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Re: Downtown East / Vikings Stadium LRT Station

Posted: April 15th, 2015, 4:11 pm
by HiawathaGuy
One would guess that the "rush" on this, is having it complete in conjunction with the stadium being completed.
The article states "If approved, construction would start this summer and the project would be “substantially complete” by April 2016." This doesn't allow much time for wiggle room.

Not that I'm advocating one way or the other, just pointing that out.
My guess is that the City of Minneapolis has little they can say/do with regards to this project.

Re: Downtown East / Vikings Stadium LRT Station

Posted: April 15th, 2015, 4:13 pm
by mattaudio
Then can Met Council be shamed for making this such a priority when they fail to invest in even the most basic amenities for urban bus stops?

Re: Downtown East / Vikings Stadium LRT Station

Posted: April 15th, 2015, 4:39 pm
by mulad
I believe a fairly basic pedestrian bridge runs about $3 million these days, which itself seems extraordinary, but is pretty common. This seems to be about twice as wide as a standard one and maybe a bit longer. Hmm. It looks like the Sabo bridge for the Midtown Greenway cost $5.1 million (plus another $1.1 million for the shutdown/repair).

It doesn't look like this will do the LRT customers any good at all. I assume the triangular building is the existing bus shelter. Looks like the vertical circulation structure will go west of the existing staircase that connects the westbound LRT platform to the sidewalk along 4th Street.

Here's a bridge in San Diego which looks somewhat like the Sabo bridge yet cost $26.8 million, so hey, it could be worse... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbor_Dr ... ian_Bridge

Still, you could do a lot to make a better park and streetscape in the area if the $6 million went into different things.

Re: Downtown East / Vikings Stadium LRT Station

Posted: April 15th, 2015, 5:11 pm
by mattaudio
A fairly pedestrian pedestrian bridge, if you will?

Re: Downtown East / Vikings Stadium LRT Station

Posted: April 15th, 2015, 5:27 pm
by Nick
Damn, I tried to crank out a mid-Twins game pregaming hot take post about this, but I was stopped by our handy editorial council.

Re: Downtown East / Vikings Stadium LRT Station

Posted: April 15th, 2015, 5:29 pm
by FISHMANPET
Hahah, I read it before it got taken down. It was a pretty #hottake. Maybe #toohot.

Re: Downtown East / Vikings Stadium LRT Station

Posted: April 15th, 2015, 9:52 pm
by David Greene
How does this bridge cost $6,000,000.00?
Vertical circulation.

Re: Downtown East / Vikings Stadium LRT Station

Posted: April 15th, 2015, 11:04 pm
by Nick
Hahah, I read it before it got taken down. It was a pretty #hottake. Maybe #toohot.
Check back tomorrow morning. Editors are good.

Re: Downtown East / Vikings Stadium LRT Station

Posted: April 16th, 2015, 11:09 am
by FISHMANPET
Is anyone but us talking about a tunnel? We keep bringing it up as a (somewhat) reasonable alternative to this bridge and other things, but is anyone thinking about it?

Thinking about the MIdtown Greenway and how it's just a giant ditch, would it be cheaper slash easier to put the tracks in a trench rather than full tunnel. I'm sure there's plenty of documents that say "tunneling downtown is bad because REASONS" but maybe we can dig a 20 foot trench at least?

Re: Minnesota Multi Purpose Stadium

Posted: April 17th, 2015, 11:31 pm
by Apollo
Long time lurker, had to register to comment on this and looking forward on commenting on more threads here, I love these forums with urban news around my home state.

Looks like the Vikings are moving forward in developing the concrete top of that underground parking lot after all...

http://finance-commerce.com/2015/04/bid ... est-plaza/

I'm just concerned that they think an $700,000 bid is too high, what are they aiming for with a lower bid? Also are they going to co-operate with the larger "commons" park? From their statement wanting a lower bid, it seems like they're going for an basic park that would be disjointed from the commons.

