urbanMSP

They don't call them Twin Cities for nothing

It also looks nicer than the existing places do (though I agree not as nice as turn of the century brownstones but who exactly is making places that look like that anymore nowadays anyway?). Nobody does (at least in MN) sadly :( . Some places in Chicago have a modernized version of brownstones that...

Drove past the booming city of Elk Run earlier this morning... the interchange seems to be taking forever. Anyways I was unable to snap photos due to a time crunch, but I thought it was interesting they have installed freeway-style overhead masts on the two approaches bridge over 52. Looking into t...

They could always cut the commuter rail line north of the river and add 1-2 more stations within Edina and Bloomington. Old Shakopee Road could be the terminus, while 70th St could be another Edina Station. The reason I picked the MN&S Alignment is that would serve Edina and West Bloomington, wi...

I would be more against the project if it was destroying something older... There are a couple of very old Italianate houses that would be taken out by this development. They're shadows of their former selves, and it's very easy to walk by and not notice them, but they were handsome old houses once...

Fair enough, but the sad part about going for the easy buck is that probably helped fuel sprawling developments in the exurbs and suburbs in the first place. Too bad when they build townhomes they don't look closer to this, because then I wouldn't care about height too much: http://images04.olx.com/...

I don't think Outcast is showing Midway Station on his map, but rather a new station that would be built in the railyard behind TCF Bank Stadium. Seems like a reasonable idea to me, as UMN students would be big users of a regional rail system. You're right on the dot. Plus it could be used as a sto...

With the Chateau towering over a block away, it would be cool to see density expanded nearby so it does not look like a monolith as much. I would be more against the project if it was destroying something older and taller, because I wouldn't call a one-story brick that looks like it was built in the...

I'm afraid that profit does not exist for metro transit. I wasn't talking about Metro Transit, but the developers. Doesn't having more units mean more potential for profits given there is enough demand (which I assume there is)? I really don't know much about real estate though. More mid-end apartm...

One of the first steps in building the LRT on 5th was "utilities relocation". With that step already complete, maybe it would be easier to cut 5th street open and build the tunnel there. Now if they could just figure out a way to relocate those pesky LRT tracks directly above it for the t...

Wouldn't a 8-10 story mid-end apartment complex be more desirable to build than townhomes since it's directly on the 3 bus line? Doesn't more tenants = more profits anyways?

Is there any mention, any whatsoever, by any officials or organization of underground transit plans for DT's? Probably not, I am pretty sure they built the at-grade corridor to last at least 20 more years. It's just if when we actually have a larger LRT network and weekday Blue/Green Line combined ...

Updated map with a mixture of future and fantasy BRT/rail corridors, I forgot to add Empire Builder service to the U of M Station. Maybe the HSR could stop at the Interchange via a stop at U of M station (if student ridership for HSR was high enough), but the Empire Builder is probably better off by...

Having a station at the West End would be good, I would like to see a station like this in Edina (doesn't need a triple-track layout though unless freight trains would use that as a bypass): http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Palatine_Metra_Station.jpg/640px-Palatine_Metra_Stat...

Since Northstar's thread turned into a discussion about the Dan Patch Line and a regional link to Mankato, I figured I would revive this thread for the Dan Patch Commuter Rail (going to Shakopee) and Mankato Regional Rail link instead of creating a new one. Anyways here is the map I made (to start o...

I have Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop and a lot of free time so I made this: http://i.imgur.com/sRioPX0l.png The map needs more time for a final product and what not, but this could be basically what the network could look like. I added a connection to the Union Depot with a station at the U of M since...

While the Twin Cities has by far the most extensive underground utility networks of any american city of comparable size, thanks to geological flukes, downtown Minneapolis doesn't have too much compared to other neighborhoods. If we're talking cut-and-cover it's basically the same as any other dens...

I bet it would if done right. It would actually serve a lot of job centers, especially the West End (if routed via the "iron triangle") and Normandale Lakes. Doubt it will ever happen especially now that Orange Line BRT seems to serve the south of the river portion of this corridor. The O...

Wasn't there a "promise" to eventually convert the whole beltway to three lanes? I'd guess that's why this is being handled this way. Probably, basically this stretch is the only remaining part of 494 that isn't at least 3 lanes each way. If they expand 694 between 35W and 35E, it will on...

So I think Boston is an indication that commuter rail could be successful in the Twin Cities, but for me the question is rather (a) should it be a priority over our underdeveloped urban rapid transit system and (b) will it be more cost effective than Freeway BRT? The answer to both is probably no, ...