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77 <br />Freight <br />Freight transportation in Ramsey is primarily served by one rail line and arterial roadways. Figure <br />9 shows the city's freight system and potential freight generators. A Burlington Northern Santa Fe <br />(BNSF) rail line passes through the southern portion of the city, adjacent to TH 10. <br />There are no large freight traffic generators or intermodal facilities within the city. Most truck and <br />rail traffic is passing through Ramsey on trips to, from, and through the Twin Cities. Freight traffic <br />generators within Ramsey are located along the BNSF rail line and TH 10. Freight generators <br />include concentrations of industrial and commercial land uses along the TH 10 corridor. <br />Figure 9 also shows Heavy Commercial Average Annual Daily Traffic (HCAADT) within the City of <br />Ramsey. TH 10 carries the greatest number of heavy commercial vehicles (1,600 vehicles per day). <br />TH 47 also carries a substantial amount of heavy commercial traffic within the city. The 2017 <br />Regional Truck Highway Corridor study identifies TH 10 as a Tier 2 Corridor on the regional freight <br />network. <br />The BNSF rail line carries 40-80 trains per day through Ramsey, depending on market conditions, <br />which includes 12 Northstar Commuter Rail trains and 2 Amtrak trains. The Metropolitan Council <br />2040 TPP notes that freight rail traffic has increased substantially since 2010. Throughout the <br />region, freight rail traffic is expected to increase, especially as the regional population continues to <br />grow. <br />With the recent construction of a grade separation at Armstrong Boulevard, there are three <br />remaining locations in the city where the BNSF rail line crosses public roadways at grade: Alpine <br />Drive, Ramsey Boulevard, and Sunfish Lake Boulevard. Each of these crossings is controlled by <br />flashing lights and gates. The Ramsey Boulevard crossing includes sidewalk and the Sunfish Lake <br />Boulevard crossing includes multi -use trail. <br />The Metropolitan Council 2040 TPP acknowledges several freight challenges that impact the city <br />and the region. As mentioned above, freight traffic is expected to increase and place pressure on the <br />region's highway and rail systems. East -west traffic on the BNSF lines has increased in recent years <br />in part due to growth in the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota and Montana. Safety is also an <br />increasing concern, particularly rail safety as related to Bakken crude oil being transported through <br />the region on the BNSF lines. The volume of rail traffic has therefore raised concerns about <br />compatibility between freight traffic and adjacent land uses. While land use adjacent to the city's <br />primary freight routes is generally compatible with these uses (industrial, commercial, etc.), there <br />are several areas of existing and planned multi -family residential housing or mixed use that lie <br />adjacent to the rail lines, particularly in the COR area. <br />Cily of RAMSEY <br />August 2018 Draft <br />Comprehensive Plan 2040 <br />