i•94 westi†94 west - st. michael, minnesotab38b49ff... · 2013. 3. 20. · i†94 westi†94...

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Moving More on I-94!

C O R R I D O RC O A L I T I O N

I•94 WestI•94 West

The I-94 West Corridor

Coalition comprises businesses,

individuals, and government

agencies committed to

improving I-94 and its support

facilities. Short-and long-term

improvements to I-94 will

generate economic benefi ts,

improve freight and passenger

car mobility and enhance the

quality of life for residents

and visitors.

The I-94 West Corridor

Coalition comprises businesses

• • Brings enhanced Brings enhanced

economic developmenteconomic development• • Affords increasedAffords increased

freight mobilityfreight mobility• • ImprovesImproves

quality of lifequality of life• • IncreasesIncreases

safetysafety

• Brings enhanced

economic development• Affords increased

freight mobility• Improves

quality of life• Increases

safety

Investment in I-94 West:Investment in I-94 West:Investment in I-94 West:



I-94 West Needs:

Minnesota’s Interregional Corridor System:

Congestion has become an increasing problem along I-94, negatively impacting economic development, freight mobility, quality of life and the safety of the traveling public. Over the past decade, congestion along the corridor has risen dramatically. I-94 from TH 241 in St. Michael to TH 23 in St. Cloud accounts for 40 percent of the congestion on MnDOT’s Interregional Corridor System, yet accounts for only 1.6 percent of the system length. This situation is expected to worsen as traffi c volumes are projected to increase.

Unfortunately, funding at the state level has not been available to address the mobility and safety needs of the I-94 corridor. Right now, the only programmed dollars are for maintenance and preservation activities. Investment in the following is needed to ensure the long-term viability of the corridor:

• Additional travel lanes in both directions (managed lanes/tolling are options)

• Improved local connections – upgrade and/or new interchange locations

• Enhanced transit connections

The Interregional Corridor System includes key transportation corridors in Minnesota and was adopted by MnDOT in January 2000 as part of the State Transportation Plan. The emphasis of the system is on providing effi cient connections between regional trade centers (as defi ned by the University of Minnesota Center for Urban and Regional Affairs). The goal of the Interregional Corridor System is to enhance the economic vitality of the state by providing safe, timely, and effi cient movement of goods and people. The corridors tie the state together by connecting people with jobs, distributors with manufacturers, shoppers with retailers and tourists with recreational opportunities. The Interregional Corridor System is comprised of 2,960 miles of highways, which represents only two percent of all roadway miles in the state. However, this small percentage of highways accounts for one-third of all vehicle miles traveled, and the use of these highways is increasing. Traffi c volumes on the Interregional Corridor System have risen by 50 percent in the last ten years and are expected to double by the year 2020.

In response to traffi c growth trends and signal proliferation on interregional corridors, MnDOT has developed mobility performance targets. In addition to safety, the key performance measure is speed, which is easily understood by the public, and is indirectly a measure for travel time. The minimum performance targets established for the Interregional Corridor System are:

• 60+ miles per hour for High Priority Interregional Corridors

• 55+ miles per hour for Medium Priority Interregional Corridors

I-94 from TH 241 in

St. Michael to TH 23

in St. Cloud accounts

for 40 percent of

the congestion

on MnDOT’s

Interregional

Corridor System, yet

accounts for only

1.6 percent of the

system length.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT POTENTIAL IS GREAT!

47

THE WEST METRO’S ROAD TO A SUSTAINED ECONOMIC FUTURE • www.i94coalition.com

I-94 West: Bipartisan Support - Recognizing the Statewide Impact

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I-94 West: A Valuable Freight Corridor

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Freight movements refl ect the overall health

of the economy. When the economy declined

freight shipments in all modes decreased.

However, as the economy recovers, freight

movements have begun to increase. For freight

haulers, reliable and predictable travel times have

become increasingly important in an economy

where goods are becoming more expensive and

less stock is kept on hand.

I-94 is one of the state’s highest truck tonnage

and truck value corridors. Traffi c volumes on this

corridor have continued to increase, even with the

downturn in the economy. Part of the continued

growth on the corridor is likely correlated to the

development of the oil fi elds in North Dakota.

Growth in North Dakota requires importing

construction materials, drilling equipment and

materials, food and other resources needed

to address a rapidly growing population and

economy. Much of the freight into the area

uses I-94.

