Sorry, I meant that the rail through Kenilworth would be redirected to West End. At least that's how I understand it.
No, you're right. My point was:
- You'd be cool with 3C(ish) to EP routing if re-calculated ridership justified it (unless I misunderstood you)
- You'd want a streetcar of sorts through Kenilworth into downtown and (assuming) from VW/Penn/Royalston to West Lake for connecting out to SW suburbs at peak hours
- Matt's plan builds a 3A SWLRT now
- Matt's plan changes 3ASWLRT to 3C(ish)SWLRT in the future
- Matt's plan leaves open the possibility of Green Line to extend to West End/etc via VW/Penn/Royalston
- Peak hour streetcar from Interchange to West Lake using single-track streetcar in Kenilworth is a long-term possibility.
Seems like everyone wins in this situation - build reverse commute ridership from N Mpls, downtown, etc to SW burb job centers in short-term, long term you get an extra reverse commute option to West End and points beyond while requiring a slightly longer travel from Blue Line into new N-S SWLRT line running through downtown (or 2 transfers using the peak-hour streetcar in Kenilworth).
Again, I think you're making a wrong assumption. The pinch point is not the issue. Freight in Kenilworth is the issue. That's the *only* reason we're proposing a north tunnel at all. People want the freight gone. Any plan with at-grade colocation is a total non-starter. The number of tracks or takings matters not a bit.
Of course, I'm speaking of one opposition group. There are others opposed to any LRT in Kenilworth. Another group likes LRT in Kenilworth and doesn't really care about freight. A fourth (likely largest) group doesn't really care at all what happens.
Misunderstood the issue. I guess this is where I have little sympathy for people who simply want freight traffic from a rail corridor gone because they don't like it, particularly if there is a way to get them all at-grade without any meaningful takings or costly/risky tunnels or berms. Even more so if the long-term plan eliminates all-day LRT service from the corridor, leaving some peak hour streetcars and freight. I dunno. The word "non-starter" doesn't sit well with me. Also, why are people who want freight gone pushing for a tunnel to house LRT so... freight can remain at-grade?...