WHAT IS THE RIVERVIEW CORRIDOR?
A 12-mile stretch being studied for public transit improvements between downtown St. Paul, the airport and the Mall of America.
NUMBER OF TRANSIT STUDIES CONDUCTED ON THE CORRIDOR:
5
TOTAL SPENT ON THE STUDIES:
About $4 million
WHAT DID THEY FIND?
Riverview Corridor Phase 1 Study, 1998
For: Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority
Feasibility study to identify modes and routes in the corridor worthy of advancing to the next stage of analysis in 2000. Bus and light rail made the cut. West Seventh Street, the Canadian Pacific Rail line, Interstate 35E and Shepard Road identified as possible routes.
Major Investment Study, 2000
For: Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority
Led officials to select a busway along West Seventh as preferred alternative. It would have created a largely dedicated lane for a bus between downtown St. Paul and the airport and Mall of America. Project cost: about $125 million. Project never got federal funding and was rendered inactive.
Arterial Bus Rapid Transit Study, 2012
For: Metro Transit
Examined ridership, demographics, job proximity, costs and a slew of other factors in 11 corridors in the metro area for bus rapid transit. Snelling Avenue and West Seventh snagged top spots. A-Line opened along Snelling this summer at a cost of about $27 million. B-Line on West Seventh was supposed to debut in late 2016, but the project was put on hold after Ramsey County indicated it wanted another study.
St. Paul Streetcar Feasibility Study, 2014
For: City of St. Paul
Examined about 30 corridors across St. Paul for streetcars. Found line along East and West Seventh streets between Arcade Street and Randolph Avenue would best maximize ridership and development.
Riverview Corridor Pre-Project Development Study, ongoing
For: Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority
Launched in July 2014, three committees have been collecting and analyzing data on modes and routes. Routes: Options reduced to three — West Seventh, Canadian Pacific Spur Line, or a combination of the two. Modes: Likely options — light rail, bus rapid transit and streetcars. Policy Advisory Committee expected to select an option by spring 2017. The project would then need to be adopted by a slew of government bodies and secure funding. A new transit service could take up to 12 years to design and construct.