The First Step: More Corridors

The first step in laying the groundwork for a rapid transit system is to improve the number, configuration, and quality of secondary arterial roads ("arterials"). Also referred to as "community corridors" (see Marcy-Holmes neighborhood plan), these are roads that meet the following criteria:

(1) Unchanged speed limit of at least 30mph for long (multi-mile) stretches

(2) Intersections occurring at most once per half-mile

(3) The preferred mode of intersection prioritizes traffic already on the arterial

(4) Little if any street-side parking

Such roads already exist to some extent throughout the metro area. Though they are not highways, they make travel across the region much more viable and efficient.

So the first step is simply improving and extending the reach of arterials across the region. That is, we need to improve the non-highway skeletal transportation infrastructure for the Twin Cities. This will have immediate benefits for the existing modes of transportation, and will be particularly helpful for the existing bus-based transit system, since it will allow buses to maintain higher average speeds and improve crosstown trip efficiency.