Public Outreach/Comments

Background

On April 28, 2010, the Metropolitan Council approved the service restructuring plan for public review. Per Council policy, a formal public input process was followed, since this is a major service change proposal affecting more than a quarter of the routes in the plan area. Two public meetings and a public hearing were scheduled and th official public comment period was from April 28 – July 9. Staff reviewed comments and revised the plan based on feedback; it is now complete and ready for approval and implementation on Dec. 4.

Information Distribution

Website / e-mail:
Plan details were posted at metrotransit.org and an e-mail box (35Wcomments@metc.state.mn.us) was set up to receive comments and questions. Metro Transit sent e-mails to several neighborhood groups, alerting residents to the proposal, how to learn about it and comment. Comments could be faxed to the Metropolitan Council Data Center.

Rider Alerts:
Flyers that described the restructuring plan and public comment opportunities were posted at bus stops along the most significantly affected routes (routes 146, 152, 535 and 576) and on Route 152 U of M buses prior to Spring Semester’s end in mid-May. Bus drivers announced the availability of brochures onboard prior to public meetings.

Brochures:
10,000 brochures were distributed on buses and at schedule outlets. They listed route-by-route changes, explained the public comment process and offered a postage–paid comment form.

Connect newsletter:
The May and June issues of Connect, the customer newsletter available on buses and trains, discussed the new station, service plan and opportunities for public comment.

Public Meetings

Neighborhood Meetings
The plan was influenced by the contributions of many stakeholders. The station is located at the intersection of four Minneapolis neighborhoods (Kingfield, Tangletown, Field and Regina) and represented by three neighborhood associations.

Metro Transit staff presented the concept plan to Minneapolis City Councilmembers Hodges, Quincy and Glidden, and at four neighborhood association meetings: Kingfield, Lynnhurst, Field Regina Northrup and Tangletown.

Transit staff met with city staff from Bloomington, Edina, Minneapolis and Richfield.

Metro Transit staff has partnered with MnDOT in outreach efforts with the I-35W Solutions Alliance, through which Metro Transit was a presenter at several Crosstown Commons construction open houses and MnDOT co-presented with Metro Transit at some station design stakeholder meetings.

Public Information Meetings

Wednesday, June 2 – 5 to 7 p.m.
Woodlake Nature Center, Richfield – 18 attendees

Tuesday, June 15 – 5 to 7 p.m.
Fuller Park - 4800 Grand Ave. S., Minneapolis – 13 attendees

Public Hearing

Tuesday, June 29 – 11:30 am to 1 p.m.
Minneapolis Central Library, Minneapolis – 12 attendees

Results

Metro Transit received 131 comments about the restructuring plan, including two comments received during the week after the comment period ended. The proposed replacement of routes 146 and 152 generated the most comments. Together these two routes generated 58 comments, or 44 percent, of the total.

• • Route 146 had 40 comments. Of these, 28 people, or 70 percent, opposed the change.
• • Route 152 had 18 comments. Of these, 15 people, or 83 percent, opposed the change.
• • Changes on routes 46 and 135 had the most positive comments.
• • Routes 535 and 576 together had the most customers with questions or sought more information. After receiving clarifications by e-mail, most of these commenters favored the plan.