urbanMSP

With Gary it's usually politically motivated. The scary Germans are beating up on our little non profit. Hourcar was free to make their own bid. I've been an hour car member for 3.5 years and really like it but their service has its limitations. If Daimler can put a bunch of money into a comprehensi...

Most Minnesotans can not distinguish David Hann from the Tootsie Pop Owl.

http://stmedia.startribune.com/images/1hann0107.jpg

http://www.lindsaybrothers.com/wordpres ... ootsie.jpg

Unless we build a streetcar network (please Dear God no) some of the full LRT costs would be offset by having a common fleet for the green line, blue line and midtown. If we end up with a street car on Nicollet then we'll have the sunk costs that come with a new fleet type so we might as well go wit...

If there's anything Minneapolis Saint Paul doesn't need it's sprawl inducing freeways to the exurbs. Fix a few bottle necks closer in first and second ring burbs. Have we not learned anything from the last fifty years?

There is some equipment on the site, but it's been cleared for a while. The equipment may be for the Fulton work, which appears to be a patio actually. Not sure the Natural is underway quite yet.

Fulton is building a patio.

http://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/fu ... rban-oasis

The flawed tax capture scheme has been replaced by a direct state subsidy. The original proposal tied the subsidy to increasing tax receipts based on 2011 levels. Doing those measurements is very tricky and left up to a new Rochester authority would be prone to all kinds of shenanigans.

Oh and Hiawatha pedestrian improvement construction is scheduled for July, according to mndot.

I wonder if the met council will go with full platform amenities or make the new north platform exit only for trains going west. Personally I like an exit only platform. Without tvms and shelters the cost would be less. LRT riders transferring to Nicollet buses wouldn't have to cross the tracks and ...

I'm not saying I'm categorically against it. I could be convinced if the following things were proven: - The private market would not meet this need - This project would not undermine existing private investment in the hospitality sector in the city - The $100 million is guaranteed to be returned t...

Gary is prone to just saying stuff without any backing. See the recent wine inspector dustup. I agree the food before alcohol & alcohol only being percentage of sales requirements are silly but I'm sure enforcement is lax if the business is not a nuisance. I found the way he handled trying to im...

The more I hear from Gary the less I like him.

Somehow the elderly and physically disabled are well served by transit in central Europe despite 500 meter stop spacing. And if you don't think there are inebriates in Europe go to Warsaw.

Why throw huge sums of money at a shrinking convention industry and at the same time undermine investments by private hotel owners? Frankly throwing the might of Hennepin County and Minneapolis behind a huge competitor to the existing hotels is unfair.

Will the Northern Lights Junior Volleyball qualifiers move to LA without the subsidy?

heh

The federal budget sequestration has cut the FAA budget and consequently the number of air traffic controllers. Maybe planes are stacked waiting for landing clearance. If there's anything that could end budget stalemate it's a bunch of rich dudes tee'd off about flight delays calling their congress ...

@MSPjvomhof on Twitter reports study findings as a $300 million hotel requiring $120 million of subsidy. I've been highly skeptical of this proposal and this price tag still completely blows my mind. What an incredible boondoggle. Pro football is a great investment compared to this nonsense.

Two blue plastic wrapped vehicles sitting between Franklin and Lake awaiting delivery.

Starting with Snelling will help planners make more accurate ridership projections going forward. If Snelling smashes projections like Hiawatha the smaller buses won't be overwhelmed but it will put bigger buses in the mix for future lines.

The 54 is pretty crowded most of the time but peak frequency is only every fifteen minutes. Bumping that up to every ten minutes should take of the crowding, unless better service on West 7th and in Saint Paul increases ridership...

Minneapolis city spending was about $7 million less than projected in 2012. The leftover funds will be put towards a property tax savings account with the idea being to keep the 2014 property levy flat. Revenue projections are not in yet but city officials strongly hint revenues will exceed projecti...