There has been lots of discussion about bringing streetcars or a bus rapid transit line to St. Paul and communities in northern Dakota County over the past several months.

Tonight, the discussion continues with an open house that will explore the three remaining options out of the many put forth as part of the Robert Street Transitway Alternatives Study. The open house will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Dakota County Northern Service Center, Room 110, 1 W. Mendota Road, West St. Paul. A second open house is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Neighborhood House, 179 E. Robie Street, St. Paul.

The options being considered are:

  • A bus rapid transit line that would run along Robert Street from Mendota Road in West St. Paul to downtown St. Paul.
  • A streetcar line that would run along Robert Street from Mendota Road in West St. Paul to downtown St. Paul.
  • A bus rapid transit line to run along Hwy. 52 from Union Station in downtown St. Paul to Inver Grove Heights.

Residents in St. Paul, Lilydale, West St. Paul, South St. Paul, Sunfish Lake, Mendota Heights, Eagan, Inver Grove Heights and Rosemount are invited to give their input regarding the service plans, proposed stations and destinations in downtown St. Paul. The services, in all likely hood, would include a stop at Union Station in downtown St. Paul where users could connect with other transit options.

A final decision on which plan to accept won't be made until next year when a review of the potential service plan, ridership, cost estimate, traffic analysis, land use and environmental concerns is complete. The study is being carried out by Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority and the Dakota County Regional Railroad Authority.

The study is being conducted under the Federal Transit Adminstration's New Starts Program, which evaluates transit projects nationwide for eligibility for federal funding.