Search found 438 matches

by at40man
August 12th, 2013, 3:03 pm
Forum: Minneapolis - Downtown
Topic: Peavey Plaza
Replies: 234
Views: 57389

Re: Peavey Plaza Reconstruction Project

This is just awful news. So now that pile of concrete crap remains the same. The updates would have been beautiful and made the space a place to go. I would bet all the money I've ever had that the people who were so upset about the proposed renovations have never spent a second there. Then you bet...
by at40man
August 1st, 2013, 1:55 pm
Forum: Saint Paul
Topic: Rayette Building - (261 Fifth Street East)
Replies: 29
Views: 9196

Re: Rayette Building - (261 Fifth Street East)

I used to park in Rayette, and lived across the street in Parkside (next to Farmers Market Lofts). While I laud the reuse of the building, architecturally there just isn't much there. Any interesting interior details the building might have had probably were removed when it was converted to a parkin...
by at40man
July 29th, 2013, 1:20 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Best/Worst Retail Centers for bikes/peds?
Replies: 15
Views: 1663

Re: Best/Worst Retail Centers in Twin Cities?

Woodbury Lakes makes me angry every time I drive by it. https://maps.google.com/?ll=44.946622,-92.923983&spn=0.004049,0.006604&t=h&z=18 In the same vein as mattaudio, I really hate the places the emulate a traditional urban form in a completely suburban environment. Somebody said to the...
by at40man
July 18th, 2013, 9:11 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: MN Highway 36
Replies: 47
Views: 5339

Re: Highway 36 changes at Century and Hadley - Open house 7/

My guess is that this project is only really necessary because of the St. Croix bridge adding / inducing new traffic loads upstream. Nope - State Hwy 120 (Century)/36 intersection is one of the most dangerous in the state and has been targeted to be redone for many years for reasons NOT related to ...
by at40man
July 17th, 2013, 8:04 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: MN Highway 36
Replies: 47
Views: 5339

Re: Highway 36 changes at Century and Hadley - Open house 7/

Please - no at-grade crossings at 120 or Hadley! Crossing these intersections is very dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists alike. Perhaps the solution is to run Hadley and 120 over/under 36, and construct access ramps. This will provide better access to the Gateway trail as well as allow traffic t...
by at40man
July 12th, 2013, 7:36 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Dismantling Downtown Freeways
Replies: 195
Views: 52062

Dismantling Downtown Freeways

Interesting article at MinnPost: http://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2013/07/it-time-start-dismantling-downtown-freeways The article makes some valid points... but at the end of the day, dismantling freeways is both impractical and foolish. I think they can definitely operate more efficiently, but as ...
by at40man
July 11th, 2013, 12:36 am
Forum: Anything Goes
Topic: Gentrification
Replies: 193
Views: 29506

Re: Gentrification

As long as wages are low, college makes us debt-laden and health emergencies leave us bankrupt, we'll have chronically poor folks who struggle to absorb the cost of rent hikes and/or displacement. I think it's great to try to help people through the tax and zoning codes, but I also think we get muc...
by at40man
July 3rd, 2013, 8:37 am
Forum: Nostalgia
Topic: Boisclair passes away (Developer of Galtier Plaza and Riverp
Replies: 0
Views: 8091

Boisclair passes away (Developer of Galtier Plaza and Riverp

I don't recall ever seeing a conversation about Robert Boisclair on Minnescraper or UrbanMSP, and figured the impact of the Boisclair Corporation on the Twin Cities was large enough to warrant its own topic. A couple years ago, Robert Boisclair passed away. http://www.startribune.com/business/116632...
by at40man
July 1st, 2013, 3:35 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Saint Paul Union Depot
Replies: 374
Views: 79200

Re: Saint Paul Union Depot

I think we are in agreement, sometimes I just absolutely bristle when I see people yowling about SPUD. I am very grateful it has been returned to public use. It is undeniably one of the most beautiful buildings in the Twin Cities, and hasn't had a problem filling the cavernous space with various pub...
by at40man
July 1st, 2013, 2:28 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Saint Paul Union Depot
Replies: 374
Views: 79200

Re: Saint Paul Union Depot

Look, SPUD is completely unnecessary as a piece of transportation infrastructure. If everything goes the way transit nerds like us want it to go, it will still be decades before there's enough demand for both long-distance rail travel and core transit transfers in downtown St. Paul to demand anythi...
by at40man
July 1st, 2013, 8:47 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Saint Paul Union Depot
Replies: 374
Views: 79200

Re: Saint Paul Union Depot

I don't like projects that cost $243 million and are positioned for "slow growth" when we have so many glaring deficiencies elsewhere. Just because you don't like them doesn't mean they aren't necessary... We need to have a true transit network that takes in the "long-view" pict...
by at40man
July 1st, 2013, 8:39 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Saint Paul Union Depot
Replies: 374
Views: 79200

Re: Saint Paul Union Depot

I have a hard time caring too much what the nay-sayers say. Despite the fact that it takes months to design and build a new signaling system with multiple railroads involved, they mocked Union Depot for lack of trains on opening day. I'd have to agree with the "nay-sayers" on the delay on...
by at40man
June 21st, 2013, 11:19 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Northstar Commuter Rail
Replies: 952
Views: 222288

Re: Northstar

Perhaps this is anecdotal evidence, but I personally know several people who would use this line to go to St Cloud and back on a regular basis if it actually WENT to St Cloud and SPUD. I used to use it and take the "North Star Link" the rest of the way into St Cloud when my ex lived there....
by at40man
June 21st, 2013, 8:03 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Green Line / Central Corridor construction thread (archive)
Replies: 1597
Views: 355236

Re: Green Line (Central)

green poles who cares. the lines looks like a muddled mess down univ ave in st paul. too much happening in a small space. and the stations are all identical. no indivuality like hiawatha. Honestly, University Ave has been looking better than I have ever seen it. I suppose I find beauty in that &quo...
by at40man
June 20th, 2013, 1:41 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Northstar Commuter Rail
Replies: 952
Views: 222288

Re: Northstar

$100 million went to BNSF just for easement rights. "JUST" easement rights? That's BNSF's property, not to mention quite a busy freight line as well. Are you suggesting BN shouldn't receive money to have additional trains on their own rail line that doesn't directly benefit their company?...
by at40man
June 18th, 2013, 1:57 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Saint Paul Union Depot
Replies: 374
Views: 79200

Re: Saint Paul Union Depot

Most people haven't been acquainted with a built-out transit network, so it may make some scratch their heads about why the Green Line would be out front. However, in Europe the local transportation is often found out front of the station, rather than at the gates. I do think it makes more sense for...
by at40man
June 18th, 2013, 1:47 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Gold Line BRT (Gateway Corridor)
Replies: 458
Views: 147425

Re: Gateway Corridor

I thought it was already a done-deal, and they were studying alignment and merits of BRT vs LRT on this route :?:
by at40man
June 4th, 2013, 9:39 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Northstar Commuter Rail
Replies: 952
Views: 222288

Re: Northstar

$100 million went to BNSF just for easement rights. "JUST" easement rights? That's BNSF's property, not to mention quite a busy freight line as well. Are you suggesting BN shouldn't receive money to have additional trains on their own rail line that doesn't directly benefit their company?