Green Line Extension - Southwest LRT

Roads - Rails - Sidewalks - Bikeways
Anondson
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Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby Anondson » February 17th, 2015, 7:08 pm

Community Works wants to know how much you'd use your bike to get to the SWLRT stations.

http://www.swlrtcommunityworks.org/news ... assessment

Sara Bergen

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby Sara Bergen » February 25th, 2015, 9:23 pm

A new Strib article about a lawsuit from the Lakes and Parks Alliance. I thought that getting the met council on board with the SEIS was a pretty big win, but it sounds like they want to halt further actions on SWLRT until the SEIS is completed (or at least out for comment).

http://www.startribune.com/local/west/294116881.html

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Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby Anondson » February 26th, 2015, 10:25 pm

SLP decides the Belt Line crossing will not be grade separated with an underpass. The cost is too much ($23MM) for nearly no improvement to congestion in the area.

http://sailor.mnsun.com/2015/02/26/st-l ... boulevard/

I guess I'm sad that this will be a lost opportunity, it will be hugely more expensive to try and do this in a couple decades. This may put more pressure to get the trail grade separated at least.

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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby David Greene » February 27th, 2015, 10:57 am

However, Hennepin County and Three Rivers Park District are advancing plans to separate the regional Southwest LRT Trail from Belt Line Boulevard, Wooddale Avenue in St. Louis Park and Blake Road in Hopkins.
That would be excellent!

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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby mattaudio » February 27th, 2015, 11:12 am

Wouldn't it be easier to grade separate the cross streets in some of these cases? Then roads don't conflict with the LRT or freight rail either.

Hopefully planners aren't skiddish of having at-grade ped crossings of the freight rail. Those scenarios happen all over the country, and are just fine.

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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby Anondson » February 27th, 2015, 11:23 am

It probably would be easier. But the SWLRT funding won't pay. No one else can afford it. The rail company probably doesn't see a pay off worth contributing to it either.

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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby David Greene » February 27th, 2015, 11:36 am

Wouldn't it be easier to grade separate the cross streets in some of these cases?
Apparently it is not. $23MM is a hell of a lot of money for one grade separation of questionable value. I suppose maybe Blake would be a bit easier since there's no highway right next to it but I think a complete grade separation there would actually harm the pedestrian environment. Even the trail separation there is going to have to be done very carefully to maintain convenient access to the apartments, restaurants and retail there.

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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby David Greene » February 27th, 2015, 11:37 am

Hopefully planners aren't skiddish of having at-grade ped crossings of the freight rail. Those scenarios happen all over the country, and are just fine.
Including at Blake presently. I don't think that will be a concern. People will be more concerned about the LRT than freight due to frequency.

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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby RailBaronYarr » February 27th, 2015, 11:56 am

https://twitter.com/dhmontgomery/status ... 0180834305

Dayton restores MPRB funding over SWLRT dispute. Also:

http://metrocouncil.org/News-Events/Tra ... ssing.aspx

Met Council will reimburse MPRB for tunnel engineering analysis and they came to an agreement on the bridge. Big deal here.

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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby David Greene » February 27th, 2015, 12:26 pm

Well that was quick.

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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby twincitizen » February 27th, 2015, 12:30 pm

Heck, maybe with the additional budget surplus projections announced today, we can get (some) state funding for this project this year and get this show on the road. Finally.

Clarification: Yes, I know House Republicans have specifically mentioned not funding SWLRT, but we'll see what happens now with the increased surplus. Apparently the GOP are making a big stand in the House right now saying there will not be a gas tax increase this year. The huge budget surplus indeed makes any tax increases politically unpalatable right now, especially with Senate Dems heading for election next year. I say it isn't happening this session. Perhaps as part of Democrats' "compromise" to drop the gas (and sales) tax increase proposals, they'll secure some state funding for SWLRT. That would be a non-terrible outcome for the time being.

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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby mulad » February 27th, 2015, 1:44 pm

So just to summarize the whole tunneling in Kenilworth debate up until now: We still have a tunnel just south of the channel crossing, in order to fit freight, LRT, and the bike trail without taking out any of the townhomes, but there won't be a tunnel through the channel or north of the channel, right?

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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby David Greene » February 27th, 2015, 2:03 pm

So just to summarize the whole tunneling in Kenilworth debate up until now: We still have a tunnel just south of the channel crossing, in order to fit freight, LRT, and the bike trail without taking out any of the townhomes, but there won't be a tunnel through the channel or north of the channel, right?
Right.

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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby RailBaronYarr » February 27th, 2015, 2:28 pm

I have to say, whatever you may think of the whole thing to begin with, kudos to those who negotiated this in the timeframe they did. If there was any hope of getting SWLRT funded/moving this year, solving this debate HAD to be done.

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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby twincitizen » March 11th, 2015, 7:14 am


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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby Anondson » March 13th, 2015, 7:11 am

Station design open houses scheduled. All in April.

http://metrocouncil.org/Transportation/ ... -2015.aspx

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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby Anondson » March 13th, 2015, 8:24 am

Question for all of you who use the Blue and Green regularly, what are aspects and elements of the station design on those lines that future stations should improve? Is there anything in the daily user experience of the stations that feels unpolished that we can keep in mind for new stations?

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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby FISHMANPET » March 13th, 2015, 9:16 am

There needs to be structures that actually block the wind. It's miserable in the winter because you're always exposed to the cold no matter where you stand. I understand why they don't have enclosed shelters, the enclosed escalator area at the Lake St station always smells like this weird combination of weed, pee, and pinesol. But it's warm!

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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby VacantLuxuries » March 13th, 2015, 9:52 am

Seconded on the somewhat-enclosed spaces. The Green Line can be so bitterly cold and some of the heaters are already not working.

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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby FISHMANPET » March 13th, 2015, 10:06 am

The way those heaters work is they'll heat up exposed skin but not really the air around you. There's no exposed skin in a Minnesota winter, so you need something that's enclosed that you can fill with hot air.


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