Riverview Corridor Streetcar

[HiawathaGuy]

I disagree.

Well then I certainly hope Metro Transit is thinking about this and has a long-term plan. Although, I'm not sure spending another few million dollars now, before the final mode going to MOA from St. Paul is chosen, will be viewed favorably (by local/state/feds) for funding the MOA upgrade. So chances are that if/when the Riverview is built, it'll likely require an additional platform or a platform build out at MOA.

But looking at the plans, as jw138 mentioned in the Mall of America Transit Station: Master Plan thread, it would seem that with some engineering, the tracks could split and have a platform in what will be the new parking where the current transit station is located.

[fehler]

If we were to seriously plan on building a new double decker river bridge, would there be any reason to extend Tower Ave across to Miss River Blvd on the upper level? LRT down the center, a 20 mph street on one side and bike / walking paths on the other.

I don't think that's feasible, since Tower Road is just an extended driveway for HFS. And what would it connect to on the St. Paul side?

Now, if Minnehaha Parkway were extended to Tower Road, and then bridged separate from Hwy 5, and connected to Mississippi River Blvd/Crosby Farm Road, I could get behind that.

[kellonathan]

I agree that the current MOA station (an island platform with no tail tracks) doesn't have a capacity to handle both Hiawatha and Riverview.

I am pretty sure someone ease already mentioned this somewhere in this thread, but if you look at the plan for the currently proposed MOA station, I think the plan can accommodate another track and a platform to the west (where the proposed parking lot will go.)

[Mdcastle]

It'll never happen but after the 28th Ave station, what about routing the tracks down American (leaving a future extension to Penn-American and Best Buy open), and ending by all the hotels northwest of the Mall with an intermediate station on the north side by Ikea?

[HiawathaGuy]

It'll never happen but after the 28th Ave station, what about routing the tracks down American (leaving a future extension to Penn-American and Best Buy open), and ending by all the hotels northwest of the Mall with an intermediate station on the north side by Ikea?

It cost $30M (or more) in 2002 or 2003 to route the tracks into the MOA transit station instead of stopping across the way from the parking ramp - with a connecting skyway. I cannot imagine how much it would costs now, and that doesn't even factor into the non-measurable costs, of not having a quick and convenient connection from buses to trains and trains to buses. It would be an absolute waste of money to add those tracks from the 28th Street station to go toward some 'fantasy' rail extension. That's on nobody's radar.

[ProspectPete]

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_ ... um=twitter

[VAStationDude]

Terrible headline. Commuter rail and freeway brt were eliminated, not light rail.

[ProspectPete]

Agreed.. Threw me for a loop.

[mamundsen]

Bad headline. Worse website for mobile. It won't open. Just blinks on the PioPress "loading" screen. Anyone want to summarize it?

[Mdcastle]

Commuter Rail and Freeway BRT and Shepard Road options eliminated from consideration. Concern about fitting light rail on 7th.

[Anondson]

I hate the PiPress mobile website with a fiery passion. It got a bit better with a nice content blocker.

[grant1simons2]

West Seventh/Fort Road Federation

Saint Paul pls.

Funding still needs to be secured before any route is eventually implemented, which wouldn't be for at least several years, Rogers said.

First, who's Rogers? And second... Really? This is 2025 route? I thought it would be 2022.

[seanrichardryan]

Mike Rogers, transit project manager for the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority and project manager for the Riverview Corridor

What's wrong with the W7FRF?

[grant1simons2]

My apologies. They were talking about Hare and then switched over to Rogers and I didn't know if it was the same Rogers or a different one with how the article is written.

It sounded like they advocate for keeping the layout of 7th the same as it always has been. Complaints on parking and turn lanes make it pop out to me. Reading their website though, they seem like a good organization. So I'm still confused on why they wouldn't like the rail down 7th if it can be another economic driver to their road.

[Mikey]

Because the Old People who run St Paul are afraid of change. If they can't park their cars like they did in 1968, the world will end

[VAStationDude]

Those who object to west 7th becoming a two lane light rail frontage road are far from simple whiners deserving of dismissal.

[froggie]

Correct...they could very well derail (pun intended) any potential dedicated lane transit use of West 7th...whether rail or BRT.

[Mikey]

I don't dismiss them as simple whiners. I'm truly afraid they will, umm, "screw this up"

[EOst]

I don't know about you, but if I'm going to pick my battles, fighting to shoehorn a copy of the Central Corridor into West 7th probably isn't the one I would pick.

[intercomnut]

Here's my question: is LRT warranted in this corridor? The Central Corridor had a regular bus line running every 10 minutes every day (more frequently during rush hours) and a limited stop bus route paralleling it. The 54 runs every 15 minutes Monday-Saturday and only every 20-30 minutes on Sunday's. Central Corridor needed the extra capacity light rail has. It doesn't seem like West 7th does.