Purple Line BRT (Rush Line Corridor)

Roads - Rails - Sidewalks - Bikeways
Trademark
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Re: Rush Line Corridor BRT

Postby Trademark » July 13th, 2021, 8:42 pm

Gonna be crucial in St Paul's bid to get the next vikings stadium though. Playing the loooong game.
Don't give them any ideas. :lol:

If I could go back in time and change it, this would've been the Silver Line since I can see the logic with having the Gold and Silver Lines both being in Downtown St. Paul, serving the east metro, and running mostly on dedicated bus lanes. Also reserve purple for a light rail route, likely Riverview, so people would be riding the Purple Train (too bad it wouldn't go near Paisley Park).
It's part of the long game when the riverview corridor gets downgraded to BRT. So that the Purple Line will be extended to mall of america. (Not serious. Please hope they don't actually do this lol)

Bakken2016
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Re: Rush Line Corridor BRT

Postby Bakken2016 » July 14th, 2021, 2:01 pm

https://www.presspubs.com/white_bear/ne ... 53dff.html

I really don't think this coalition has enough power to stop this project, it's the same type of NIMBYism that came with the SWLRT project.

DanPatchToget
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Re: Purple Line BRT (Rush Line Corridor)

Postby DanPatchToget » July 14th, 2021, 2:23 pm

If Greg Lees thinks 89 buses per day is awful wait until he hears about this thing called cars, which there are around 26,000 going through Downtown White Bear Lake on Highway 61 everyday (based on 2019 traffic data from MnDOT). Also I'm curious what he means by "the crap that comes with it (BRT)."

Just another group that thinks new things are scary and should be stopped.

twincitizen
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Re: Purple Line BRT (Rush Line Corridor)

Postby twincitizen » July 14th, 2021, 2:27 pm

While all of their arguments are dumb (and almost certainly rooted in bigotry/fear), IMHO it would be absolutely fine if this BRT service ended at the Maplewood Mall P&R, with slightly less frequent local service extending into White Bear Lake. I’m very curious what percentage of the total construction costs are made up by the segment beyond Maplewood Mall. I just don’t see it as being worth it.

Bakken2016
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Re: Purple Line BRT (Rush Line Corridor)

Postby Bakken2016 » July 14th, 2021, 2:38 pm

While all of their arguments are dumb (and almost certainly rooted in bigotry/fear), IMHO it would be absolutely fine if this BRT service ended at the Maplewood Mall P&R, with slightly less frequent local service extending into White Bear Lake. I’m very curious what percentage of the total construction costs are made up by the segment beyond Maplewood Mall. I just don’t see it as being worth it.
While I wouldn't be mad about it ending at Maplewood Mall. It seems the goal of lot of our METRO projects besides aBRT is to expand service to more areas that currently don't have service. I do get a handful of calls at my job of people trying to get to White Bear Lake on transit, and it's just not possible currently.

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Re: Purple Line BRT (Rush Line Corridor)

Postby DanPatchToget » July 14th, 2021, 2:48 pm

While all of their arguments are dumb (and almost certainly rooted in bigotry/fear), IMHO it would be absolutely fine if this BRT service ended at the Maplewood Mall P&R, with slightly less frequent local service extending into White Bear Lake. I’m very curious what percentage of the total construction costs are made up by the segment beyond Maplewood Mall. I just don’t see it as being worth it.
North of I-694 buses will travel on Highway 61 the rest of the way to White Bear Lake. I believe there will be dedicated shoulder lanes for buses, but I don't see the cost north of Maplewood Mall being significant unlike south of I-694 where they have to build a dedicated busway.

And as Nathan said, taking transit to White Bear Lake is virtually impossible right now. I almost got an internship there and I would've very much preferred driving from my house in West Bloomington to 28th Avenue, take the 54 to St. Paul, then the Purple Line to White Bear Lake. It would definitely be longer, but driving the whole way roundtrip everyday would be too much for me.

mamundsen
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Re: Purple Line BRT (Rush Line Corridor)

Postby mamundsen » July 14th, 2021, 5:39 pm

As a WBL resident, I’m looking forward to it coming further north. Given I still wish it had the stop on the east side of 61 @ USBank. I need to rally some neighbors and get commenting to show support.

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Re: Purple Line BRT (Rush Line Corridor)

Postby DanPatchToget » July 31st, 2021, 4:35 pm

Found this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NoRushLine/

Just goes to show that BRT can get the same extreme NIMBYism as light rail.

Oreos&Milk
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Re: Rush Line Corridor BRT

Postby Oreos&Milk » August 20th, 2021, 4:07 am

IMO Silver Line would be a better fit, with the 2 east metro BRTs then being Gold and Silver. Plus it would reserve Purple for Riverview. But mostly I’m annoyed at the Purple thing because a Ramsey County Commissioner long ago earmarked Purple for this line specifically because it gave them Purple & Gold, which they stated they wanted because it is the Vikings’ colors (which is moronic reasoning since neither line goes to the Vikings stadium).

I feel like river view should be the red line .. even if it’s a 2 seat line .. I remember the red line was to be expanded to have downtown(s) service so river view is just that.

Also I am now 1000% on board on relabeling Green line to Gold line and Blue line to Purple line!

The fact that we didn’t realize this ages ago seems like they were out of touch with our community.

