|
<br />Section 2
<br />2-26 Ramsey County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan | July 2012
<br />2.7.1 Vehicle Traffic
<br />Ramsey County’s transportation system consists of interstate and state highways, arterial collectors, and
<br />secondary county and city roads. Major transportation routes include Interstate highways 35E, 35W, 94,
<br />and 694. Additionally, U.S. Highways 10, 52, and 61 are major thoroughfares. There are several
<br />Minnesota State Highway routes, including Highway 5, 13, 36, 51, 96, 120, 149, 156, and 280.
<br />MetroTransit is the main provider of bus services throughout St. Paul and Ramsey County.
<br />2.7.2 Rail
<br />Twin Cities and Western Railroad (TC&W) operates between Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, and
<br />Milbank, South Dakota and runs through Ramsey County. TC&W’s traffic base consists largely of coal,
<br />grains (corn, wheat, and barley), soybeans, sugar, beet pulp pellets, lumber and other forest products,
<br />canned vegetables, edible beans, molasses, distillers dry grain (DDGs), fertilizers, crushed rock, and
<br />agricultural machinery. The Minnesota Prairie Line (MPL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of TC&W and
<br />operates the 94-mile line that runs through Ramsey County. Commodities handled by MPL include corn,
<br />soybeans, DDGs, fertilizer, ethanol, butter, lumber, canned vegetables, biodiesel, tallow, salt (commercial
<br />and industrial), aggregates, and rail car storage.
<br />MetroTransit provides light rail services to Twin Cities metropolitan area citizens.
<br />2.7.3 Air Service
<br />There are two airports within Ramsey County: the St. Paul Downtown Airport (Holman Field) and
<br />Benson Airport. The St. Paul Downtown Airport is classified as an intermediate, primary reliever airport
<br />providing service by commuter, air-taxi, and corporate aircraft primarily for business flying. Its main
<br />service area is within 30 minutes ground travel time of the airport and includes downtown Minneapolis.
<br />Benson Airport is publicly owned by White Bear Township and therefore not part of the metropolitan
<br />airport system. Benson Airport is limited to the public use of small, single-engine propeller aircraft. The
<br />Anoka County-Blaine Airport borders Ramsey County along County Road J. This airport is classified as a
<br />minor, secondary reliever, and provides service by medium-size, twin-engine aircraft, which are used
<br />primarily for training, pleasure, and business flying. Its service area includes most of northern Ramsey
<br />County and part of St. Paul. The FAA designates both the St. Paul Downtown and the Anoka County-
<br />Blaine Airport as relievers for the Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP) Airport.
<br />
<br />
|