Overview

Description:

• Studying how to relieve congestion on I-94, enhance public safety, protect transit reliability

 

Status:

• Final Report is available- No Active Construction

 

Location:

• St. Paul, Minneapolis

 

Schedule:

• Jan. 2009 – Managed Lane Study start date

• Jun. 2009 – Public Open Houses in Minneapolis and St. Paul

• Sept. 2009 – Metropolitan Council and FHWA will present an agreed-upon recommendation to the Governor
• Oct./Nov. 2009 – Draft corridor recommendations made available

• Jan. 2010 – A formal report documenting the evaluation and findings will be completed
  
  

Additional information

• Special Use of Managed Lanes (PDF)
• Map of the Study Area (PDF)
• Visualizations
• Final Report

 

Past Open Houses

 

• Minneapolis

  June 23

  Van Cleve Park, Gym

   

• St. Paul

  June 24

  Central Corridor Resource Center

Background

Prior to August 2007, the I-94 corridor from Downtown St. Paul to Downtown Minneapolis had three travel lanes and one bus-only shoulder lane in each direction.  Bus-only shoulders are designed to provide faster, more reliable transit commutes in congested corridors. 

 

In response to increased traffic volumes on I-94 following the I-35W bridge collapse, Mn/DOT re-striped I-94 between I-35W and Highway 280 to four narrower travel lanes in each direction. It was necessary to eliminate the bus-only shoulders to accommodate the additional lanes which negated a long-standing transit advantage within the corridor.

 

With the new I-35W bridge open, traffic volumes on I-94 are returning to pre-collapse levels and Mn/DOT has an opportunity to ensure that the available infrastructure is optimized to provide the greatest benefits to all commuters.

 

During spring and summer 2008, Mn/DOT met with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Metropolitan Council, Met Transit, the State Patrol and the city of Minneapolis to understand the performance of the I-94 midtown corridor and recommend future steps. In October 2008, Mn/DOT reinstated a short segment of bus-only shoulder on westbound I-94 between Riverside Ave and 25th Ave and at the same time announced its intention to study the feasibility of managed lanes on I-94.

 

I-94 Managed Lane Study Objectives:
The study will explore a variety of managed lane strategies in the corridor, both within the limits of the re-striped lanes (Hwy 280 to I-35W) and between John Ireland Blvd in St. Paul and Hwy 55 in Minneapolis. A managed lane is defined as a lane that is controlled for safety and emergency vehicle use, to offer an advantage for transit and carpools and possibly to allow single-occupant vehicles the choice to pay a toll for a congestion-free trip in the managed lane.

 

The study recommendation will identify an overall vision for the I-94 corridor from Downtown St. Paul to Downtown Minneapolis regarding managed lanes and short- and long-term implementation strategies.

 

Goals of the study:

Identify ways to:

• Better utilize existing infrastructure
• Preserve or enhance advantages for transit and carpoolers
• Preserve or enhance advantages for general traffic
• Provide a congestion-free choice for single occupant vehicles
• Preserve or enhance corridor safety

 

Managed lane general information

Managed lanes are a way to:

• Create a 'dynamic,' or changeable roadway, that can adapt to different traffic conditions as congestion and/or incidents occur
• Use shoulders and provide a transit advantage
• Provide benefits to carpoolers, general traffic and transit
• Offer an option for single occupancy vehicles (SOVs) to bypass congested lanes by paying a toll
• Enhance corridor safety
   

Examples of Managed Roads in Minnesota include:

• High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, such as those on I-35W, are reserved for vehicles carrying more than one person. These lanes are officially denoted with a diamond marking and are sometimes called “diamond lanes.” Public transit is also allowed to use these lanes.

• High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes, such as those on I-394 and those on I-35W, allow high-occupancy vehicles and public transit vehicles to travel free and allows SOVs to use these lanes by paying a toll. Tolls can be fixed or they can vary with the amount of traffic.

• Priced Dynamic Shoulder Lanes (PDSL), such as those on I-35W, are highway shoulders that can be converted to traffic lanes during peak travel times. Use of these lanes is priced or tolled depending on vehicle type.