Re: Downtown East - General Topics

Posted: April 19th, 2015, 9:06 pm
by Didier
KARE 11 is covering the $6 million pedestrian bridge tonight. Good to see this getting covered, but I was disappointed they didn't interview Nick.

Re: Downtown East - General Topics

Posted: April 19th, 2015, 9:37 pm
by Nick
Well, if all I knew about me was that post and my Twitter (the reporter followed me this afternoon) I probably wouldn't want me on camera either. A little bummed they didn't at least mention the site, though.

Re: Downtown East - General Topics

Posted: April 20th, 2015, 9:11 am
by Archiapolis
Well, if all I knew about me was that post and my Twitter (the reporter followed me this afternoon) I probably wouldn't want me on camera either. A little bummed they didn't at least mention the site, though.
Great post, thank you for exposing this awful idea for what it is. I'm sending emails opposing this thing tonight.

As I said early on (in this thread?) I think that tunneling is *possible* but probably quite expensive (above the $6M number) and difficult to execute but like I've been saying on a million threads - BETTER is worth fighting for!

Re: Downtown East LRT Ped Bridge & Stadium Plaza (MSFA Block

Posted: April 21st, 2015, 10:03 am
by ProspectPete
I don't particularly like the bridge myself. But wouldn't this have been the time to make the DT EAST stop a center platform? Of even dual platform (kind of like what they have going on at the Nicollet platform? )

Downtown East LRT Ped Bridge & Stadium Plaza (MSFA Block)

Posted: April 21st, 2015, 10:29 am
by HuskyGrad
I believe the issue is the underground structure that was a rushed idea. Kind of like this one.


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Re: Downtown East LRT Ped Bridge & Stadium Plaza (MSFA Block

Posted: April 21st, 2015, 11:10 am
by twincitizen
I'm not mad that they aren't adding a center platform now. I'm mad that the engineer would not clarify whether or not the ped bridge removes that option in the future (by spacing the bridge supports too closely together to allow it). That's all I f***ing want to know about this bridge - does it allow the addition of a minimum width center platform, in addition to the existing side platforms?

Re: Downtown East LRT Ped Bridge & Stadium Plaza (MSFA Block

Posted: April 23rd, 2015, 3:10 pm
by acs
Locked: http://finance-commerce.com/2015/04/vik ... l-delayed/

Deal delayed by Met Council, also a new angle to the rendering.

Image

Re: Downtown East LRT Ped Bridge & Stadium Plaza (MSFA Block

Posted: April 23rd, 2015, 3:23 pm
by mulad
Showing the nearby skyway, I see...

Re: Downtown East LRT Ped Bridge & Stadium Plaza (MSFA Block

Posted: April 23rd, 2015, 4:18 pm
by mattaudio
So, this angle makes me ask again...

Remind me again why we can't build a skyway across 4th Street, just west of Chicago, to vertical circulation that brings people to the westbound LRT platform (and further down to the ramp)? This would basically cross from the vertical circulation seen in the new MSFA ramp above, straight towards the LRVs in front of it.

More climate control, more use (it would actually be nice for commuters heading into DTE towards skyway connected buildings), and def cheaper than $6 mil.

Bonus points if you can build it as the back of a future amenity building for the new park.

Re: Downtown East LRT Ped Bridge & Stadium Plaza (MSFA Block

Posted: April 24th, 2015, 7:53 am
by HuskyGrad
So, this angle makes me ask again...

Remind me again why we can't build a skyway across 4th Street, just west of Chicago, to vertical circulation that brings people to the westbound LRT platform (and further down to the ramp)? This would basically cross from the vertical circulation seen in the new MSFA ramp above, straight towards the LRVs in front of it.

More climate control, more use (it would actually be nice for commuters heading into DTE towards skyway connected buildings), and def cheaper than $6 mil.

Bonus points if you can build it as the back of a future amenity building for the new park.

Because skyway to the MSFA ramp from the stadium is for VIPs and not for commoners.