The court-ordered supplemental environmental assessment (EA) of the “Construction-Related Potential Impacts (of the Central Corridor project) on Business Revenues” cites studies of “Twelve highway construction projects in Wyoming in towns ranging in size from 807 to 53,011 people.” Additional studies cited include: “Highway reconstruction near Dubois, Wyoming on the way to Jackson Hole and Yellowstone National Park;” “Houston urban highway rehabilitation, including High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) lanes and a transit center;” and “Widening a state highway in Caldwell, TX (population 3000).”
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http://www.metrocouncil.org/transportation/ccorridor/EIS/SupplementalEnviroAssessment.pdf (Appendix A, Table 1)
No competent researcher would compare the Central Corridor project to rural highway projects in Texas and Wyoming or the adddition of HOV lanes to a highway in Houston. What are the qualifications of Maya Ray, employee in the Office of Planning & Environment for the Federal Transit Administration, and author of the “Environmental Assessment?”
At the center of the Central Corridor, University Avenue runs in front of KSTP and an existing public transit right-of-way (ROW) runs behind KSTP. Each year, millions of passengers are shuttled on the existing transit ROW on expensive to operate and maintain, dirty, diesel buses. Why is there no study of routing the proposed LRT line on the existing transit ROW? Why is there no study of the potential impacts on existing businesses, or lack thereof, of routing the proposed LRT line on the existing transit ROW?
Comment on the Supplemental EA to the Central Corridor project. Submit comments in writing by March 31, 2011 to Kathryn O’Brien, Environmental Services Project Manager, Central Corridor Project Office, 540 Fairview Avenue, St. Paul, MN or centralcorridor@metc.state.mn.us
Comment