 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MN/DOT
to Launch First Commuter Coach Bus Service in Northstar Corridor St. Paul, Minn. – September 17, 2001 – The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) will debut the Northstar Commuter Coach on Monday, October 1, 2001. The new service, a luxury coach-style commuter bus service, will provide convenient, safe and reliable transportation service between Elk River and downtown Minneapolis on weekdays. The Northstar Commuter Coach will operate in the Northstar Corridor, which is an 80-mile transportation passage that runs along the Mississippi River on Minnesota Trunk Highway 10 between downtown Minneapolis and St. Cloud. The Northstar Corridor is part of the interregional corridor plan to connect the state’s regional trade centers. It is the fastest growing corridor in the state. The new commuter bus service is a demonstration project that represents one way of relieving congestion in this particular major transportation corridor. Mn/DOT is committed to providing transportation choices, such as rail and bus, for travelers in other congested corridors as well. The Northstar Commuter Coach is the first mass transit system owned and operated by Mn/DOT. It is in direct response to transportation concerns Northstar Corridor residents expressed in an August 1999 transportation survey. The survey, sponsored by the Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA), found that 76% of respondents in the Northstar Corridor felt highway congestion had worsened during the past five years. Overall, only 17% of individuals surveyed indicated they were very satisfied with the transit choices currently available to them. “The Minnesota Department of Transportation recognizes the need for convenient, safe, and reliable transportation options for commuters, both in the Northstar Corridor and throughout the state of Minnesota,” says Transportation Commissioner, Elwyn Tinklenberg. "The Northstar Commuter Coach is a great example of how Mn/DOT is working quickly and efficiently to connect Greater Minnesota with the Twin Cities.” Northstar Commuter Coach buses are quiet, smooth, luxury, coach-style vehicles. Amenities include comfortable reclining seats with head- and foot-rests, overhead reading lights, storage compartments, and cup holders. Every bus is lift equipped. Northstar Commuter Coach will pick-up and drop-off commuters at two newly-constructed park-and-ride lots. The Elk River park-and-ride lot is on 171st Avenue NW, which turns into Tyler Avenue NW. The Coon Rapids/Riverdale park-and-ride lot is on Northdale Boulevard, approximately one-half mile behind Target, near the Riverdale shopping development. Commuters will arrive at and depart from the 5th Street Transit Station in downtown Minneapolis. The Northstar Commuter Coach will provide eight trips to and from downtown Minneapolis on weekdays during peak hours (5:30 - 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.), with the exception of major holidays. Northstar Commuter Coach fares are $3.25 each-way from Elk River and $2.25 each-way from Coon Rapids/Riverdale. For more information, visit the Northstar Commuter Coach Web site at www.commutercoach.org or call 1-888-528-8880. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) was created in 1976 by the Minnesota State Legislature to assume the activities of the former Departments of Aeronautics and of Highways and the transportation- related sections of the State Planning Agency and of the Public Service Department. Today, Mn/DOT is recognized as a transportation system leader in the state of Minnesota and develops and implements policies, plans and programs for aeronautics, highways, motor carriers, ports, public transit and railroads. Mn/DOT is committed to a balanced, statewide, multimodal and long-term transportation strategy known as Moving Minnesota. Mn/DOT effectively and efficiently operates, maintains and preserves the state’s highways and is dedicated to the "ABC's of transportation" – Advantages for transit, Bottleneck removal and Corridor connections – by providing and managing transportation options such as the Northstar Commuter Coach. # # # Return to TOP |
|
