Como-Harriet Streetcar Line

[lordmoke]

A thread for anything relating to our city's often-overlooked single heritage streetcar line.

I am going to start this off with something I've been thinking about for a very long time- turning this short stub into a usable shuttle line. The thought occurred when I noticed on the Hennepin County Property Tax Map that the City of Minneapolis still owns a large chunk of the off-street ROW from the old streetcar line. You can see it here: http://gis.co.hennepin.mn.us/Property/m ... ,0,0,0,0,0

The old map:
http://geo.lib.umn.edu/twin_cities_maps ... p01453.jpg

There are a couple hundred square feet of land behind the streetcar barn apparently not owned by the city, but nothing seems to be built in the necessary ROW to stop reacquisition of and construction in this space.

A scenario that I could see coming to fruition would be the extension of the existing tracks along their original route to 31st & Hennepin in the east and to the 4300 block of Upton in the west. This would create a small shuttle line between the Uptown and Linden Hills commercial districts, for (relatively) little money. A single modern streetcar (or two) could even be acquired for use in inclement weather, as I can't see a line that short needing more than one vehicle at a time. This would turn what is now a novelty into useful infrastructure, while simultaneously increasing the visibility (and thus the impact) of the museum. It might also help Uptown feel more connected to the lakes.

What do you guys think? Is something like this feasible, or is it completely ridiculous?

[mattaudio]

Sounds cool. I like it.

Speaking of this historic line, it is actually operated by volunteers (I had been interested in volunteering but my schedule did not allow). Since it would just be really freaking cool to drive a train, maybe there could be enough of a volunteer supply that we could actually run our streetcars with volunteer labor. I'm sure the transit union would love it. But why not?

[Yourpalborno]

I LOVE this idea! As an ECCO resident and Linden Hills frequenter it's something I think about a lot. I think you could actually extend the line to 44th & France. Much of the old streetcar path is still there. Connect three similar commercial hubs and two lakes with just a couple of miles of track! Oh my goodness! It's almost like someone thought about this 70 years ago. Oh wait...

[David Greene]

I've been thinling a bit about this line myself recently.

Currently the ROW in Linden Hills is used for parking and I'm sure there would be a fight from local businesses. Nothing that can't be overcome.

I think a more intriguing plan is to try to reconstruct the line out to Hopkins to meet up with the Green Line and then make a connection to the Uptown transit center/Midtown corridor. Or maybe at the West Lake station. Then we have an interesting line to connect southwest Minneapolis/South St. Louis Park/Northern Edina into the regional transit system.

Things get a bit tricky around 44th & France as stuff has been built over the original ROW at that intersection. Beyond that there are some more tricky spots along the southern border of Meadowbrook golf course. Perhaps the city could provide an easement within the golf course.

I assume we'd route the thing along Spruce Rd.in Edina, across Blake and into the original ROW south of the Blake School (the paved path there may be one of the first "rails to trails" projects in the state).

The we'd go along 2nd St./3rd St. and 5th Ave. in Hopkins up to the LRT.

Yeah, it's a bit fantastic but with some political will I think we could do it and it would be useful.

[web]

the entire route in edina has been "poofed"

[David Greene]

the entire route in edina has been "poofed"

I don't know what "poofed" means, but running along Spruce Rd. shouldn't be an issue.

[twincitizen]

https://www.google.com/search?q=poof

Apparently there are two definitions, but I think it's safe to assume he meant the former.

[mattaudio]

Actually it's a magazine for magicians.

[FISHMANPET]

So let's be honest, who among us hasn't pondered volunteering to drive the streetcar?

[David Greene]

the entire route in edina has been "poofed"

Where was the route through Edina? I've been trying to figure that out for a while. All the maps of the line I've seen stop at the Minneapolis border.

[twincitizen]

http://www.lightrailnow.org/images/min- ... ncover.jpg

Not that it's really legible, but there you go. You can actually trace the line pretty easily on Google maps. There are places where things have been built in the way, but mostly not. If money weren't an object, it would be possible to resurrect it. Crossing 169 into downtown Hopkins would be an issue.

So let's be honest, who among us hasn't pondered volunteering to drive the streetcar?

I know, right?

[mullen]

i remember a few years ago there were rumblings about an extension of this line from it's lakewood cemetary stop.

[RailBaronYarr]

Actually it's a magazine for magicians.

lol AD.

[David Greene]

http://www.lightrailnow.org/images/min- ... ncover.jpg

Not that it's really legible, but there you go. You can actually trace the line pretty easily on Google maps. There are places where things have been built in the way, but mostly not. If money weren't an object, it would be possible to resurrect it. Crossing 169 into downtown Hopkins would be an issue.

I'm mostly wondering where the line went after crossing France. There is no clear ROW that I can see. Was it perhaps on Sunnyside or probably more likely 44th?

It certainly could run on 44th today. That gets you most of the way through Edina with a short jot over the Brookside Ct. before entering the possible easement on Meadowbrook golf course. We might need some cooperation from Interlachen country club. Then it's on to Spruce Rd., the original alignment south of Blake and then on to Hopkins surface streets all the way to the LRT.

169 shouldn't be a problem because there's a big ol' bridge there with lots of room underneath. Third St. has an underpass.

I agree that Edina is the biggest problem but I think it is solvable.

[fehler]

I would love to see this run all the way from Uptown to 50th/France. And then expanded to downtown and Southdale.

[mattaudio]

I've always thought this line should be ressurected, but turn south onto France Ave to the Southdale area.

[Andrew_F]

I agree that turning south on France is better than continuing west. Even just getting the line to 44th/France would be pretty cool.

Would people prefer it somehow run along the shore of Calhoun and then merge with the Midtown Streetcar/LRT, or take 36th up to Hennepin?

[mulad]

I'll just mention that historically, this went up Hennepin all the way from Uptown through downtown to Old St. Anthony before turning onto University Ave SE (basically today's 6U), and then turned onto 15th Ave SE before following Como Ave pretty much all the way to downtown Saint Paul (well, Como Ave ends at Rice Street near the capitol...).

I don't really have a preference at the moment, though.

[David Greene]

I could definitely be on board with something that goes to 50th & France. Don't know about Southdale, though. Tearing up that many streets and getting over Crosstown could get expensive.

I like going to Hopkins because a lot of the ROW still exists and is in public hands. it also creates multiple connections to the Green Line. People living all along the route would have convenient access into the regional transitway system.

I've also wondered if a Midtown Greenway streetcar could somehow interline to a Como-Harriet expansion. Seems a bit tricky, but who knows?

[mattaudio]

A friend of mine who works for a western suburb says that there has been "exploration" of a streetcar circulator idea for SLP, Hopkins, etc connecting to the Green Line and potentially interlining with a Greenway streetcar.