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2005-03-18 Friday NewsWHITE CHILI (NOT GREEN?) On St. Patrick's Day Council Member Schneeman treated City Hall to white chili for lunch. We have not had a luncheon at City Hall for quite a while, so I think we were all ready for one. Mary Jeanne and Dan did a great job of putting the lunch together — the food was great!! Many Thanks to MJ and Dan!!! NOC MEETING Right after the lunch on Thursday, Mary Jeanne and I headed over to the airport for a NOC meeting. We watched Council Members Duggan and Krebsbach in action as the City's NOC reps. The topic of interest on the NOC's Agenda, was discussion about the possibility of amending FAA's current procedure to give aircraft departing from Runway 12L their headings at "wheels up". When FAA controllers give the heading at this time, it puts aircraft north of the air corridor and over homes in Mendota Heights. The ARC discovered that this procedure was in place when Chad Leqve, MAC and Cindy Green, FAA visited a recent ARC meeting. At this NOC meeting Chad presented a proposal to the NOC that would request that the FAA amend their current procedure and not give aircraft departing runway 12L their headings until after they have flownaAst the end of the runway. The IGH NOC rep complained that this change would put more planes over them. After Chad explained that it was more important to improve noise mitigation closest to the airport where it was the loudest, it was the NWA Rep who made the motion to have the NOC pursue this change, and then all the members voted for it including the IGH rep and all the airlines. Chad is optimistic that the FAA will not find any safety or capacity issues that will prevent it's implementation. BUS SERVICE REDUCED It was announced in this week's papers that bus services will be removed and reduced in Mendota Heights (see attached). I received calls from two reporters asking how we felt about the reduction. We were never informed about the reduction from Metro Transit, and only learned about it like everyone else — in the paper. At Tuesday night's meeting the City Council asked me to invite a Metro Transit official to an upcoming meeting for a discussion on the situation. I have left a voice mail with Arlene McCarthy, Director of Service Development Metro Transit and asked her for her input. I have not talked to her directly yet, but she emailed me the attached information. I will try to get her to the next meeting for an update. YV LEAVING Police Officer Yvette Tillery announced this week that she has accepted a job in Woodbury as a Police Officer and will be leaving Mendota Heights effective March 31 ". Yvette has worked at Mendota Heights for 11 years, and besides working on patrol, she also served as investigator for 2 years. We wish Yvette the best, and good luck in Woodbury. CONGRATS TO JOHN BOLAND John and Lori Boland had another girl (their third) last Friday, March 11th. Lucy Elizabeth was born at 2:.30 a,.m,.and was a healthy 71bs 6oz. (Oh, by the way Council Member Jack Vitelli had another granddaughter that same day). Respectfully submitted, Jim Danielson City Administrator Attachments: Just the Facts, Pipeline, Pre -Application Meeting Synopsis, Pioneer Press Article "Airport noise fueling lawsuit", " 70% of bus routes hit", "Bus plan leaves some riders `up in arms', "MTC CROSSROADS", "BUS ROUTE CUTBACKS" Issue #05-09 March 18, 2005 1144 TA ... The Reward Mendota Mendota Heights Community Criminal Apprehension Fund Uetghts The Criminal Apprehension Fund working with the Investigators Police of the MHPD are seeking information about burglaries occurring Department in the Lexington Heights Apartment Complex. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the TIP LINE at 651-•255-1170 or 651-452-1366 to speak with an investigator. Fulldetails on the Support reward are posted at. Staff httpJ/mendota.-heights.comlpagea/govt/MHCCAF.htm Bekky Trost Attempted Burglary 03/11/05 0113 hours Cathy,Ransoxn Officer Tanner Spicer was dispatched to the 2400 block of Police Officers' Enterprise Drive to investigate an alarm covering office glass Jerry Murphy breakage., When he and other officers arrived, they found that Yvette Tillery someone had attempted to break into the business. The area Lee Flandrich was checked but no suspects were located. scott'patrick Theft of Mail 03/11/05 1106 hours Bobby lambert Officer Scott Patrick was called to a residence to take a theft of Eric Petersen mail report. The complainant reported he had witnessed two ToddRossepeople pu(l up in the area of the boulevard mailbox and remove Tanner spices an outgoing letter. The passenger removed the letter, from the Chad Willson mailbox which had the flag up. The suspects were driving an old JeffvonFeldt white 4 -door vehicle possibly an 80's Grand Am. The passenger Jennifer Hurst p Y p g was said to be a white male, late teens, wearing a grey Investigations sweatshirt and a cream colored baseball style cap. Investigator Mario Reyes', Convery working with the bank and SPPD located a suspect in St Brian Convery Paul. After some ID'ing the suspect and determing where he was at he was arrested on multiple charges. The suspect is currently Sergeants residing in the DC jail awaiting a probation revocation hearing Donn Anderscin and his first appearance on the new charges. The suspect is a Neil Garlock 58 YOA career criminal with multiple convictions for forgery, fraud John Lardve and theft. Chief Attempted Theft 03/11/05 1437 hours Mike Officer Lee Flandrich was dispatched to the area of Cheri Lane Ascheibrener where he spoke with the complainant reference an attempted theft. The homeowner stated that he had interrupted three or four juvenile males in his unattended garage, rummaging through the refrigerator,. The suspects left in a maroon/red metallic Chevy =10 Issue #05-09 March 18, 2005 Cavalier 4 -door, fleeing east on Cheri Lane, north on Dodd Road, then west on Wagon Wheel Trail where they were last seen. Nothing was taken. 