Q: What is the Red Rock Corridor?

A: The Red Rock Corridor is a proposed 30-mile transitway, connecting the Twin Cities’ southeastern suburbs to St. Paul and Minneapolis. The transitway originates in Hastings with stops in Cottage Grove, Newport and St. Paul’s Battle Creek neighborhood before connecting to St. Paul’s Union Depot, the University of Minnesota and downtown Minneapolis Interchange Station. Future plans call for extending the corridor into Goodhue County with potential station stops at the Prairie Island Indian Community and the city of Red Wing.

Q: Who is the Red Rock Corridor Commission?

A: The Red Rock Corridor Commission is comprised of 11 members representing the counties and communities within the corridor. In addition to the 11 members, representatives from Goodhue County, the city of Red Wing, Prairie Island Indian Community and the Canadian Pacific Railway serve as ex-officio members.

Q: Why are transportation investments needed in the corridor?

A. The Red Rock Corridor has regional, statewide, and national significance as a primary transportation route for automobile, truck, and rail travel. Highway 61 is a principal arterial and part of the National Highway and National Scenic Byway systems. The Metropolitan Council has projected that the Southeast quadrant of the Metro Area will grow by another 100,000 people over the next 20 years. Despite the growth in some of the outlying areas, 94 percent of the jobs in the study area are within Minneapolis and St. Paul, and the primary commute pattern is to these two downtowns. This pattern is expected to continue into 2030. The Minnesota Department of Transportation projects that by 2030, the entire length of Highway 61 in the Red Rock Corridor will be congested and operating at a Level of Service (LOS) F during the morning and evening commute periods. As population and employment increase, demand for transportation increases and congestion will only get worse unless a transit solution is pursued.

Q: What work has already been completed?

A: The Red Rock Corridor Commission has completed its Alternatives Analysis Study, which resulted in commuter rail being determined to be the best long-term transit mode for the corridor. Short term strategies include building ridership with express bus service and additional Park & Rides. This work followed the completion of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) Commuter Rail System Plan, which identified the Red Rock Corridor as the second priority for commuter rail following the currently operating Northstar Corridor. The Red Rock Corridor Commission also completed a Station Area Planning Study in 2011. Results of the 18-month study chronicle an extensive public participation and community outreach process in the planning of four proposed transit station areas in the Red Rock Corridor. The study also looked at many aspects of the transit station areas, including: environmental impacts, traffic and access, economic development, and cost estimates.

Q: Where will transit stations be located?

A: The Station Area Planning Study, completed in 2011, determined station locations and conceptual designs for four proposed Red Rock Corridor transit stations. The study included an analysis of the anticipated growth within the corridor as well as a market analysis that identified opportunities for transit-oriented development. The study resulted in conceptual station area plans for a one-half mile radius around the four proposed transit stations:

• Hastings: downtown, west of the historic Hastings train depot
• Cottage Grove: Langdon Village, south of Highway 61 and Jamaica Avenue intersection
• Newport: former Knox Lumberyard, southwest of U.S. Highway 61 and I-494 intersection
• St. Paul (Lower Afton): located in the Battle Creek neighborhood on Lower Afton Road and Highway 61
• See the Station Area Planning Final Report: Introduction, Hastings, Cottage Grove, Newport and Lower Afton in St. Paul.

Q: What are the next steps in the process?

A: Immediate next steps for the Red Rock Corridor will focus on expanding bus service, growing transit ridership and promoting economic development throughout the corridor, as recommended by the RRCC’s Alternatives Analysis Study, completed in 2007. Long-term plans for the four transit stations include a mix of residential, office, and commercial development around three of the stations and Park & Ride facilities for all of the stations.

Q: When is the transitway scheduled to be completed?

A: Met Council’s 2030 Transportation Policy Plan plans to construct one additional commuter rail corridor in the Twin Cities between 2020 and 2030. The Red Rock Corridor is one of 8 corridors that have been identified as a potential transitway in the Twin Cities to be implemented by 2030. To achieve that goal, the Met Council is seeking to increase transit ridership within the Red Rock Corridor to support implementation of commuter rail service alongside the introduction of high speed rail in the corridor. Immediate plans call for expanding commuter coach bus service, and adding new and expanded Park & Rides in the corridor to build the ridership base and justify a more significant investment in commuter rail.

Q: Will the Red Rock Corridor compete with the Central Corridor?

A: No, analysis completed by the Central Corridor showed that there is minimal overlap in the corridors’ markets. Riders on the Central Corridor are more likely to travel to destinations primarily along University Avenue, including stops in both downtown areas and the University of Minnesota, while Red Rock riders are commuters primarily destined for either downtown St. Paul or downtown Minneapolis. Riders for each corridor will take the system that most effectively meets their needs.

Q: Will the Red Rock Corridor be extended further south?

A: Commuter rail service within the corridor will be extended to the Prairie Island Indian Community and the City of Red Wing as part of a later phase. In the near-term, commuter coach bus service may be extended to these communities to build the ridership prior to commuter rail.

Q: Is there existing transit service in the corridor?

A: Yes, Metro Transit currently operates express bus service on Routes 361 and 365 between Cottage Grove and the downtowns of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The Metropolitan Council (Met Council) also contracts for service on Route 364 from Cottage Grove, St. Paul Park and Newport to downtown St. Paul. Park & Ride lots on Lower Afton Road in St. Paul and in Cottage Grove are currently served by transit in the corridor. For more information on current Metro Transit route schedules, click here.

Q: How will the Red Rock Corridor connect with other regional transit improvements?

A: The Red Rock Corridor will seamlessly connect to other transit lines and services at the stations along the corridor. At the Union Depot in downtown St. Paul, Red Rock will connect with Metro Transit buses, taxis, intercity buses (Greyhound and Jefferson Lines), Central Corridor LRT, high-speed passenger rail from Chicago, Amtrak’s Empire Builder, and future connections to both the Gateway and Rush Line Corridors. At the downtown Minneapolis Interchange Station, Red Rock will connect to buses, taxis, Hiawatha LRT, Northstar commuter rail, and the planned Southwest Corridor LRT and Bottineau Corridor transitways. At the other stations, Red Rock will provide convenient connections with local bus service.