Input to Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement

A complex process of politics, government regulations and neighborhood involvement has gotten us to the point where we are at, but a comprehensive marketing analysis based on systematically talking to random residents of Saint Paul to define the needs and desires of potential rail users has never been completed, making it unclear whether the proposed new rail would actually be viewed as a positive development by the majority of residents once they understand exactly what is proposed.

I concur with the testimony of Union Park District Council, as agreed to at their August 6, 2008 Board meeting, that it is critical to validate that the proposed Central Corridor Light rail line meets the needs of local residents, and that it would be irresponsible to proceed to the construction phase of the project without one.

I suggest a total sample size of 1000-- two randomly selected pools of about 500 "captive riders" and 500 "people with transportation options." Participants will need to be paid for their time, and perhaps also entered in several lotteries to assure high levels of participation in a process that should take about 90 minutes. The process will involve clearly explaining what is currently planned and then polling the resident about their opinion of the mass transit options now, and in the future. The survey will determine the expected number of Central Corridor riders assuming the current plan and a broad range of scenarios, many of which are not consistent with the current funding of the rail project.

Only through a process such as this will it be possible to to assess whether the rail project will meet the needs of residents, or whether major changes might required if funding is to be responsibly spent.

From Union Park District Council Testimony:

6. The need for comprehensive marketing studies to determine how the Central Corridor LRT plans can best meet the needs of both captive, transit-dependent bus riders and those who have a choice of transportation options. Many changes have occurred since the basic LRT alignment was determined in 2001, not the least of which is the doubling of gas prices. UPDS recommends that a quantitative marketing study be undertaken to determine if the rail line as proposed will effectively meet the current and future transportation needs of Saint Paul, Minneapolis and greater metro area transit riders.

Any corporation contemplating a billion dollar investment would not move forward without an up-to-date marketing survey to assess the viability of their new product or service to attract new customers and meet the needs of regular clients. As the Central Corridor project prepares to move forward into final design, it would be irresponsible to proceed without a reality check to see if current plans, that are largely based on earlier assumptions, remain valid today.

UPDC urges that a professional marketing company be retained to do a quantitative marketing study, using randomly selected local residents, to determine the actual needs and demands of future light rail riders. The range of questions should address such issues as:

whether station locations are optimal and optimally spaced;

whether park-and-rides are needed to accommodate those not directly adjacent to the line;

whether planned transit speeds will meet people’s needs or if higher speeds would attract more new riders;

how fare increases would affect ridership;

the potential impact of even higher gas prices on future ridership;

what rider incentives would be most effective in attracting new riders; and

how issues of safety, comfort, pedestrian access, bicycle access and business parking would affect the success of the new LRT as a transit improvement and economic stimulus to encourage new development.