Search found 135 matches

by StandishGuy
February 17th, 2024, 12:45 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Riverview Corridor Streetcar
Replies: 1194
Views: 545231

Re: Riverview Corridor Streetcar

$2 Billion is a lot of money even in the future... 2033, and the projected ridership is pretty low relative to the cost. And, to be honest I'm not a huge fan of either the Green or Blue Line extension routes past Hopkins and Robbinsdale. The original B Line ABRT route would be up and running right n...
by StandishGuy
February 10th, 2024, 1:53 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Riverview Corridor Streetcar
Replies: 1194
Views: 545231

Re: Riverview Corridor Streetcar

Around $2 billion is far too much money for a service that is anticipated to draw fewer than 12,000 daily riders. By comparison the Blue Line currently is drawing 20,000+ riders daily and had well over 30,000 riders pre-pandemic. The Green Line is creeping up on 30,000 daily riders and had ridership...
by StandishGuy
November 29th, 2023, 6:26 pm
Forum: Saint Paul
Topic: Xcel Energy Center
Replies: 54
Views: 105697

Re: Xcel Energy Center

Hmmm.. I'm torn over the public having to put so much money into stadiums. On one hand I have Timberwolves season tickets, enjoy a Twins game every once in awhile and have seen the Vikings play at U.S. Bank. On the other hand Glen Taylor sold the Timberwolves franchise for $1.5 billion. He could hav...
by StandishGuy
November 29th, 2023, 6:06 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Bicycle Infrastructure
Replies: 1800
Views: 999816

Re: Bicycle Infrastructure

Agreed. I'm at least a bit sympathetic to folks who lose mature trees to add more hard surfaces, particularly on a street like Dakota that probably could be narrowed. It's pretty jarring to start over with tiny trees after having ones that provide shade and a buffer from the street for generations. ...
by StandishGuy
November 20th, 2023, 4:53 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Red Line (Cedar Avenue BRT)
Replies: 538
Views: 218214

Re: Red Line (Cedar Avenue BRT)

Huh, ridership shouldn't be a primary metric of a transit agency? The Red Line cost $115 million to build in 2013 dollars and now has fewer than 350 riders per day. There's got to be some connections to spending millions of dollars and the number of people who will ride the service. Maybe this regio...
by StandishGuy
November 4th, 2023, 10:58 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Amtrak: Empire Builder and Borealis (TCMC)
Replies: 625
Views: 382885

Re: Amtrak: Empire Builder and Great River (TCMC)

The recent All Aboard MN newsletter reports that Amtrak is threatening to leave Union Depot due to problems with crime, vagrancy and events taking over the space. Apparently, weddings are taking over the hall and leaving Amtrak passengers cramped off to the side. Also, passengers have been missing a...
by StandishGuy
November 4th, 2023, 10:48 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Northern Lights Express
Replies: 504
Views: 475011

Re: Northern Lights Express

Argh! The latest All Aboard MN newsletter says NLX is 7- 10 years away from operations, which sounds really far away. Apparently, the environmental impact statement is now out of date and needs to be redone and negotiations with BNSF restarted. . Finally, MNDOT hasn't yet submitted an application to...
by StandishGuy
October 30th, 2023, 2:49 pm
Forum: Minneapolis - Downtown
Topic: Downtown Minneapolis - News & General Topics
Replies: 2027
Views: 769820

Re: Downtown Minneapolis - News & General Topics

It's been discussed before in this thread, but I've always thought moving the Minneapolis Farmer's Market to this site would be cool turning both exterior and interior spaces into stalls for vendors akin to the Ferry Building in San Francisco. Adding new residential towers to the site + better conne...
by StandishGuy
October 30th, 2023, 2:33 pm
Forum: Minneapolis - Downtown
Topic: Downtown Minneapolis Office Market
Replies: 1291
Views: 798560

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Office Market

This Wall Street Journal article features Downtown Minneapolis and highlights the high office vacancy rate and conversion of some buildings to housing: https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/commercial/wrecking-ball-targets-empty-downtown-offices-d0e3391 IMO the lack of significant retail options in the CB...
by StandishGuy
October 4th, 2023, 2:19 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Public Transit News / Current Events (MN only)
Replies: 2909
Views: 691891

Re: Public Transit News / Current Events (MN only)

Hmmm. The ridership numbers remain pretty low compared to pre-Pandemic numbers. There are still fewer than 350 daily riders on Norhtstar, and the Green Line ridership is around half the numbers seen in 2019. The C and D Lines on the other hand are really doing well with the D having a few months wit...
by StandishGuy
September 9th, 2023, 10:56 am
Forum: Minneapolis - Downtown
Topic: Downtown Minneapolis Office Market
Replies: 1291
Views: 798560

