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March 24, 2010 <br />Brian Lamb, General Manager <br />Metro Transit <br />560 Sixth Avenue North <br />Minneapolis MN 55411 <br />Subject: Support for Metro Transit Grant Application <br />Trunk Highway Transit Facility Improvements — Chapter 152 <br />Dear Mr. Lamb: <br />The City of Lino Lakes commends the Metropolitan Council and Metro Transit on their efforts to <br />work alongside Mn/DOT to provide highway transit advantages that will encourage and enhance <br />transit use in congested trunk highway corridors. The City supports the proposed capital <br />improvements in Lino Lakes and Metro Transit's application for a Chapter 152 grant to maintain <br />these efforts. <br />Metro Transit's proposed project will encourage transit use along I -35E by constructing a new <br />park and ride facility near Main Street (CSAH 14) which: <br />• Provides a convenient location for free parking of individual vehicles. <br />• Increases consumer savings by reducing the overall travel expense. <br />• Provides an additional commuting choice which improves transit as a travel option. <br />• Offers regularly scheduled express transit service with transit advantages which improves <br />the reliability of the commute. <br />• Reduces the individual carbon footprint by reducing the daily use of individual vehicles. <br />• Increases road safety by reducing the number of individual vehicles on the road. <br />Metro Transit's proposed project is consistent with the Metropolitan Council's Transportation <br />Policy Plan, the Metropolitan Council's Draft 2030 Park - and -Ride Plan and Mn/DOT's State <br />Transportation Plan. Additionally, proposed project is consistent with the City's draft 2030 <br />Comprehensive Plan which identifies the need to enhance express bus corridors from the City to <br />St. Paul. <br />Based on many years of experience with park -and -ride facilities in the Twin Cities region, Lino <br />Lakes is confident in Metro Transit's ability to deliver these projects expediently. We look <br />forward to assisting Metro Transit to implement this project quickly once grant fiinding is <br />secured. <br />Sincerely, <br />Michael Grochala <br />Community Development Director <br />City of Lino Lakes <br />• <br />• <br />• <br />