Editing Northstar Line (section)

== Background ==
The route was initially designed to run the full distance of {{convert|81.8|mi|km}} between Minneapolis and [[Rice, Minnesota]], northwest of St. Cloud, with 11 stations. The [[Minnesota Department of Transportation]] (MnDOT) submitted a Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Final Environmental Impact Statement in October 2000 and March 2002, respectively, and in turn the [[Federal Transit Administration]] (FTA) concluded the process with a Record of Decision in December 2002. The project was counting on federal funding for half of its construction costs, but estimated ridership for the full route was not high enough to qualify for that much needed federal funding.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.startribune.com/northstar-commuter-line-hits-the-rail-road/70176217/| title= Northstar commuter line hits the (rail) road| website= [[Star Tribune]]| date = November 16, 2009}}</ref> To produce a more favorable proposal, project partners modified the Locally Preferred Alternative and defined a Minimum Operable Segment, which halved the line's length to {{convert|40.1|mi|km}}, terminating at Big Lake, eliminating the three stations in Rice, St. Cloud, and [[Becker, Minnesota|Becker]]. Later modifications further reduced the scope of Northstar service, reducing daily trains from 18 to 12 and deferring stations at [[Coon Rapids–Foley Boulevard station|Coon Rapids–Foley Boulevard]] and [[Northeast Minneapolis]] at 7th Street.<ref>{{cite web |title=Northstar Corridor Rail Project Environmental Assessment/Draft 4(f) Evaluation |url=https://www.dot.state.mn.us/passengerrail/reports/northstar-eas/intro-chap2-1-20.pdf |publisher=Minnesota Department of Transportation |access-date=17 March 2025 |date=December 2005}}</ref><ref name="SRF 2023 Appx. A" /> To comply with the FTA's Record of Decision, the Minimum Operable Segment became Phase I; completing the line to Rice and construction of the remaining five stations would occur at an undetermined later date as Phase II.

Several public demonstrations of commuter rail service on the Northstar corridor were trialed by MnDOT from 1997 to 2002. A 300-seat train was operated from St. Cloud to Minneapolis on January 28, 2002, using two bilevel passenger cars that were on their way to being delivered to [[Sound Transit]] in [[Seattle]] for use on the [[Sounder commuter rail]] system. The public were allowed to ride with an advance reservation.<ref>{{cite news |last=Aeikens |first=Dave |date=January 28, 2002 |title=Northstar followers ride for support |page=1B |work=St. Cloud Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-cloud-times-northstar-followers-ride/172542662/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=May 16, 2025}}</ref>

When the line was first proposed, then-Governor [[Jesse Ventura]] was an early advocate and convinced some people to come around to his point of view.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://hometownsource.com/2012/08/21/northstar-remains-high-on-list-of-epic-transportation-battles-at-capitol/ |title=Northstar remains high on list of epic transportation battles at Capitol &#124; Hometown Source |access-date=September 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225041955/http://hometownsource.com/2012/08/21/northstar-remains-high-on-list-of-epic-transportation-battles-at-capitol/ |archive-date=February 25, 2014 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> Ventura's successor, Governor [[Tim Pawlenty]], did not initially support it. He changed his mind after MnDOT determined that a scaled-back version of the line would qualify for federal funding.

The 2004 Minnesota Legislative session did not pass a bonding bill, which meant a lack of funds for initial project work. Some [[List of counties in Minnesota|counties]] in the area and the [[Metropolitan Council (Minnesota)|Metropolitan Council]] came up with matching funds to allow funding from the [[United States federal government]] to continue. During the 2005 state legislative session, a bonding bill including $37.5 million of funding for the proposed project was passed. The bill was signed on April 11, 2005, by Governor [[Tim Pawlenty]] at the site of the [[Coon Rapids Riverdale (Metro Transit station)|Riverdale station]] in [[Coon Rapids, Minnesota|Coon Rapids]].<ref name="trains-mag">(July 2005), "City Rail briefs", ''Trains Magazine'', p.&nbsp;29.</ref>   The 2006 state legislature, along with city, county and federal governments, provided funding to complete the corridor to Big Lake.<ref>{{cite news|title=Legislature passes $1 billion public works bill|year=2006|work=Pioneer Press}}</ref>

Construction began on the maintenance facility near [[Big Lake station]] and on the Blue Line light rail extension in September 2007, before full funding for the line had been secured.<ref name="history" /> On December 11, 2007, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation [[Thomas J. Barrett|Thomas Barrett]] met with Governor Pawlenty in Anoka County and officially signed a Full Funding Grant Agreement of $156.8 million, nearly half of the funding for the $317 million, {{convert|40|mi|km|adj=on}} line from Minneapolis to Big Lake. The money enabled the release of an additional $97.5 million in state bonding money set aside for the project.<ref name="ST121007">{{cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/local/north/12339686.html|title=Finally, all aboard Northstar rail|author1=Paul Levy  |author2=Joy Powell |name-list-style=amp |work=Star Tribune|date=December 10, 2007|access-date=February 11, 2010}}</ref><ref name=ST121107>{{cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/local/north/12389261.html|title=Northstar set to roll, but how far?|author=Paul Levy|work=Star Tribune|date=December 11, 2007|access-date=February 11, 2010}}</ref>

