it is forecast that the population in Ramsey will be approximately 43,000. Likewise, employment in Ramsey is expected to grow from 3,587 jobs in 2000 to 6,700 jobs in 2010 and 9,100 jobs in 2020. As Ramsey develops, the density of both population and employment will eventually make transit more feasible. As mentioned earlier, the Northstar Commuter Coach and/or the planned Northstar Commuter Rail line will make transit service in Ramsey that much more feasible and attractive in the long term. A station located in Ramsey would not only provide a location to access transit service to downtown Minneapolis, but if reverse commute service were to occur, to transport people from other communities to work or shop in Ramsey. Rarnsey Town Center Shuttle Service As the Ramsey Town Center develops over the next 5-10 years, it may be determined that a local circulator shuttle is needed to move people around the RTC. As many as 2,500 new housing units are planned within the RTC, as well as a significant amount of office, retail and entertainment uses. In addition, the Northstar Commuter Coach and/or Commuter Train stations will create a major transit hub in the core of the development. Although it may be determined that a shuttle is needed, it is important to understand where a shuttle service can be most effective and what operating characteristics make the most sense. The following section discusses some general guidelines and characteristics that should be considered when planning and implementing a local shuttle service. Know your market. One of the most important aspects of planning a local shuttle service is to understand the market that is most likely to benefit from the service. A shuttle service that is designed to serve every potential transit user within the Town Center would likely be too unfocused to provide reliable, fast service to the most promising markets. An example of this is commuters. If it is determined that the a large number of people who live in the Town Center are commuters using the Northstar Commuter Coach or Rail, a shuttle service would likely be productive if it focused on moving those people quickly and efficiently to the station during commute hours. If it turns out that a large number of people living in th~...T.o~:'Center are interested in using the commercial areas, a shuttle would be better uti:lize'8~..f..,:it CSnnects the residential areas with the commercial core Transit vs. Walking. When designing a shuttle service, it is :iBp~rt~nt t8 keep in mind that walking (in good weather) can be just as convenient for getting~:~und as transit - especially in developments like the RTC where uses are located close to each other and design accommodations have been made for pedestrians. In general, most people can comfortably walk 1/4 mile in 5 minutes and 1/2 mile in 10 minutes. If a local shuttle service operates every 20 minutes, on average a person will have to wait 10 minutes before boarding the vehicle. Therefore, in good weather, transit operating every 20 minutes.is generally more convenient 10