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In this Issue
Every sector of the region’s economy is influenced by water — agriculture,
manufacturing, mining, travel and lodging, and other services. Ensuring that we
continue to have ample supply of water involves all of us and is an important factor
in our region’s competitiveness nationally. Our Environmental Services division
is nationally renowned for its superior work treating wastewater, monitoring
air and water quality, and planning to ensure a sustainable water supply to
meet future demand. The development of the region’s first Metropolitan Area
Master Water Supply Plan in 2010 and the establishment of the Metropolitan Area
Water Supply Policy Advisory Committee (MAWSAC) bolstered our commitment to
future water supply planning for the Twin Cities.
A sustainable water supply for current and future generations is paramount
to our work at the Council. In order to achieve sustainability, the Council and
the region continue to explore a number of opportunities such as conservation,
stormwater reuse, and efficiency goals. One such area where the Council
continues to dive deeper is wastewater reuse. Every day, Council operations treat
225 million gallons of wastewater for 2.5 million residents across all seven counties of the region. The Council already
achieves high standards in wastewater treatment that allow us to reintroduce quality,
treated water into rivers. With additional treatment, the Council could produce
reclaimed water that’s safe and broadly useful, though not drinkable. One such
possibility is to provide reclaimed water for cooling water purposes.
Although policies for exploring and pursuing wasterwater reuse are
included in the Thrive MSP 2040 Plan,
we have identified the need for further policy development. In 2017, the
Council hopes to establish a Wastewater Reuse Policy Task Force to
develop specific policy recommendations to guide our future work. To learn more about the Council’s wastewater and water work, visit our
website.
At least $6.8 billion in investment has been tallied along the existing METRO Green Line and Blue Line and the proposed Southwest and Blue Line Extension Light Rail Transit (LRT) projects, the Metropolitan Council announced.
These investments include new construction such as the Optum headquarters in Eden Prairie, as well as redevelopment or rehabilitation of existing buildings, such as Custom House Apartments in downtown St. Paul and Riverside Plaza in Minneapolis. The total development likely exceeds the $6.8 billion as many developments along the routes have not publicly disclosed their project value.
“Businesses continue making strategic investments along existing and planned light rail lines, demonstrating their conviction that light rail is a valuable asset to local communities along these routes,” Metropolitan Council Chair Adam Duininck said.
Kelly Doran, principal and founder of Doran Companies, says proximity to the Southwest LRT/Green Line extension is a major selling point in attracting tenants.
“Clearly, the decision to construct the Southwest light rail line is a significant boost to the marketing of The Moline, our multi-family apartment project opening in Hopkins this fall—but even more, to future development in the Southwest metro,” Doran said.
Read the complete article on our website.
For the sixth consecutive year, Metro Transit provided more than 80 million annual rides, reaching the third-highest annual ridership since 1981.
Metro Transit provided more than 82.6 million rides in 2016, averaging 266,916 rides each weekday. Ridership on the METRO Green Line also continued to grow while the region’s first rapid bus line boosted ridership in the corridor it serves.
Last year’s ridership was down about 4% from 2015, when ridership reached its highest point in 34 years. Low gas prices and the prolonged closure of Nicollet Mall were among the factors that contributed to the drop in ridership.
“Annual ridership is a good measure of our progress but it doesn’t tell the complete story,” Metro Transit General Manager Brian Lamb said. “Our ridership has grown in nine of the last 11 years – a period of sustained growth we haven’t seen in this region for nearly a generation.”
Read the complete article on our website.
Every e-newsletter, I
will ask a Council trivia question and the first two people who email the
correct answer, I'll treat them to coffee at their time
and place of choice in the district.
Trivia question: What are the names of the three transit services the Council operates?
Hint: Metro Transit is one of the three.
Email answers to steven.chávez@metc.state.mn.us. |
