Cleveland BRT to be Featured at Gateway Corridor Meeting

This post was written by Kris Janisch:

Officials at a June 24 forum will outline the success of a bus rapid transit system in Cleveland and how it could apply to the Gateway Corridor.

The Gateway Corridor transit project would run along Interstate 94 from the Union Depot in downtown St. Paul to Woodbury with connections to Hudson.

The forum is set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, June 24, at Oak Marsh Golf Course, 526 Inwood Ave. N., in Oakdale.

Plans for the Gateway Corridor call for all-day transit service with stops at 11 stations and connections to Minneapolis and Hudson, Wis. Light rail and bus rapid transit are being considered; the system could be operational by 2022.

Joseph Calabrese, CEO of the Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, is the keynote speaker for the event. He will talk about Cleveland’s HealthLine, a BRT system that offers “rail-like convenience with the flexibility of a bus,” according to a release from the Gateway Corridor Commission.

The Cleveland system has spurred $4.3 billion in economic development, according to Calabrese.

Said County Commissioner Lisa Weik: “By 2030 our region is expected to expand by 90,000 people and 30,000 jobs. Development around Gateway transit will help focus growth. Our future success begins with small steps today.”

Other officials expected to attend the panel discussion include: Frosch, director of Strategic Partnerships for Greater MSP; Paul Reinke, Oakdale City Council member and president of Silver Oak Development, Inc.; Mark Fabel, McGough Companies, Bloomington Central Station; and Jay Cowles, co-chair of the Itasca Project Transportation Committee.

The event is presented by the Gateway Corridor Commission and sponsored by the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce and Woodbury Chamber of Commerce.

If You Go…

There is no cost to attend the forum and a light lunch will be provided. Registration is required and space is limited.

The St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce is coordinating registrations online. at www.SaintPaulChamber.com. (Look under events.)

Woodbury Chamber of Commerce members may also register online. www.WoodburyChamber.org.

For more information, contact Sue Youngs at 651-222-7227 or syoungs@rranow.com.