Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transitway

Red Line
Logo from 2007 (new logo to be released 2012)
Overview
Type	Bus Rapid Transit
System	Metropolitan Council
Status	Under construction
Locale	(Dakota County) Bloomington, Minnesota Eagan, Minnesota Burnsville, Minnesota Apple Valley, Minnesota Rosemount, Minnesota Lakeville, Minnesota
Stations	10 planned:
Operation
Opened	September 24, 2012[1]
Owner	Minnesota Valley Transit Metro Transit Metropolitan Council Cedar Group
Operator(s)	Minnesota Valley Transit
Technical
Operating speed	67 mph max
Route map Legend Mall of America (Connect with Hiawatha Line) Cedar Grove Cliff Road (later date) Palomino Hills 140th Street 147th Street Apple Valley 161st Street (later date) Glacier Way (later date) Lakeville Cedar 195th Street (later date) 215th Street (later date)

The Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transitway (Red Line) is a 16 mile corridor bus right-of-way line currently going under construction, with a grand opening date set for September 24, 2012.^[1] The future busway is planned to run directly on side-roaded bus lanes of Cedar Avenue (Minnesota State Highway 77/County Road 23) between the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota and 215th Street in Lakeville, Minnesota, and will connect with the Blue Line. Construction officially started as of April 11, 2011.^[2]

Background

The corridor has seen rapidly increasing traffic volumes over the past 20 years due to explosive growth in Dakota County. Traffic congestion is a commonplace along much of the corridor as far south as County Road 42. The Metropolitan Council, county, and local officials are promoting the transitway as a means to improve mobility in the corridor.

The Red Line will serve the Mall of America in Bloomington to 215th Street in Lakeville, serving some of the fastest growing areas in the Metropolitan Area and in the State of Minnesota. Traffic volumes on Cedar Avenue currently exceed 100,000 vehicles a day at the Minnesota River bridge on any given morning, with congestion sometimes extending as far south as County Road 42 in Apple Valley, Johnny Cake Road and Garden View Road, as well as even the largest highways & county roads of Pilot Knob and State Highway 3 (Between Eagan and Rosemount), a distance of several miles away. The cities of Lakeville, Farmington, and Eagan are projected to double in population between the year 2000 and 2025, and the City of Apple Valley will gain half again its current population: 90,000 more residents in the Corridor. Bus Rapid Transit buses will have more futuristic commercial detail and other features, such as elevators, stairs and such at bus stations. Cedar Avenue will be reconstructed with new bus shoulder lanes for easier travel between Downtown Minneapolis and Lakeville. The Transitway will begin in Bloomington around Mall of America, and expand southward into Eagan, Apple Valley, and Lakeville with bus shoulder lanes on both sides of Cedar Avenue, making it easier to bypass traffic. Stations will be designed with bus pull offs to allow express buses to pass buses picking up and dropping off passengers.

Line color

In July 2011, the Metropolitan Council officially designated the Cedar Avenue BRT line as the Red Line. This is part of a broader scheme to designate Minneapolis transit lines by color. Corresponding lines within the system include the Blue Line (existing Hiawatha LRT line), the Green Line (under construction LRT line between Minneapolis and St. Paul) and the Orange Line (under construction BRT line along Interstate 35W).^[3]

Project Details

• 2011 Implementation Plan - Final Report (PDF)
• 2011 Official Cedar/Red Line Map (PDF)
• 2011 Future Plan Map (PDF)
• Prioritization - Final Report (PDF)
• Revised Alternatives (PDF)
• Definitions of Alternatives (PDF)

Construction & Roadway Schematics

• Apple Valley (PDF)
• Lakeville (PDF)
• Apple Valley/Lakevile Satellite View (PDF)

3D Simulation Roadway Schematic

• 3D Simulation Roadway Schematic

Updates

2009

• July 2009 Update (PDF)
• August 2009 Update (PDF)
• September 2009 Update (PDF)
• October 2009 Update (PDF)
• November 2009 Update (PDF)
• December 2009 Update (PDF)

2010

• January 2010 Update (PDF)
• February 2010 Update (PDF)
• March 2010 Update (PDF)
• April 2010 Update - (N/A)
• May 2010 Update - (N/A)
• June 2010 Update - (N/A)
• July 2010 Update - (N/A)
• August 2010 Update - (N/A)
• September 2010 Update - (N/A)
• October 2010 Update - (N/A)
• November 2010 Update - (N/A)
• December 2010 Update - (N/A)

2011

• 2011 Construction Updates
• 2011 General Updates

Presentations

2009

• January 2009 Presentation (PDF)
• February 2009 Presentation (PDF)
• March 2009 Presentation (PDF)
• April 2009 Presentation (PDF)
• May 2009 Presentation (PDF)
• June 2009 Presentation (PDF)
• July 2009 Presentation (PDF)
• August 2009 Presentation (PDF)
• September 2009 Presentation (PDF)
• October 2009 Presentation (PDF)
• November 2009 Presentation - (N/A)
• December 2009 Presentation - (N/A)

2010

• January 2010 Presentation (PDF)
• February 2010 Presentation (PDF)
• March 2010 Presentation - (N/A)
• April 2010 Presentation (PDF)
• May 2010 Presentation (PDF)
• June 2010 Presentation (PDF)
• July 2010 Presentation (PDF)
• August 2010 Presentation (PDF)
• September 2010 Presentation (PDF)
• October 2010 Presentation (PDF)
• November 2010 Presentation (PDF)
• December 2010 Presentation - (N/A)

Workshops

• September 2009 Workshop (PDF)
• October 2010 Workshop (PDF)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} http://www.co.dakota.mn.us/NR/rdonlyres/5DD640C9-A25C-48DC-8B37-705EBD2065C9/15468/7152010handout.pdf
2. ^ http://www.co.dakota.mn.us/EnvironmentRoads/Transit/Cedar/Constructions.htm
3. ^ "Met Council approves line color names for region's developing transitway system". Metropolitan Council. July 2011. http://www.metrocouncil.org/newsletter/transit2011/TransitLineColorsJuly.htm. Retrieved August 31, 2011. 

External links

• Cedar Avenue/Red Line Information Site 1#
• Cedar Avenue/Red Line Information Site 2#
• Metropolitan Council webpage on the project
• Next Steps (2009 - 2012)

See also

• Bus Rapid Transit
• Minnesota Valley Transit Authority
• Metro Transit

• Hiawatha Line
• Northstar Line
• Kenrick Avenue Park and Ride