The federal government invested $156.8 million, the state paid $98.6 million and the Anoka County Regional Rail Authority pledged $34.8 million. The remaining partners were Sherburne County Regional Rail Authority ($8.2 million), Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority ($8 million), the Metropolitan Council ($5.9 million) and the [[Minnesota Twins]] ($2.6 million, for the station improvements under the new [[Target Field]] where the Minneapolis station was constructed).<ref name="ST121007" />  Of the $317 million total, $107.5 million went to paying BNSF for a perpetual easement for track rights and facilities along the line and to pay the BNSF employees that operate the trains. The operating budget for the first full year of service, 2010, was $16.8 million.<ref name="st20091127" />

===Corridor buses===
During development of the rail line, MnDOT initiated an interim [[commuter bus]], '''Northstar Commuter Coach''', in response to worsening highway congestion and lack of transit alternatives in the corridor. The service stopped at future [[Elk River station|Elk River]] and Riverdale station sites, and terminated in downtown Minneapolis at Ramp B/5th Street Transit Center adjacent to the future Target Field Station. Inaugurated October 1, 2001, the route operated eight round-trips during weekdays and averaged 225 daily riders in its first year of service.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Larson |first1=Susan M.A. |title=Northstar commuter bus exceeding expectations |url=http://www.erstarnews.com/2002/November/5bus.html |work=Elk River Star News & Shopper |date=November 5, 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060109171231/http://www.erstarnews.com/2002/November/5bus.html |archive-date=January 9, 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=MN/DOT to Launch First Commuter Coach Bus Service in Northstar Corridor |url=http://www.commutercoach.org/09_17_01.shtml |website=commutercoach.org |publisher=Minnesota Department of Transportation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511163011/http://www.commutercoach.org/09_17_01.shtml |archive-date=May 11, 2008 |date=September 17, 2001 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Operations were transferred to NCDA in 2003 and the route was discontinued with the opening of the commuter rail line in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |title=Northstar Corridor Development Authority to Take Over Operations of NorthStar Commuter Coach |url=http://www.commutercoach.org/20030716.shtml |website=commutercoach.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515213300/http://www.commutercoach.org/20030716.shtml |archive-date=May 15, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Rider Alert |url=http://www.commutercoach.org/rideralert.shtml |website=commutercoach.org |publisher=Northstar Commuter Coach |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091202041947/http://www.commutercoach.org:80/rideralert.shtml |archive-date=December 2, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

On January 22, 2007, an additional commuter bus, '''Ramsey Star Express''', began operating in the corridor. The route, sponsored by the [[Ramsey, Minnesota|City of Ramsey]] and operated by Metro Transit, provided four round-trips on weekdays between [[Ramsey station (Metro Transit)|Ramsey station]] and Ramp B/5th Street Transit Center in downtown Minneapolis.<ref>{{cite web |title=Route 856 Ramsey Star Express Timetable |url=http://www.ci.ramsey.mn.us/Documents/Front%20page/Star%20Express2.pdf |publisher=City of Ramsey |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205051550/http://www.ci.ramsey.mn.us/Documents/Front%20page/Star%20Express2.pdf |archive-date=February 5, 2009 |date=March 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The route saw an average of 115 daily riders.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sakry |first1=Tammy |title=Ramsey to expand parking ramp, receives good news on rail station |url=http://abcnewspapers.com/2011/08/15/ramsey-to-expand-parking-ramp-receives-good-news-on-rail-station/ |work=ABC Newspapers |date=August 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120706143506/http://abcnewspapers.com/2011/08/15/ramsey-to-expand-parking-ramp-receives-good-news-on-rail-station/ |archive-date=July 6, 2012}}</ref> A rail station was previously considered in Ramsey but was eliminated between the Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statements.<ref name="FTA ROD">{{cite web |title=Record of Decision: Northstar Corridor Rail Project |url=https://www.dot.state.mn.us/passengerrail/reports/northstar-rod.pdf |website=dot.mn.state.us |publisher=Federal Transit Administration |access-date=17 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100714072554/https://www.dot.state.mn.us/passengerrail/reports/northstar-rod.pdf |archive-date=July 14, 2010}}</ref> However, in an effort to bolster Northstar ridership, an [[infill station]] at the same site was completed in 2012 and bus service was discontinued, saving the city $500,000 annually.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Levy |first1=Paul |title=Cost of Ramsey Northstar station: $130,000 per new rider |url=https://www.startribune.com/cost-of-ramsey-northstar-station-130-000-per-new-rider/178027921 |access-date=17 March 2025 |work=Star Tribune |date=9 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212193058/https://www.startribune.com/cost-of-ramsey-northstar-station-130-000-per-new-rider/178027921/ |archive-date=December 12, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

Metro Transit route restructuring in late 2000 resulted in the creation of express bus Routes 850, 851, and 852 to downtown Minneapolis.<ref>{{cite web |title=Northeast metro service improvements begin June 9 |url=http://www.metrocouncil.org/transit/news/Stories/ne_routechanges.htm |website=metrocouncil.org |publisher=Metro Transit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010812195529/http://www.metrocouncil.org/transit/news/Stories/ne_routechanges.htm |date=12 August 2001|archive-date=2001-08-12 }}</ref> Route 851 served the Riverdale station site and the vicinity of the future [[Anoka station]]. Routes 850 and 852 primarily serve the Foley Boulevard station, providing local service north and connecting to two Northstar stations. Route 851 was discontinued after the opening of rail service and because no station has been built at the existing Foley Boulevard park and ride Routes 850 and 852 remain in operation.<ref name="SRF 2023 Appx. A" />