10-50, Hit & Run 03/12/05 0148 hours Sergeant John Larrive was out on patrol when he encountered a traffic accident in the area of Dodd Road and Hwy.. 110. The victim had been struck in the rear bumper by the suspect vehicle which then fled southbound on Dodd Road. Sergeant Larrive found the suspect and obtained all necessary information.. DAS/Warrant Arrest 03/12/05 2023 hours While on routine patrol, Officer Eric Petersen ran a license check on a vehicle that revealed the registered owner was suspended,. In checking the passenger to see if he had a valid license to release the vehicle, he was given a false name.. He eventually discovered that the passenger had an active warrant out for his arrest. The passenger was booked into DC jail and the driver was given a citation. Underage Consumption/Possession 03/13/05 2225 hours Officer Petersen was in the area of Mendota Heights Road when he observed a vehicle on the side of the road. Upon closer inspection, he found the passenger vomiting on the side of the road. All occupants were found to be under 21 and all had been drinking. They were transported to the MFIPD where their parents were called to pick them up, along with their citations. Damage to Property 03/13/05 1839 hours Officer' Eric Petersen was dispatched to the 1700 block of Sutton on a report of a damaged mailbox. It appeared that a McGuyver bomb had been used to damage the mailbox. The remaining parts of the mailbox, pop bottle and tin foil were taken as evidence and placed in an evidence locker, at the police department. Several photos were taken at the scene. Referred to Investigations. Commercial Burglary 03/15/05 0824 hours Sergeant Donn Anderson was dispatched to the new town home construction at Town Center. The complainant reported that a refrigerator and a washer/dryer combination had been removed during the previous night. The scene was processed by Investigator Reyes. A neighbor later reported seeing a white van leave the underground garage around 2200 hours in a big hurry.. He did not call at the time,. Under investigation.. Disturbance 03/15/05 2139 hours A complainant pulled into the MHPD to report he had been followed for the past several miles. The suspect stated that the complainant had cut him off on Hwy 110 and he wanted him to know what he had done. Both parties were advised on how to handle this situation in the future. Accident with Injuries 03/15/05 1712 hours Sergeant Neil Garlock was dispatched on a report of a mailbox being struck. The driver and his vehicle were located resting against a block retaining wall. The driver had sustained an injury to his nose,. He stated he had been traveling SIB on Chippewa, tried reaching for a baby bottle, when his vehicle left the road, swerving to the right. His vehicle then struck a mailbox post and the block retaining wail. The driver, was transported to the hospital by his girlfriend and his vehicle was towed by SouthEast. Have a safe weekend! X4 O -2- L E T T E R The Pimpeline Public Works Engineering March > tie 2005 • - • - :rli `\ ` r/rid �c Public Works The Parks Crew worked on the gates for the Valley Pak north end entrance. They attended the Sherwin-Williams Pro Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center where Sherwin-Williams introduced new and improved products and demos on many new products. They also attended a seminar at Gerlach Service Inc. (commercial cutter open house) and attended Polfus Commercial Event 2005. They plowed the pedways on the north and south ends of the City. They also started ordering chalk and fertilizer for the spring and summer. Rich cut roots on the Mayfields Heights easement and on William Court. Two months from now he will chemically treat the roots to stop them from growing into the sanitary sewer pipe. He also flushed the line on Lexington Avenue where he found a lot of paper build up. The Street Crew is trying a new type of cold mix, U.P.M. that is suppose to stay in place better. They picked up truck #304 from Inter State Diesel where a new transmission was put in and remounted the plow and wing. Truck #308 went to Kramer Spring to fix a broken overload spring. They attend the Work Zone Traffic Control seminar and topics covered were; Overview of 2004 MnDOT Field Manual, Working Safely in Work Zones, Updates on OSHA Standards, High Visibility Garments and Flagging. "Mini -Half Pipe" Installed at Skate Park Installation of new skate park components, began Monday, at Roger's Lake Park and was completed on Thursday. In addition to the mini -half pipe ramps a quarter pipe ramp and grind rail were also installed. The tier one skate park opened in 2003 and has been a hit with skate boarders that use this facility. The Police Department reports that there are very few, if any, calls generated by activities at the skate park. Engineering Arnt Construction completed dredging of the west pond at Somerset Country Club. Xcel Energy completed installation of an underground cable along Dodd Road from TH 110 to Wentworth. CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS MEMORANDUM March 15, 2005 TO: City Council, Commission Members, and City Administrator FROM: Sue McDermott, City Engineer SUBJECT: Pre -Application Meeting Synopsis Staff met with three potential applicants on Monday, March 14, 2005. Steve Grittman and Sue McDermott were present. Ed Clapp, 1300 Sylvandale Road Mr. Clapp is a real estate agent working for the owners of 1300 Sylvandale Road. This property consists of Lots 4 and 5, Block 3, Ivy Falls 2nd addition and the lots were combined at some point in the past. (Dakota County combined many lots automatically