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Office Market

My buddy works for Target and used to be located in City Center in Downtown Minneapolis before the pandemic. He's 100% remote and actually has a home in New Orleans that they go to in the winter. He was told a few years back that his new local office would be in Brooklyn Park, which was very unpopul...
by StandishGuy
August 25th, 2023, 4:28 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Green Line Extension - Southwest LRT
Replies: 5248
Views: 1218848

Re: Green Line Extension - Southwest LRT

Does anyone here have a good sense why it will take another 4 years to complete this project considering construction is 75% complete and the tunnel is 55% done? Perhaps, the remaining tunnel, crash wall and stations like Penn Ave are just that complicated that it will take several more years? It se...
by StandishGuy
August 19th, 2023, 12:00 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Blue Line Extension - Bottineau LRT
Replies: 1749
Views: 950762

Re: Blue Line Extension - Bottineau LRT

I'm starting to hope this whole Blue Line extension project collapses based on the new, proposed route. The route past Robinsdale down the middle of a 6-lane stroad is awful, and now the North Minneapolis routing is looking pretty bad. I fear the route along 10th and 21st Avenues will make access fo...
by StandishGuy
August 4th, 2023, 3:45 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Dan Patch Intercity Regional Passenger Rail
Replies: 180
Views: 154934

Re: Dan Patch Intercity Regional Passenger Rail

I'm pro-transit, but the Dan Patch Line seems like another Northstar Commuter Line that serves un-walkable, car-oriented sprawl. Maybe if there were some current movement towards TOD along the corridor, this would make more sense. Metro Transit and regional officials should continue to focus on ABRT...
by StandishGuy
August 4th, 2023, 3:33 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Interstate 94
Replies: 321
Views: 136228

Re: Interstate 94

It seems odd that nearly all of the MNDOT's options for freeway designs include just 3 transit stops along the route. They mention potential locations of Dale, Snelling and 25th/ 27th. If these designs are preliminary, why is 3 stops the magic number? I suspect MNDOT staff and the consultants want t...
by StandishGuy
June 12th, 2023, 6:18 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: MSP to Rochester High Speed Rail
Replies: 516
Views: 170538

Re: MSP to Rochester High Speed Rail

Just wishing for Bright Line or another private company to run HSR doesn't mean it would make financial sense for a route between MSP and Chicago. The City Geek video showed that the corridors that are being pursued now Miami/ Orlando, Houston/ DFW, San Francisco/ Los Angeles, and Los Angeles/ Las V...
by StandishGuy
June 8th, 2023, 11:04 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: MSP to Rochester High Speed Rail
Replies: 516
Views: 170538

Re: MSP to Rochester High Speed Rail

City Geek on Youtube ran an analysis of the 10 U.S. rail corridors most ready for high speed rail awhile back. The MSP to Chicago didn't make the list due to lack of density and the significant distance of 400 miles. So, I doubt Bright Line or Amtrak will consider it, and the fact that a Rochester r...
by StandishGuy
June 8th, 2023, 10:34 am
Forum: Minneapolis - Downtown
Topic: Nicollet Mall
Replies: 1466
Views: 533041

Re: Nicollet Mall

It's 1980's thinking to devote two major north south streets (Marquette & 2nd Avenue) to serve suburban transit that only operates at peak times and whose ridership has cratered. Metro Transit's highest ridership routes need to move off painfully slow Nicollet Mall. Plus, Minneapolis shouldn't h...
by StandishGuy
June 6th, 2023, 6:57 pm
Forum: Minneapolis - Downtown
Topic: Nicollet Mall
Replies: 1466
Views: 533041

Re: Nicollet Mall

I'm thrilled that they are finally pursuing this, but geez... Minneapolis citizens have asked for this for generations. Nicollet Mall is painfully slow for buses and major routes like the 18 and 17 deserve faster service. I suggest moving local buses over to Marquette and suburban transit providers ...
by StandishGuy
May 31st, 2023, 12:28 pm
Forum: Minneapolis - General Topics and Citywide Issues
Topic: Minneapolis Population / Density - General Discussion
Replies: 334
Views: 158772

Re: Minneapolis Population / Density - General Discussion

The Metropolitan Council released their 2022 population estimates this week for cities in the region: https://metrocouncil.org/Data-and-Maps/Research-and-Data/Annual-Population-Estimates.aspx#content Unlike the estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Met Council shows healthy growth in Minneapoli...