Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Line

Infobox Bus transit
name = MVTA - Cedar Avenue Line

logo_size =


image_size =
image_caption = 2007 Logo (new logo to be released)
company_slogan =
parent = Minnesota Valley Transit Authority
founded = 2009
headquarters = Burnsville, Minnesota
locale = Dakota County
service_area = Bloomington, Minnesota / Eagan, Minnesota / Burnsville, Minnesota / Apple Valley, Minnesota / Lakeville, Minnesota
service_type = Bus rapid transit
alliance = Metro Transit
routes =
destinations =
stops = Mall of America
Cedar Grove West Park & Ride
Cliff Road
Palomino Hills
140th Street
147th Street
Apple Valley Park & Ride
185th Street Park & Ride
195th Street
215th Street Park & Ride
hubs =
stations = 8
lounge =
fleet =
ridership =
fuel_type =
operator = MVTA
ceo =
website = [http://www.dakotacounty.us/environmentroads/transit/publictransportation/cedarave.htm Cedar Avenue BRT Website]

The Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Line is a 16 mile corridor bus right-of-way line currently going through Final Preliminary Engineering conducted by the Metropolitan Council, Dakota County, and the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority. The future busway is planned to run directly on the sides 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 Hiawatha Line.

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.

Project Details

Cedar Avenue will be reconstructed with new bus lanes for easier travel between Downtown Minneapolis and Lakeville. The Busway will begin in Bloomington around Mall of America, and expand southward into Eagan, Apple Valley, Lakeville, and Farmington, with two bus lanes on each side of Cedar, making it easier to bypass traffic.

Background

The Cedar Avenue Transitway 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 future/Tech like 2010 commercial detail and other features, such as elevators, stairs and such. A center running busway will be installed between Highway 13 in Eagan and Palomino in Apple Valley.

The Implementation Plan (Phase 1) (2005 to 2008)

* Preliminary engineering and environmental documentation
* Apple Valley Transit station expansion of park and ride capacity
* Cedar Grove west station preliminary engineering
* Lakeville 180th Street vicinity transit station land acquisition

Construction (Phase's 2 & 3) (2008 to 2009)

* Updates to Cedar Avenue with bus lanes added from 138th Street to 180th Street Station for use though Apple Valley and Lakeville.
* Expand MVTA Express Routes 477 & 480 the to 180th Street Park & Ride lot.
* Reroute MVTA service to the new Cedar Grove Park & Ride Station
* Launch Bus Service from Farmington to 157th Street Station.
* Launch Palomino Park & Ride MVTA Bus Service to the to Downtown Saint Paul.
* Launch MVTA Minneapolis Express Service from 185th Street Station to Gateway Ramp in Downtown Minneapolis.

Operational Service (Phase 4) (2009 and Beyond)

The project slated to be finished by September 2009.

See also

* Bus Rapid Transit
* Minnesota Valley Transit Authority
* Metro Transit
* Hiawatha Line

More Info (External Links):

* [http://www.dakotacounty.us/environmentroads/transit/publictransportation/cedarave.htm Cedar Avenue Information]
* [http://www.dakotacounty.us/NR/rdonlyres/B83A0A8B-BE95-45C8-A0C2-7CDB4A1A56DB/2466/PreferredPlan1.pdf Preferred Plan Map] (PDF)
* [http://www.dakotacounty.us/NR/rdonlyres/B83A0A8B-BE95-45C8-A0C2-7CDB4A1A56DB/3365/NewsletterFebruary2007.pdf February Newsletter] (PDF)
* [http://metrocouncil.org/about/facts/CedarAveBuswayFacts.pdf Metropolitan Council Fact Sheet] (PDF)
* [http://www.metrocouncil.org/directions/transit/transit2006/CedarBRT.htm Metropolitan Council webpage on the project]