Same thing with the aBRT labeling

Just call them by the dominate roadway they service Snelling METRO line, Hennepin METRO line, Chicago METRO line Nicollet METRO line etc. ..we all learned the roads why make us learn letters now too when we can have a name that fits the community better?

We shouldn’t build a transit network that is dedicated to visitors, but a transit network that is for the community that visitors can also easily understand.

Bakken2016
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Re: Purple Line BRT (Rush Line Corridor)

Postby Bakken2016 » August 20th, 2021, 9:51 am

Disagree, the letter system is easy and distinguishable. It’s not a mouthful and it looks good on a map.


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Trademark
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Re: Rush Line Corridor BRT

Postby Trademark » August 20th, 2021, 11:23 am

IMO Silver Line would be a better fit, with the 2 east metro BRTs then being Gold and Silver. Plus it would reserve Purple for Riverview. But mostly I’m annoyed at the Purple thing because a Ramsey County Commissioner long ago earmarked Purple for this line specifically because it gave them Purple & Gold, which they stated they wanted because it is the Vikings’ colors (which is moronic reasoning since neither line goes to the Vikings stadium).

I feel like river view should be the red line .. even if it’s a 2 seat line .. I remember the red line was to be expanded to have downtown(s) service so river view is just that.

Also I am now 1000% on board on relabeling Green line to Gold line and Blue line to Purple line!

The fact that we didn’t realize this ages ago seems like they were out of touch with our community.

Same thing with the aBRT labeling

Just call them by the dominate roadway they service Snelling METRO line, Hennepin METRO line, Chicago METRO line Nicollet METRO line etc. ..we all learned the roads why make us learn letters now too when we can have a name that fits the community better?

We shouldn’t build a transit network that is dedicated to visitors, but a transit network that is for the community that visitors can also easily understand.
Also what about the D Line which goes on Chicago Fremont Emerson 44th Brooklyn Blvd and American. What would you call that?

Bakken2016
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Re: Purple Line BRT (Rush Line Corridor)

Postby Bakken2016 » November 3rd, 2021, 12:29 am

White Bear Lake just elected an anti Purple Line mayor and city council member. I know the city has already given municipal consent, but could they revoke it?


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EOst
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Re: Purple Line BRT (Rush Line Corridor)

Postby EOst » November 3rd, 2021, 6:43 am

BRT projects don't require municipal consent.

DanPatchToget
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Re: Purple Line BRT (Rush Line Corridor)

Postby DanPatchToget » November 3rd, 2021, 8:14 am

Could they pull a Lake Elmo and ban the Purple Line from being routed into White Bear Lake?

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Re: Purple Line BRT (Rush Line Corridor)

Postby mamundsen » November 3rd, 2021, 6:45 pm

I’m wondering the same. Could the line be cut short or in jeopardy because the WBL mayor position shift?

I’m still disappointed with the shift of the downtown WBL station location from the US Bank site to the opposite side of 61. Not ideal, but perhaps it ends up drawing downtown to straddle Hwy 61 and there is further calming of the roadway.

twincitizen
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Re: Purple Line BRT (Rush Line Corridor)

Postby twincitizen » November 4th, 2021, 11:42 am

The WBL routing is so disappointing and useless the BRT line should just end at the Maplewood Mall Park & Ride, with service to Downtown WBL provided by a separate local bus route that can actually serve useful stops near downtown.

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Re: Purple Line BRT (Rush Line Corridor)

Postby thespeedmccool » November 4th, 2021, 2:31 pm

The WBL routing is so disappointing and useless the BRT line should just end at the Maplewood Mall Park & Ride, with service to Downtown WBL provided by a separate local bus route that can actually serve useful stops near downtown.
As much as I want WBL to join us in the 21st Century, I do think the line north of Maplewood Mall makes little sense, adding lots of expense for few riders. If WBL pulls a Lake Elmo, I don't think it would be hard to just end the Purple Line in Maplewood, almost no redesign required.

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Re: Purple Line BRT (Rush Line Corridor)

Postby DanPatchToget » November 4th, 2021, 4:18 pm

Unlike the Gold Line and Lake Elmo, the Purple Line going to White Bear Lake would serve an actual downtown district that, while there are a lot of cars, developed before cars became the main mode of transportation. The station location definitely isn't the best, but to me not a deal breaker. Technically the Green Line isn't directly serving downtown Hopkins but we're still supporting that, and we should be doing the same for the Purple Line in White Bear Lake.

If White Bear Lake does block the Purple Line I'm concerned that, along with Lake Elmo banning BRT, it will encourage other communities to do the same, and their decision will be based on unproven beliefs, fear mongering, and bigotry (i.e. BRT will cause more traffic congestion, crime will increase, residents not wanting "those people" who take transit, etc.).

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Re: Purple Line BRT (Rush Line Corridor)

Postby mamundsen » November 5th, 2021, 3:10 pm

Has anyone heard of the "Purple Line Partners"? Apparently it is a group of East Metro area businesses, health care orgs, non-profits, and residents that formed a coalition to support the Purple Line. There is a brief in the 11/3 WBL Press Pub that I can't find online.

"To learn more about Purple Line Partners, email Shannon Watson at [email protected]."

Bakken2016
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Re: Purple Line BRT (Rush Line Corridor)

Postby Bakken2016 » December 13th, 2021, 11:41 am

https://www.metrotransit.org/metro-purp ... l-approval

METRO Purple Line has received approval to enter the Project Development phase of the Federal Transit Administration's New Starts program.


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