when contiguous lots were under the same ownership.) Mr. Clapp's clients wish to apply for a lot split to subdivide Lot 5 from Lot 4. Per past City practice when these lots both totally comply with the City's zoning ordinance, staff will provide a letter to Dakota County stating that the City approves Lot 4 as a separate lot. Carlos Higueros, 961 Delaware Avenue Mr. Higueros would like a home occupation permit to wholesale cars out of his home. No cars will be located on the property. All cars will be sold to a location out of the US. Because Mr. Higueros is applying for a state license, his home occupation permit must be approved by the City Council. Mr. Higueros indicated that he will apply for a home occupation permit for a home office in time for the April 5th City Council meeting. Rob Meyer, 1399 Clement Street Mr. Meyer owns a single family home that is on a narrow corner lot of record, built in the early 1980s. The home is relatively small and Mr. Meyer would like add on to the home. The only workable design that they have come up with encroaches into the 30 foot street setback area along 1St Avenue. Because of the way the lot line is angled, a 10 foot addition would meet setbacks at the front of the house but would require a 3 foot variance at the rear of the building. Mr. Meyer intends to apply for a variance in time for the April 2005 Planning Commission meeting. ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS I FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2005 Minneapolis, suburb join to fight MAC BY MEGGEN LINDSAY Pioneer Press The city of Eagan has aligned with Minneapolis to sue the Metropolitan Airports Commission over its scaled- back noise insulation plan for homes that sit under flight paths, city leaders said Thurs- day. Officials want the commis- sion to pay to buffer residents from the increasing racket that accompanies expansion and stepped-up airline traffic at the Minneapolis -St. Paul Interna- tional Airport. But under the MAC's cur- rent noise mitigation proposal, almost none of the nearly 500 Eagan homes promised exten- sive soundproofing will get it, city officials said. The airport's plan to open a new North-South runway in late October with increased flights over Eagan has munici- pal officials further on edge„ The City Council this week unanimously voted to join the Minneapolis lawsuit -- which was announced in November but has not yet been filed — and to send letters to Minneso- ta's congressional delegation asking for help. "This legal action comes as much out of frustration as any- thing," Eagan Mayor Pat Gea- gan said.. "Here is a major gov- ernment agency that made an agreement and now they are not holding to it. We relied on their promises." Since 1992, the MAC has spent $223 million to sound- proof 7,690 homes in areas where the noise:level — called DNL, or Day -Night Average Sound Level — is 65 or greater. That mitigation generally included ramped -up doors, windows, insulation, ventila- tion systems and air condition- ing.. But officials in both cities contend that during airport expansion discussions in 1996, the MAC, which owns and operates the airport, promised the same cbmprehensive miti-. gation for more than 3,600 other homes near the airport. It is the protection for those homes — located in areas with DNL levels in the 60-64 range -that is now at issue. Instead of the full noise mit- igation, the affected homeown- ers would be eligible only for central air conditioning if they don't have it and would have to pay between 10 and 50 percent of its cost, depending on the area's noise level., City officials say the MAC initially committed to spending $150 million on this round of soundproofing, it has since whittled the expenditure down to $47.5 million„ "It's been one broken promise after another and will continue to be as air traffic spreads out over Eagan, Men- dota Heights, Bloomington and St. Paul," Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said.. Patrick Hogan, spokesman for the MAC, denied the commission reneged on any past promises with its current program, which he called "rea- sonable and generous" "In 1996, the wording was vague, quite frankly," Hogan said. "Nowhere did it detail that there would be the same level of insulation for a 60 (DNL home) as there would be for a 65 (DNL home)." Rybak dismissed that as "baloney" and said the MAC made verbal as well as written promises and touted the initial proposal in press releases and on its Web site.. But Hogan said the MAC's current proposal goes further than what other airports across the country are doing with noise insulation — particularly for residents living in the lower DNL-level areas,. "The commission wrestled with what the program should look like, and the air-condition- ing package is fair and science - based," he said. "If residents have central air, they can shut their windows in summer and keep interior noise levels to federal standards.," But in Eagan, nearly 80 per- cent of the homes already have air conditioning, so any help will be minimal, Geagan pointed out. 