Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 25, 2008
MET COUNCIL CANCELS HEARINGS ON
PROPOSED FARES FOR NORTHSTAR COMMUTER RAIL
Contact: Bonnie Kollodge, Metropolitan Council
651-602-1357
ST. PAUL – (Sept. 25, 2008) – The Metropolitan Council canceled three public hearings set for next month to gather public comment on proposed fares for the Northstar commuter rail line.
Instead, the council at its meeting yesterday instructed its staff to reopen discussions with the Northstar Corridor Development Authority and others to re-examine the fare levels that initially ranged between $7.50 and $3.25 in cash depending on the distance of the train trip along the 40-mile corridor between Big Lake and downtown Minneapolis.
Council members said they thought the proposed fares were too low.
They said they believed customers should pay a larger percentage of the line's annual operating cost. At the prices initially proposed, fares would cover between 18 percent and 24 percent of projected operating costs in 2010, the Northstar line's first full year of service. For other bus and train service in the Minneapolis/St. Paul region, customers pay about 35 percent of annual operating costs.
Northstar trains are expected to begin service late next year on existing freight tracks adjacent to congested highways 10 and 47, offering weekday rush-hour service and limited weekend operations. Trains will make the trip at speeds up to 79 mph, with a direct connection to Hiawatha light-rail trains in downtown Minneapolis. The trip from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis is estimated to take about 45 minutes.
This summer a joint committee with representatives from Anoka, Hennepin and Sherburne counties, the Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) and Metro Transit reviewed and analyzed potential fare options for the Northstar line and proposed these weekday cash fares to downtown Minneapolis:
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Big Lake – $7.50
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Elk River – $5.50
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Anoka – $4.00
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Coon Rapids – $4.00
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Fridley – $3.25
For customers not traveling to downtown, the proposed fare was $3.25 between stations.
The joint committee will reconvene to develop and agree upon new fare levels with Metro Transit presenting new fare options to the Metropolitan Council. Public hearings then will be rescheduled to gather public reaction to the new line up of fares.
The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning organization for the seven-county Twin Cities area. The Council runs the regional bus and light rail system, collects and treats wastewater, coordinates regional water resources, plans regional parks and administers funds that provide housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals and families. The Council board is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the governor.
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