For Purple Line, transit committee drops downtown White Bear Lake, considers Century College

Frederick Melo, Pioneer Press
·2 min read

A key transportation planning committee plotting the future path of the Purple Line — a potential bus rapid transit corridor from downtown St. Paul — has chosen not to route the line to downtown White Bear Lake.

“The rest of the line up and to White Bear Lake is still strong and going forward,” said Ramsey County Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt, addressing Charlie Zelle, chair of the Metropolitan Council, and other members of the Metro Purple Line BRT Corridor Management Committee.

Based on recommendations of Met Council planning staff, the committee on Friday unanimously rejected the “locally preferred alternative” design that has guided planning discussions to date. The project is estimated to cost $475 million, to be paid by Ramsey County and the Federal Transit Administration.

The decision comes as little surprise to those who have been involved in crafting the corridor, given that in late April, the committee directed Met Council planning staff to study route modifications following negative feedback from the White Bear Lake City Council.

Still, it does throw open the door to potential new route configurations, partners and even opponents.

The bus likely will travel through St. Paul, the Maplewood Mall Transit Center and possibly Vadnais Heights. Staff is in the midst of a technical evaluation of potential station stops, which should be complete in July. Possible endpoints include sites near Century College’s west campus in White Bear Lake, the TCO Sports Garden in Vadnais Heights or the Interstate 35E and County Road E park-and-ride by Vadnais Square, among other locations.

Committee members noted that routing the bus along Willow Lake Boulevard in Vadnais Heights could connect workers to the city’s industrial corridor, though another configuration would route the bus along County Road E or Interstate 694 toward Century College. If Century College becomes a preferred endpoint, “we are introducing new folks to the discussion,” acknowledged senior project manager Craig Lamothe.

The next committee meetings are July 13 and Aug. 24. A route could be selected this fall.

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