Commuter rail is one of the transit alternatives being considered for the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. The Northstar Commuter Rail Line runs from just north of St. Cloud to downtown Minneapolis, a total distance of 80 miles, and utilizes existing Burlington Northern Santa Fe lines. The line encompasses a diverse group of communities and four counties with a total of thirteen planned stations. HKGi was part of a multi-disciplinary team engaged in a planning effort to examine opportunities for transit-supportive urban development along the corridor. The study process featured a series of community workshops designed to engage stakeholders in the identification of issues and opportunities associated with land use and development around future station sites.

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HKGi's role in the project was to assist the communities in which commuter rail stations will be located to prepare land use concept plans for the areas surrounding the potential stations. The purpose of this effort was twofold: to ensure that regional transportation facilities complement local land use and development plans, and to help cities develop station area plans that maximize the unique opportunities provided by transit stations.

The project included assisting the Northstar Corridor Development Agency (NCDA) with the land use portions of its September 2000 "New Starts" application to the FTA.

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