Efforts to develop more efficient traffic congestion management strategies have included transit initiatives like the Northwest Corridor (Bottineau Boulevard) Bus Rapid Transitway serving communities between Rogers and downtown Minneapolis. HKGi's involvement on the project was as a sub-consultant on two separate phases of the project.

The first phase was led by IBI Group. HKGi provided land use planning and public process facilitation as part of an effort to educate stakeholders on the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) opportunities associated with varying alignments for fixed route transit services. In this role, HKGi provided analysis of station locations within communities along the corridor, identifying potential TOD opportunities and challenges.

HKGi utilized regional and local GIS data and site investigations to map and illustrate potential TOD opportunities. A series of presentations were conducted to various stakeholder groups

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describing and illustrating TOD potential within the corridor. HKGi also helped identify the first steps necessary for the client, Metro Transit, to help local communities develop and implement more specific station area development plans. The findings and recommendations were included as a technical supplement of the Northwest Corridor Busway Study Concept Design Report completed in November of 2002.

HKGi was also asked to serve on a separate consultant team charged with developing two specific station area plans, one at the intersection of CR81 and 63rd Avenue North in Brooklyn Park and another at CR81 and Bass Lake Road in Crystal.

HKGi led the station area development process in collaboration with HayDobbs. Like the scoping study, the planning process for the two station areas included a public involvement and education process. Detailed master plans were prepared based on the specific needs of each site and community.

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