'With Eagan being so close to the airport, I'm sure other issues will come up.. How do we trust the MAC in the future?" he asked. The airports commission submitted its sound mitigation proposal and a map outlining noise levels to the Federal Aviation Administration in November. The FAA has approved the map but has not yet made a decision on the over- all proposal. It is likely that Minneapolis and Eagan will wait until the FAA issues its decision before filing the lawsuit. "We're committed to suing," Rybak said.. "We hired the best law firm in the country on air- port litigation, and are now just following their advice." The city has retained the Denver law firm of Kaplan Kirsch Rockwell. In addition, Rybak and Gea- gan are working to persuade Bloomington, Richfield and Mendota Heights to join in bringing the dispute to court. "(With the new runway), these cities are only really begin- ning to understand what they are about to face," Rybak said. Meggen Lindsay can be reached at mlindsay@pioneerpress,com or 651-228-5260 70% of bus routes hit Posted on Tue, Mar15, 2005 70% of bus routes hit BY CHARLES L.ASZEWSKI Pioneer Press Page 1 of 2 The final numbers on proposed bus service cuts revealed Monday were as harsh as expected. Of the 153 routes Metro Transit runs each weekday, 70 percent would be reduced or canceled outright. That's 10 percent of the hours the buses run annually, Combined with a proposed 25 -cent rate hike on nearly all fares, the bus system is taking a tremendous hit, on top of other recent fare hikes, lesser service cuts and a strike. Is the mass -transit system in the Twin Cities on the verge of becoming second rate, or, even a mere skeletal system? "We certainly hope not," said Brian Lamb, general manager of Metro Transit, who outlined the cuts and fare hikes to the Metropolitan Council's tr'anspor'tation committee Monday. "Our guiding principle is if we have to make reductions, we stay in a position to grow again. Taking 10 percent, it does put us a little out of balance.." Metro Transit's Arlene McCarthy told the committee that staffers first looked at cutting the highest -subsidized and lowest -ridership routes but "that didn't get us very far„" So that left them with rearranging well -used routes, reducing hours, eliminating segments of routes, or, combining two nearby routes. The result is that half of the routes targeted for reductions are urban, 31 percent are suburban and 19 percent are express, she said. Barbara Thoman, of Transit for Livable Communities, a group that advocates for mass transit in the Twin Cities, said the metro area already spends only two-thirds of what cities like Phoenix and Denver spend. "We continue to shrink," she said,. "There is a fear of a downward cycle. It's potentially very devastating.." Fares on Twin Cities buses are slightly higher, than the national median, but ridership from home to work is still in the top 15 in the United States, said Frank Douma, a research fellow at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute.. Lamb said the metropolitan transit system is the 11th -largest in terms of hours and miles on the street. Lamb, Thoman and Metropolitan Council members blamed the Gov. Jesse Ventura -initiated switch from financing the bus system through the relatively stable property tax to the more volatile motor vehicle sales tax„ That tax is projected to bring in nearly $30 million less in the next two years than originally expected, or about half of the hole the council is trying to plug. However, David Strom, president of the conservative Taxpayers League, blames the Hiawatha light-rail line for the budget problems and said it is time to consider rethinking the entire idea of mass transit„ "It is so remarkably expensive that they wind up cannibalizing the rest of the system, so even if light-rail ridership is up, you have a net decline," Strom said, adding that subtracting the $11 million going to light rail would make a substantial impact on the $60 million deficit. Lamb said light rail receives its funding from the general fund and is responsible for less than $1 million of the shortfall, Since the metro area spends $372 million on mass transit of all sorts, it's time to look at using that money in different ways to get people where they need to go when they need to get there, Strom said. That could mean giving people more money directly to spend on rides, encouraging more van sharing and getting away from the government monopoly, he added. http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/I I 1'16800.htm?template=contentModules/... 3/17/2005 70% of bus routes hit Page 2 of 2 Riders and city officials who might lose bus service were not especially interested in talking about the big picture Monday. They just want bus service.. Roy O (whose last name is simply a letter) of Newport was waiting in St.. Paul for the 361 to Cottage Grove, an express bus whose runs would be reduced under the proposed cuts, with no service between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. "My wife works downtown and depends on it," he said.. "We don't drive. That would be terrible." Route 362 serving the area along U..S.. 61 to downtown St. Paul and on to downtown Minneapolis would be discontinued. Cottage Grove City Administrator Ryan Schroeder called the possible cuts "unexpected," especially when transportation officials are involved in the $250 million Wakota Bridge project at Interstate 494 and U.S. 61, which is expected to tie up traffic for months. In Woodbury, the proposed cuts would affect what's known as "local circulator- service" — buses that shuttle riders from neighborhoods to park-and-ride lots. Woodbury city communications coordinator Julie Lehr said if the cuts go through, those residents would have to find other, ways to get to the lots. "I don't think it's an incredibly huge number of people who are riding these particular, routes," Lehr, said. "But unfortunately for the ones who are, it's probably critical — they don't have a lot of options — and it's probably going to be very difficult for them." The full council will take up the proposed cuts and fare increases next week, and a series of public hearings will take place in April.. Mary Hill Smith, transportation committee chairwoman, said the coming public hearings will make a difference on the final proposal. "This is probably one of the hardest things you will have to go through because you will be hearing from people who are not at all happy," she told others on the Met Council transportation committee. "When we go out to the public, it's not just some nice thing we do, and it's not unusual for us to make changes.. It's important, because we won't be cutting forever." Any fare hikes would go into effect July 1, and service cuts would happen in September, and December. Nick Ferraro, Emily Topinka and Paul Tosto contributed to this report. Charles Laszewski can be reached at claszewski@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-54.58. V K,05 :St Paul Noncel 1liess and wiie serN 'cc somecs 1; Rights Rosaned t-,Nincifies mal http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/I I 136800.htm?template=contentModules/... 