By Steve Morris

Commuter bus servicing the Rush Line Corridor is one less meeting away from possible implementation.

The Rush Line Task force met July 19 at the White Bear Lake City Hall and heard from SRF Inc, the consulting group they commissioned to complete a commuter bus study on potential ridership costs.

The proposed Rush Line Corridor is an 80-mile stretch that runs from Hinckley and generally follows Interstate 35 and ends at the St. Paul Union Depot. The commuter bus study is looking into the feasibility of running busses into downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis.

"All the stops are interchangeable. The riders will really tell you where you need to be," John Kern of SRF told the task force. But he said, the fewer the stops the less it will cost to operate. Quick on and off access to the Interstate are two important factors to consider, Kern said.

Kern told the task force that, from his perspective, the commuter bus is feasible. However, there are many details, like cost, that must be worked out.

THE NORTHSTAR

The Northstar Commuter Coach, which according to Kern has been successful, has stops in Elk River and Coon Rapids before ending at the 5th Street Transit Station in downtown Minneapolis. The Northstar charges $4.50 per ride and runs Monday through Friday, excluding major holidays.

RIDERSHIP COSTS

In SRF's estimate, to operate a commuter bus from North Branch to St. Paul, would have an annual operating cost of $395,505, with a capital cost of $236,000. The counties along the Rush Line Corridor would pay the bill.

The costs were based on conceptual schedules and service levels and $4.50 a trip from North Branch. On ridership numbers, SRF estimated ridership between 15-25 people from North Branch to St. Paul or Minneapolis.

Once people get accustomed to the service, the number is likely to climb, Kern explained.

Kern said there seems to already be a large demand for community bus. Survey results from listening sessions the task force held in Rush City and Forest Lake show support for commuter bus.

In an informal survey handed out during each listening session, 22 people said operating a commuter bus along the Rush Line Corridor is a good idea, as opposed to two who didn't like the idea.

In a comment posted to the Post Review Web site, Chris Hockaday said there could be real demand if gasoline prices continue to rise over the next couple of years. Hockaday currently drives from Rush City and connects with the Metro Transit 250 line from Blaine to work at the Target Corporate Office in downtown Minneapolis five days a week.

"This route has exploded in popularity over the last year, so much so that we overcrowd the large parking lot that was built for the park and ride. I still think, however, that rail would be a better long-term solution as it is more reliable, and much more energy efficient, Hockaday said.

Hockaday, a systems engineer, said many times the bus is so full he has to stand on the bus for as long as 40 minutes.

Getting people used to alternative forms of transit may be difficult for northernmost cites along the corridor, such as Pine City and Hinckley. There was talk at the meeting about the possibility of not running the coach bus to Hinckley or Pine City because of it not being cost effective. An alternative would be to offer a van pool further south, to cities such as North Branch or Rush City.

Pine County Commissioner Roger Nelson said Pine City should be included for commuter bus service.

"Speaking for Pine City, commuter bus is a foreign concept and people aren't thinking about it that much here. You have to offer it so people know it's available."