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Both regional highway improvements and population growth will increase traffic on this section of 135W. <br />Recently, the traffic signal at Hwy 10 and County Road 96 was removed and replaced with an <br />interchange. This allows more traffic to get to the 1-35W/Hwy 10 commons section. In 2017, additional <br />lanes will be added to 1-694 between Rice Street and Hwy 10, which will also send more traffic to this <br />section of 135W. Hwy 610 will connect to 1-94 in Maple Grove by 2017, which will also send more traffic <br />to the 1-35W/Hwy 10 commons section. <br />Both population and employment are growing in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and in the northern <br />suburbs. As population and employment increases, so does traffic. All market indications are that this <br />growth will continue in the future so long as the Twin Cities continues to be an economically competitive <br />region. The models that are used to predict traffic volumes and traffic flows have been verified using <br />existing traffic counts and are the tools that are consistently used by MnDOT and other transportation <br />agencies throughout the world to predict traffic volumes, travel modes, transit ridership and traffic <br />flows. <br />Why are you modeling "General Purpose'; "High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes'; and "MnPASS Lanes" <br />when previous studies have identified MnPASS Lanes as the preferred solution? <br />The federal environmental review process (National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA) requires that <br />these alternatives be compared, even if previous planning studies have been completed. This is done to <br />guarantee that there is full public disclosure of the benefits and impacts of the preferred alternative as <br />compared to No Build and other alternatives in the Environmental Assessment document. <br />Why should we have to pay to use the MnPASS lanes when we already pay gas tax and other taxes? <br />The purpose of the MnPASS pricing is to maintain congestion -free speeds in the lanes and maximize the <br />number of people the lanes can carry during peak rush hour periods. Without the pricing, the lanes <br />would become congested, unreliable and not as efficient for moving people and goods. This is similar to <br />the pricing for other public goods such as electricity. The revenue generated from the 1-35W MnPASS <br />lanes will stay in the corridor to pay for operations, maintenance and other corridor improvements. <br />Will MnPASS lanes disproportionately impact low income people? <br />It is MnDOT's intention to provide transportation facilities and services that do not have <br />disproportionate negative impacts on low income people. These impacts will be evaluated during the <br />Environmental Assessment process. <br />• All individuals, including low income individuals, who use transit or carpool in the 1-35W corridor <br />will benefit from the transit advantages of the MnPASS lane and will use the lanes for free. <br />• All individuals, including low income individuals, who travel during non -peak periods and in non - <br />peak directions will be able to use the MnPASS lanes for free during those non -peak time <br />periods (about 85% of the time). <br />• All individuals who travel alone in automobiles in the peak direction during the peak periods, <br />will be able to choose to use either the MnPASS lane or the General Purpose lanes <br />MnDOT will actively work to ensure that all people have opportunities to meaningfully engage in the <br />Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Assessment process. <br />1-35W North PE/EA — Frequently Asked Questions <br />Revised 815115 <br />