3/17/2005 Bus plan leaves some riders 'up in arms' Posted on Wed, Mar, 16, 2005 Bus plan leaves some riders 'up in arms' But cash -.strapped agency defends proposed route reductions, fair hikes BY ALEX FRIED ICH and STEVE SCOTT Pioneer Press Page 1 of 2 A day after, Metro Transit announced a proposal to scale back routes and raise fares a quarter, O'Dell Barker rode the No. 322 bus Tuesday and wondered how he would get to work without it.. The 16 -seat shuttle bus is one of three that Barker, takes as part of his hour-long journey from his St. Paul home to his auto -detailing job in Cottage Grove.. It is also one of several routes proposed for elimination as part of an effort by Metro Transit to save money. But it may cost Barker, his livelihood, he said. "It's going to destroy me," Barker said of the proposal. "I'll lose my job. I'll have no way out here," Riders across Metro Transit's system were crabby Tuesday about the proposed cuts. Passengers "were up in arms this morning," said bus driver Shirley LaBelle, 55, of Stillwater. She drove the No. 322 route Tuesday, which runs from the Cottage Grove park-and-ride lot through the eastern part of that city.. A few of her passengers talked of speaking out at future hearings against the proposed service cuts. Last year, at this time, regular, passengers were forced to walk or, find other ways about town during a six-week bus strike. And riders have had to deal with fare increases and service cuts in recent years. Along with the 25 -cent fare hike on most routes, the proposals would eliminate 28 routes altogether and reduce service on 78 other's in an effort to fix a $60 million deficit. The plan still faces public hearings and a Metropolitan Council vote. If it is approved, fares will go up July 1, and service cuts will happen in September and December. "The No. 1 principle was to impact the fewest number of riders possible," said Metro Transit spokesman Bob Gibbons. "We have proposed to reduce service by 10 percent yet impact 3..7 percent of customers. We could have cut 10 percent of our service and yet, if we didn't cut it right, affect 10 percent of our customers." So far, calls and complaints to officials have been limited„ Brian McClung, spokesman for Gov. Tim Pawlenty, said the governor's office received only a handful of calls. Met Council spokeswoman Bonnie Kollodge said the agency that oversees Metro Transit had received a dozen calls and about 25 e- mails by early Tuesday afternoon. A number of the calls were informational in nature, she said, but it was still too early to form a final impression, To Marilyn Paul, her No., 361 bus represents quality of life. If Metro Transit eliminates service on the route between 8 a.m. and 3 p,m,. as proposed, the 47 -year-old Cottage Grove resident will have to shift her, hours at Ecolab, where she earns $13 an hour, as a customer, service representative„ She hates driving, she said, and can't afford to park in downtown St, Paul„ "I can't just say (to my bosses) I want to change my hours," she said. Commuter's at the Rosedale transit hub during the Tuesday morning rush hour said the planned cuts would range from a minor inconvenience to potentially job threatening. One rider, feared the Twin Cities would become a less desirable place to live. "I'm from New York, and that's why I don't drive," said Debra Sullivan of Minneapolis. She rides two buses from her home to reach the hub in Roseville, where she then takes the Route 225 circulator the rest of the way to work. http://www,twincities.,com/mld/twincities/news/local/ 1114503 3.htm?template=contentMo ... 3/17/2005 Bus plan leaves some riders 'up in arms' Page 2 of 2. "This is a good transit system," she said, "but if they make more cuts, people may not want to move here." Route 225 is one of several "circulator" routes destined for elimination.. Metro Transit relies on circulators during rush hours to connect riders with express bus routes, Gibbons said. "While these are important services, they no doubt have low ridership and a high taxpayer subsidy as a result," said the Metro Transit spokesman. Steve Scott can be reached at scott@pioneerpress. com or 6.51-228-5526. Alex Friedrich can be reached at afriedrich@pioneerpress.com or' 6.51-228-2109,. 20 5 St Paul Pi ,_rae. Piss and wiie sersice so ices A1; iglt tReser,;ed Ltla:p:'r'www twirc€ties eom http://www.twincities,coni/mld/twincities/news/local/I I 1450'13.htm?template=contentMo ,.. 3/17/2005 MTC CROSSROADS Posted on Thu, Mar. 17, 2005 MTC CROSSROADS .