Large Majority of Bus Riders Excited for Enhanced Transit Options in the Red Rock Corridor

Large Majority of Bus Riders Excited for Enhanced Transit Options in the Red Rock Corridor

The Red Rock Corridor Commission (RRCC) recently surveyed bus riders in the corridor about their commuting experience and their opinion on how transit service can be improved in the Red Rock Corridor. A total of 150 responses were received.

Currently, commuters have transit access from two Park & Rides within the corridor- Cottage Grove and Lower Afton Road in Saint Paul – with express bus service to downtown Saint Paul, the University of Minnesota and Minneapolis.

Almost 80% of current bus riders in the Red Rock Corridor have a favorable impression of commuter rail service to downtown Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Red Rock Corridor officials learned that people favor commuter rail because they find its reliability, travel time and frequency of stops to be the most important aspects for transportation services.

Survey responses also indicated that when it comes to a Park & Ride, bus riders believe that safety and security are the most important elements of the facility.

The current Red Rock Corridor Park & Rides serve as regional hubs for commuters across the southeast metro and into western Wisconsin.

Red Rock commuters come from all over the area. At the Cottage Grove Park & Ride, almost 80% were residents of Cottage Grove or Saint Paul Park, with another 15% from Hastings and 5% from Wisconsin communities. 60% of bus riders from the Cottage Grove facility ride the bus to downtown Minneapolis, with remaining ridership traveling to downtown Saint Paul.

At the Lower Afton Road Park & Ride, 40% of bus riders come from Saint Paul, 26% from Maplewood and 19% from Cottage Grove.  Riders from the Lower Afton Park & Ride almost exclusively took the bus to downtown Minneapolis.

This survey conveys the views of the base of existing commuters in the Red Rock Corridor. It is important these commuters remain informed on the project, but broader support for enhanced transit options is also necessary for the Red Rock Corridor to become a success.

What’s Next?

The bus riders survey is part of the Red Rock Corridor Commission’s study to develop transit station area plans for four proposed southeast metro stops along the Red Rock Corridor.

In January 2010, revised concept plans for each station area were presented to the public during a second round of open houses in each community.

The final station area plans for all the stations, will be presented at a public open house on April 6th from 5-7 p.m. at the Washington County South Service Center in Cottage Grove.

For information on upcoming meetings and the latest information regarding station area planning, please visit the Red Rock Corridor website