The I-494 Corridor Commission works with businesses, residents, and agencies to reduce congestion along the I-494 corridor.

I-494 is one of the fastest growing economic regions in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area, with 19% of the Metro area's population and 21% of all jobs. While a strong economy is important to all of us, new jobs and developments on our corridor have put increasing pressures on our roads and highways.

Most of the pressures of increasing congestion can be relieved by employers offering commute options to their employees. 494 Commuter Services staff can help businesses:

• Develop a plan to encourage employees to use commute alternatives
• Provide information on carpools, vanpools, busses, biking, and walking to work
• Set up programs for employers to provide incentive to employees, set goals, and track use of commute alternatives
• Foster relationships and public/private partnerships between business and government to improve transportation

Working with Residents

Residents along our corridor suffer as traffic congestion increases. It takes longer to get to work, run errands, and do social activities. There are many things the 494 Commission is doing to improve I-494 for better access for residents:

• Identify "arterial roads" that can be improved and made more convenient for shorter trips and errands
• Survey residents on new services that are needed: new bus routes, additional park and rides, carpooling advantages
• Provide "ICTM", a system of traffic signals that alerts drivers to congested areas on I-494

Working with Agencies

The Minnesota Dept. of Transportation, the Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County, and our member cities all play a role in improving I-494. The I-494 Corridor Commission works with these agencies to:

• Identify priorities along the corridor, such as complicated interchanges, traffic bottlenecks, and poor road conditions
• Lobby agencies responsible for improvements to make these roads a priority
• Look for funding to make I-494 improvements