=. .yMEL Page 1 of 2 The proposed cuts in metro -area bus service announced Monday are bad news, but they do illustrate several economic principles. One can only hope that sound economic analysis may identify measures to cushion the harm from reduced service. . I should acknowledge upfront that my views on public transit are influenced by my experiences living in Brazil in 1969- 70. The public transportation system in Rio de Janeiro was marvelous, at least for an adventurous 18 -year-old. Rio's metro area was bigger, than Hennepin and Ramsey counties, with a population greater, than all of Minnesota today, but I could get virtually anywhere on one or, two buses. Most lines ran so frequently 21 hours a day that schedules were not necessary. One just went to the street and caught the next bus, never, waiting more than a few minutes, Most lines were privately owned, not publicly subsidized. Fares were low. The buses were uncomfortable by contemporary U.S. standards, and often crowded during rush hour. The accident rates were horrifying„ On the whole, however', the system worked well. The situation in Rio 35 years ago may never, apply to the Twin Cities„ But it might provide some insights on why transit systems succeed or fail. A key question for Metro Transit is: How do small decreases or, increases in service affect both revenue and costs? If, on lightly used routes, marginal revenue is less than marginal cost, then service cutbacks will reduce operating deficits„ This is the rationale for the proposed service reductions and may be true for some routes. One crucial assumption, however, is that there are no external benefits or costs to the routes being pruned and that there are no "network effects." More on that later. One problem is that as a system's service is cut, you may reduce total expenditures, but the cost per ride rises. Moreover, since many costs are fixed, especially in the short run, a 10 percent cut in bus miles driven will cut overall costs by much less than 10 percent„ Transit systems the size of the MTC tend to have economies of scale. That is, average costs drop as the overall size of the system increases. Maintenance facilities for 800 buses don't cost twice as much as ones for 400 buses. A Web site and call center to serve a million riders does not cost twice as much as one servicing 500,000. All of this means that cutting routes and costs is a problematic strategy for transit systems, even when forced by fiscal necessity. The dilemma is aggravated by "network effects." A network effect is often defined as "the phenomenon whereby a service becomes more valuable as more people use it.." People rode the bus in Rio because they could not afford cars. But buses were also attractive because one could get anywhere and waits for buses were short. The more people ride the bus, the lower, the average costs of service and the more profitable it is to increase routes and schedules. One can enter- a virtuous circle where increasing ridership actually improves service, which further improves ridership„ The problem is that many U.S. transit systems like the MTC: are headed in an opposite direction, caught in a vicious circle. Pruning service diminishes the overall attractiveness of riding the bus. Ridership falls, further cuts are made, and the system eventually enters a death spiral„ Path dependency also plays a role„ The population density in Rio is high because as the city grew, few people had cars. The higher, the population density, the lower the cost of mass transit. Availability of transit reduces demand for cars and reinforces high-density housing,. But when an urban area is built up with cheap automobiles and subsidized roads, as was most of the Twin Cities area, population densities are lower- and establishing transit systems later, is difficult and costly„ r To justify subsidies to something like transit, there should be benefits to society beyond those riding the bus. Transit has such external benefits, although people may argue about how much weight should be given tolthem. Sixty people on a bus may mean 45 fewer cars on I -35W or, I-394, The remaining auto drivers benefit from reduced congestion. For two - earner households, availability of reliable transit may permit forgoing a second car. Even for those who drive to work http://www,,twincities,. com/mld/twincities/business/columnists/ 1115443 O.htm?template=co.... 3/17/2005 MTC CROSSROADS Page 2 of 2 most days, the contingency value of being able to catch a bus when the alley is still blocked by snow or the car is in the shop may be worth a lot. Liberals tend to see lots of externalities in transit, conservatives few. Conservative critics make an important point that policies mitigate against any private sector, responses to transit needs. Regulation increases the cost of cab service and establishing for-profit van routes, for, example, is extremely difficult. In low-income neighborhoods, particularly those with large immigrant communities, it's common to find "informal" networks of drivers offering rides for a few dollars, but middle-class people don't even know they exist.. St. Paul economist and writer Edward Lotterman can be reached at elotterman@pioneer-press.com. 'CEr St Pau' Tic a<e; PNC; acid WHO 1Crvaee Soca;,, All >cc .' .: Rc. -or ed itt pah��l-�:v uic,cities coca http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/business/columnists/ 111.544 1 0•.htm?template=co ... 3/17/2005 BUS ROUTE CUTBACKS Posted on Wed, Mar, 16, 2005 BUS ROUTE CUTBACKS Page 1 of 3 Here are partial summaries of how east metro bus routes are affected by proposed service cuts.. For the full descriptions and list, go to www.metrocouncii.org or call the Metropolitan Council at 651-602-1000. REDUCED ROUTES 3 — Minneapolis/Como Avenue/Maryland/Rice Street: Some service reduced from every 20 minutes to every 30 minutes; some trips eliminated. 23 — Minneapolis/Uptown/38th Street/Ford Parkway/St.. Paul: Some service reduced from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes and from every 20 minutes to every 30 minutes; service after 11 p.m. eliminated. 46 — Minneapolis/50th Street/46th Street/Ford Parkway: Service after 8 p.m. eliminated; on Sunday, service before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m. eliminated. 61— Minneapolis/Hennepin Avenue East/Larpenteur Avenue/Arcade Street/Downtown St. Paul: Daytime hours of operation reduced; some trips eliminated,. 