Home > Why Build Northstar

An Effective Transportation Alternative

Costs less, operational more quickly and faster travel times

• Northstar will be built on existing rail tracks, meaning the construction costs are significantly lower than other alternatives. It will cost much less to build than a dedicated busway or highway upgrades.
• Highway expansion would be nearly four times as expensive and adding a dedicated busway would cost nearly six times more than commuter rail per passenger trip.
• Northstar will save commuters 900,000 hours in travel time every year, compared to the next best alternative of bus transit.
• Northstar will take 5,000 cars off the road during morning and evening rush hours and will have the capacity to carry the equivalent of nearly 1.5 lanes of highway traffic at peak travel times.
• Northstar can quickly adapt to increased demand, adding more cars and running more trains as demand rises.
• In any weather, Northstar will offer riders a reliable and comfortable commute.