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Transportation plays a key role in all

sectors of the economy and in the

lives of everyone. Businesses locate

in places with access and reliable

connections to markets, resources

and workforce populations. People

live in areas that have safe, reliable

and convenient connections to jobs,

schools, recreational opportunities,

shopping and medical services.

Together the businesses and the

people create an economic synergy

that enables future growth and

development.

The I-94 Corridor between the Twin

Cities metropolitan area and the St.

Cloud metropolitan area is a corridor

with economic synergy. Over 1,500

businesses operate near the corridor

and the population of the counties

outside the Twin Cities has grown

by 23 percent over the past decade.

Projections indicate that employment

and population will continue to grow

over the next 20 years. A safe,

reliable and mobile I-94 is needed in

order to keep this synergy alive.

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I-94 West: An Economic Development Corridor

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NB I-94, 3 lanes (North of Weaver Lake Road)

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Typical Commuter Day (Wednesday4/16/2008)

Typical Summer Recrea�onal Peak(Friday 7/25/2008)

Holiday Peak (Friday 8/29/2008)

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NB I-94, 3 lanes (North of Weaver Lake Road)

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Typical Commuter Day (Wednesday 4/16/2008)Typical Summer Recrea�on Peak(Friday 7/25/2008)Holiday Peak (Friday 8/29/2008)

Congested

Not Congested

On a typical

commuter day

congestion on

I-94 lasts for three

to four hours in

the morning and

evening. On Friday

afternoons during

the summer, that

congestion can begin

as early as 12:00

pm and last until

8:00 pm, with travel

speeds lower than

20 miles per hour.

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600,000 VISITORTRIPS ANNUALLY TOALEXANDRIA AREA

1,250,000 VISITORTRIPS ANNUALLY TO

BRAINERD LAKES AREA

“Tourism is a $10.5 billion industry in Minnesota, a key sector

of the state’s economy. The leisure and hospitality industry, a

major provider of tourism services, employs more than 244,200

Minnesotans and employment in this sector is projected to

grow by more than 19 percent this decade.” 1

Congestion reduces trips to recreation

destinations, minimizing the economic value

of one of Minnesotas largest industries and

negatively affecting our residents quality of life.

I-94 West: Quality of LifeResearch conducted by MnDOT indicates that quality of life is a high priority for Minnesotans. Minnesotans want a transportation system that respects the importance, signifi cance and context of place – as locations where people live, work, learn, play and access services. I-94 provides for all of that and more. Strategic improvements that ensure reliable and predictable travel, encourage a maintainable scale and ensure key regional connections will enhance quality of life for those living near the corridor or those using I-94 to get to recreational destinations.

1 Explore Minnesota




The above graphic highlights safety

problems on I-94. As shown,

crash and severity rates on this

corridor between Maple Grove

and Albertville are higher than

the statewide average for a rural

freeway. The segment between

Rogers and Albertville are nearly

twice the statewide average.

1 MnDOT 2007 Congestion Report

Most of the crashes on I-94 are

during the morning and evening

commute when the corridor is most

congested. The chart below shows

this pattern. The concentration of

crashes during congested times of

the day can in part be attributed to

“shock waves”. A shock wave is

a phenomenon where the majority

of vehicles break in a traffi c stream.

As the rate of movement of the

shock wave increases, the potential

for rear end or sideswipe collisions

increases.

I-94 West: Safety



How toContact Us:Rhonda Baack, President

I-94 West Chamber21370 John Milless DriveRogers, MN 55374763-428-2921

www.i94coalition.com

I-94 West: Investments to DateBecause funding has been limited

for I-94 at the state level, local

agencies have taken the lead on

making proposed improvements and

partnering with the state to ensure

projects are constructed. Over the

past fi ve years, the following projects

have been completed:

• 2009: I-94 Bridges in Monticello -

$11.1 Million

• 2010: TH 101 Flyover and

Concrete Repair in Rogers -

$22 Million

• 2012: I-94 Collector/Distributor

Road in Albertville -

$11 Million

Monticello

Rogers

Albertville

PREPARED BY: WSB & Associates, Inc. www.wsbeng.com

i•94 westi†94 west - st. michael, minnesotab38b49ff... · 2013. 3. 20. · i†94 westi†94...

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