62 — Shoreview/Rice Street/ Downtown St, Paul: Some trips eliminated; others reduced from every 30 minutes to every hour. 63 — Grand Avenue/Downtown St.. Paul/Third Street East: Some weekday service reduced from every 15 minutes to every 30 minutes; some Sunday service reduced from every 30 minutes to every hour; late-night trips eliminated. 64 — Downtown St. Paul/Payne/Maryland/Maplewood Mall: Weekday Route 64C eliminated. 65 — Rosedale/County Road B/Dale Street/ Downtown St. Paul: Weekday service ends earlier and at Selby/Dale after' 6:30 p.m.; Saturday service starts two hours later, at 10 a.m.; Sunday service eliminated. 67 — Minnehaha Avenue/Downtown St. Paul/Smith Avenue/Signal Hills Shopping Center: Rush-hour service reduced to every 30 minutes; some evening service ends earlier; Route 67H eliminated„ 68 — Jackson Street/Downtown St.. Paul/Robert Street/Inver Grove Heights: All rush-hour service south of Fifth Avenue eliminated; rush-hour service north of downtown St. Paul reduced to every 30 minutes. 70 — St. Clair Avenue/West Seventh Street/Downtown St. Paul/Burns Avenue/Ruth Street: Service west of downtown reduced to peak hours; service east of downtown reduced to every hour'; some night hours and Sunday service eliminated; Saturday hours reduced,. 71 — Little Canada/Edgerton Street/Downtown St., Paul/Concord Street/Inver Grove Heights: Some stops eliminated; other service reduced to every 30 minutes; weekend service reduced. 74 — Minneapolis/Ford Parkway/Randolph Avenue/Downtown St. Paul/Seventh Street East/Maplewood: All service reduced in trip frequency. 75 — Downtown St. Paul/Wabasha Street/Mendota Heights/Robert Street/Inver Grove Heights: Route 75D eliminated; other weekday service reduced; all weekend service eliminated. 87 — Rosedale/Fairview Avenue/Raymond Avenue/Cleveland Avenue: Saturday service eliminated. http://www..twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local/11145028 ,htm?template=contentMo... 3/17/200.5 BUS ROUTE CUTBACKS Page 2 of 3 94 — Downtown Minneapolis/Interstate 94/Downtown St, Paul: Route 94B and Robert Street Bridge service eliminated; serviced reduced from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 144 — Snelling Avenue/University of Minnesota/Downtown Minneapolis: Edgcumbe and Snelling 6:38 a.m.. trip eliminated.. 219 — Maplewood Mail/Century Avenue/Sun Ray Shopping Center: Route restructured with 234 serving Century College; Saturday service eliminated„ 227 — Rosedale/Victoria Street/Lexington Avenue: Service between Rosedale and Victoria/County Road C eliminated; service combined with portions of Route 225 to operate hourly between Target (Shoreview) and Rosedale. 260 — Rosedale/University Avenue/Downtown Minneapolis: Service between 9:50 a.m. and 2:50 p.m„ eliminated; other trip frequencies reduced. 262 — Shoreview/Rice Street/ Downtown St. Paul: Reduced to three trips in the morning and three in the afternoon. 265 — White Bear Lake/Maplewood Mall/Downtown St. Paul: Some service eliminated. 270 — Mahtomedi/Maplewood Mall/Downtown Minneapolis: Service northeast of mall eliminated; frequency of service to downtown Minneapolis reduced and times adjusted 275 — Centerville Road/White Bear Lake/Downtown St, Paul: Number, of weekday trips reduced. 294 — Stillwater/Highway 5/3M/Downtown St, Paul: Service east of St, Croix Park and Ride eliminated; other service times reduced. 361 — Cottage Grove/St.. Paul Park/Newport/Downtown St. Paul Express: Midday service eliminated and schedule adjusted. 452 — Mendota Heights/West St.. Paul/Downtown Minneapolis: Some trips eliminated, other trip times adjusted; service to University of Minnesota eliminated. 831 — Blaine/University Avenue/Polk Street/Northtown: Saturday service eliminated. 854 — Coon Rapids/Blaine/Univer'sityAvenue/Northtown/Downtown Minneapolis: All weekday service north of Northtown eliminated; Route 854C combined with Route 850. ROUTES ELIMINATED 76 — St. Paul/Midway Shopping Center/Concordia Avenue/Downtown St, Paul„ 223 — Rosedale/County Road C/Little Canada/Maplewood Mall, 224 — Rosedale/Snelling Avenue/Lexington Avenue/Shoreview. 225 — Rosedale/County Road C/Northwestern College, 226 — Rosedale/County Road E/Lexington Avenue/Shoreview Community Center, 234 — Century College/Maplewood Mall. 301/304 — Woodbury/Weir Drive/Valley Creek Road/Tamarack Road/Radio Drive. .302 — Woodbury/Woodlane Drive/Tower Drive. 303 — Woodbury/Afton Road/Valley Creek Road. http://v;ww,.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local/I I 145028.htm?temp1ate=contentMo... 3/17/200.5 BUS ROUTE CUTBACKS Page 3 of 3 3lI—Cottage Gnove/80thStreet/Jamaica Avenue, 350--Maplewood/McKnight Road/Downtown St. Paul. 362 — Cottage Grove/Downtown St. Paul. 4l5—Mendota neights'Eagan/MaUofAmerica. 417—Mendota Heights/ Downtown St. Paul. �01o,05mPaul mmu^nd.°ijesemcewuce"All Righs, Reser"ea COUNCIL COMMITTEE OKAYS RELEASE OF TRANSIT FARE, SERVICE ADJUSTMENTS FOR PUBLIC HEARING ST.. PAUL — (March 14) -- The transportation committee of the Metropolitan Council today released for public consideration proposed changes to transit fares and service levels — part of broader package of solutions to cope with a projected funding gap over the next two years. The fare and service proposal will be considered by the full Metropolitan Council on March 23 and then be discussed at public hearings in April. The Council is scheduled to take final action in mid-May. The fare increase, if approved, would be implemented on July 1, and service adjustments discussed at the public hearings would, if approved, take place in September and in December,. The proposal, which includes a 25 -cent across-the-board fare increase for Metro Transit and other regular -route providers, responds to a $60 million funding challenge prompted by rising fuel and health care costs as well as disappointing revenues from motor vehicle sales taxes — a