What’s In a Name?
The name "Red Rock" has a historic basis. Red Rock is the English rendering of the Dakota designation eyah-shaw, referring to the boulder daubed with vermilion and venerated by Native Americans. It was the northernmost of two steamboat landing sites used by early settlers and missionaries. The more southerly landing site was called Newport, from which the city takes its current name. Red Rock was founded by the Methodists in 1837as a mission serving the Sioux Tribe. The name was taken from a granite boulder about five feet long, which originally lay on the bank of the Mississippi, and now resides at a Methodist Church in Newport.

The Red Rock Corridor Transitway  is part of the proposed Twin Cities regional transit system.  The Metropolitan Council's 2004 Transportation Policy Plan identifies the Red Rock Corridor as a transitway on a dedicated right-of-way.  By being on a dedicated right-of-way, the Corridor will have transit service that provides a travel-time advantage over the automobile, improves service reliability, and maximizes the potential for transit oriented development and redevelopment.  In order to determine the most appropriate and cost-effective mode of transit for introduction in the Corridor, extensive study must be done that looks at many factors including: mobility improvements, operating efficiency, passenger carrying capacity, environmental benefits, and cost effectiveness. 

Corridor Description

Parallel Highways: Trunk Highway 61 and Interstate 94

Corridor Route: Hastings through downtown St. Paul (Union Depot) to Minneapolis with a connection to Hiawatha, Northstar and Central Corridors.  

Route Length: The length of the corridor is approximately 30 miles.

Corridor Railroads: Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Canadian Pacific, Minnesota Commercial, and Union Pacific

*Potential Stations: Downtown Minneapolis, Northeast Minneapolis, University of Minnesota, Snelling Avenue, Rice Street, St. Paul Union Depot, Lower Afton Road, Newport, Cottage Grove, and Hastings.

*Station sites will be reevaluated as part of the Alternatives Analysis-Scoping Study

Corridor Growth

Corridor Map

Red Rock Corridor Commission is the agency spearheading the studies to determine what mode of transit should be introduced in the Red Rock Corridor.  The Red Rock Corridor Commission (RRCC) was established in 1998, through an agreement among the county regional rail authorities, cities and towns along the Corridor. Its purpose is to systematically address the transportation needs of the corridor; The chair of the RRCC is Washington County Commissioner, Myra Peterson.

The metropolitan planning organization (Metropolitan Council), transit providers (Metro Transit), and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) also participate, but are not official members of the Commission.

Goals and Objectives

Commission Meetings