major source of transit funding. "To address the problem, the Council must reduce costs, improve efficiency and raise revenue," said Committee Chair Mary Hill Smith. "In addition to the other measures we are taking, this means asking customers to pay more, just as they're doing at the gas pump. It also means the amount of transit service must be examined and routes reprioritized in light of the funding challenge. Even though we have not had a systemwide fare increase for four years, we as Council members recognize how difficult and challenging these changes will be for our customers,." Proposed fares for regular -route bus/train service and Metro Mobility/ADA service Adult Cash Fares 31 -Day Passes Current Proposed Local non -rush $1.25 $1.50 Local rush $1.75 $2.00 Express non -rush $1.75 $2.00 Express rush $2.50 $2.75 31 -Day Passes Current Proposed Local non -rush $42.00 $50.00 Local rush $66.00 $76.00 Express non -rush $66.00 $76.00 Express rush $95.00 $104.00 Stored Value Cards Under the proposal, Stored Value Cards will remain available in $10, $20 and $40 amounts, each with a 10% bonus amount. The $40 card's ride value will decrease from $45 to $44. Seniors/Youth/Persons with Disabilities Fares for seniors, youth and persons with disabilities riding regular -route transit are unchanged under the proposal. However, fares are projected to increase for those who ride Metro Mobility and other specialized services for persons with disabilities,. Here is the proposal. Metro Mobility / ADA Service Current Proposed Change Non -rush $2.25 $2.50 $0.25 increase Rush $3.00 $3.50 $0.50 increase Even with the proposed increase, fares for Metro Mobility/ADA customers remain 50 cents lower per ride than the maximum permitted under federal guidelines. The total fare increase proposal for buses, trains and Metro Mobility/ADA services is projected to raise about $6 million annually in revenue and result in an estimated loss of 1.7 million rides. The last across-the-board fare increase was in 2001; rush-hour express fares were increased 25 cents in 2003. Service Changes Some 70 percent of Metro Transit routes and Metropolitan Council regional routes operating on weekdays would be impacted in some fashion by a proposed 10 percent reduction of regular -route service. The reductions will result in a 3.7 percent ridership decline and would save $15.9 million in annualized service costs. Under the proposal, 28 weekday routes would be eliminated, 78 weekday routes would be reduced and 47 would be unchanged,. "In assembling the service plan, we asked our staff to focus on under -performing routes, route segments and trips in order to impact the fewest customers possible. We also sought to retain an emphasis on transit's role in relieving rush-hour congestion and to make adjustments in a way that preserves the integrity of the system and permits growth when resources are available," Hill Smith said. A route -by -route listing of proposed weekday, Saturday and Sunday service changes is available at the Council's website metrocouncil.org. Metro Mobility and other ADA services The proposal calls for service to be available within one mile of a regular bus route that provides, primarily, all -day, fixed -route service. This service area remains well within federal guidelines, which requires service be delivered only within 3/4 -mile of a regular bus route. More information Beginning in April, additional information will be available at Metro Transit stores: Downtown Minneapolis 719 Marquette Avenue Downtown St. Paul 101 East 5th Street - US Bank Center, skyway level Mall of America, Bloomington 50 East Broadway - lower level transit center By mail Call 6.51-602-1.500 (TTY 651-291-0904) to request a written copy of proposed service changes. Public hearing schedule West Metro: April 12 - 6:.30 to 8:30 p.m. Hopkins Center for the Arts 1111 Main St., Hopkins St. Paul: April 13 -11:30 a.m.. to 1.: 30 p. m.. Metropolitan Council - Chambers 230 East 5th St., downtown St. Paul Served by Routes 21, 5.3, .54, 61, 63, 64, 65, 70, 74, 361 Minneapolis: April 14 - 4:.30 to 6:30p m„ Metro Transit - Heywood Chambers 560 Sixth Ave. N, downtown Minneapolis Served by Routes 5, 19, 24 Minneapolis: April 18 -11: 30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Minneapolis City Hall - Room 220 350 South Fifth St., downtown Minneapolis Served by Routes 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 27, 55, 94, 250, 260, 465, 535, 675, 681, 690, 694, 698, 724, 755, 756, 766, 774, 795, 852 East Metro: April 18— 630 to 8 30 p. m.. Maplewood Community Center 2100 White Bear Ave., Maplewood Served by Routes 64, 80 North Metro: April 19 — 6:30 to 8..30Rm. Fridley Community Center — Media Room #109 6085 Seventh St. NE, Fridley Served by Routes 10, 854 South Metro.: April 20 — 5: 00 to 7: 00 p. m.. Burnsville City Hall — Lower Level Community Room 100 Civic Center Pkwy., Burnsville Served by Routes 425, 426, 465 Register in advance to speak at a public hearing by calling the Metropolitan Council Data Center at 651-602-1140 (TTY 651-291-0904). Upon request, reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities will be provided. Other ways to comment By comment card available beginning in April on buses and trains By U.S. Mail to: Regional Data Center Metropolitan Council 230 East 5th Street St. Paul, MN 55101 Online at www.metrocouncil.org By e-mail to: datacenter@metc.state.mn.us By fax to 651-602-1464 By phone to 651-602-1500 (TTY 651-291-0904) Comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. May 1. The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning organization for the seven -county Twin Cities area. It 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. -30- (For- information contact: Media Relations Coordinator- Bonnie Kollodge, 612-602-1357)