urbanMSP

No one has mentioned this yet, so...

Mediator hired for Southwest light-rail dispute:
http://www.startribune.com/politics/sta ... 92461.html

I had been thinking of making a projected ridership map for the Central Corridor, but MPR has leapfrogged me and made one for SWLRT:

http://blogs.mprnews.org/cities/2014/05 ... hwest-lrt/

I had been thinking of making a projected ridership map for the Central Corridor, but MPR has leapfrogged me and made one for SWLRT:

http://blogs.mprnews.org/cities/2014/05 ... hwest-lrt/

As if those that think this route is bad given the new realities of "colocation" need more evidence that the route is bad.

This Southwest Corridor thread is 120+ pages long, and maybe I missed any mention of it, but someone explain to me again why wouldn't it be possible to elevate the bike trail? Is that totally off the table? Not perfect but neither is 100's of millions of dollars for a tunnel through a forest.
Down by the east bank of the river between Franklin and the U of MN there is a nice elevated walking trail.
I stumbled on a pretty cool bridge design for bikes in Holland. If they can do this why can't we come up with something equally creative? Perhaps the answer to this whole mess is right on the tip of our noses?

I'll post it to the Bicycle Infrastructure page as well.
http://www.amusingplanet.com/2014/01/ho ... cycle.html

The park district said elevating the trail was a nonstarter.

I always looked at it more optimistically as an extended grade separation over Cedar Lake Pkwy. In the end, of course, it isn't about what to do about the bike trail.

You are correct, it isn't about the bike trail....but I wonder if the park district has anything to say about a tunnel through the woods?

They think the deep tunnel is awesome. Which, I suppose, I would too, if I wasn't on the hook to pay for it and exclusively cared about keeping as much pristine parkland as possible.

I've read that the park district has insisted they get a say over the tunnel. I honestly wonder if they were given the two alternates, trail bridging over the tight spots vs. LRT tunnels through the tight spots which would be chosen. Especially if noting that building the trail bridge would be far less disruptive than building the tunnel(s), would be more than a hundred million cheaper, and wouldn't delay the completion date an entire year.

Joint Met Council-Hennepin County Public Hearing is tomorrow/Thursday night:

https://www.thedatabank.com/dpg/132/mtg ... ntid=23315


When: 6 PM Thursday, May 29, 2014

Where:
Hennepin County Government Center
300 S Sixth Street
Room 1713
Minneapolis, MN 55487

Note that an open house will begin at 5 PM preceding this public hearing. The open house will be held on the Public Service Level of the Hennepin County Government Center.

Hopkins hopes to incorporate old smokestack in station area design after building demolished to make way for future Shady Oak station

http://finance-commerce.com/2014/05/in- ... rt-future/

Hope this happens, it would be iconic on the line, as well as make wayfinding to the station from Excelsior Blvd easier.

Did anyone get to the public hearing? How did it go? I was on kid duty...

i heard there were more supporters than opponents.

approximately 40 comments. they broke at about 3-to-1 in favor of building the line. lots of northside residents/activists/organizations trying to maximize transit investments in the area.

edit: it's too limiting to say 'maximize transit investments', they also brought up issues of access, minority employment and contracting etc. opponents were about 10 speakers. Half of which were Kenilworth/save the lakes types.

One thing that's refreshing is that the true anti-transit spend-nothing-at-all types seem to be quiet on this, at least from what I've been reading. But maybe that's because they mostly live in the exurbs or beyond. I just hope that this doesn't become fodder for anti-transit sentiment for rural legislative candidates.

One thing that's refreshing is that the true anti-transit spend-nothing-at-all types seem to be quiet on this, at least from what I've been reading. But maybe that's because they mostly live in the exurbs or beyond. I just hope that this doesn't become fodder for anti-transit sentiment for rural legislative candidates.

Disclaimer: I fully support mass-transit and a progressive transit agenda.

To be fair, there were MAJOR mistakes made on this project and it *should* face major scrutiny in my opinion. I've said in the past that I don't trust these same groups making transit decisions in the future and I don't trust engineers numbers that fly in the face of observable reality (density). People on this thread are saying, "We have to accept this because it's the 'best we can get at this point'." I think it is gut-wrenching to think that $1.5B is going to be a "shoulder shrug/get 'em next time" endeavor. If the progressives/urbanists on this board have big misgivings/disagreements on this line and the ROI associated with it, then it is LIKELY to be fodder for conservatives.

The new St. Croix River crossing which will cost about 50% and is 200% absurd will receive 1% of the scrutiny.

If the progressives/urbanists on this board have big misgivings/disagreements on this line and the ROI associated with it, then it is LIKELY to be fodder for conservatives.

I'd say "assured" instead of "likely".

If we were spending extra $$$ to tunnel it to Uptown, it'd still be fodder for conservatives to attack public transit.

As long as this meets or exceeds ridership projections and spurs some new apartment buildings here and there, this will be seen as a success. The average voter in the exurbs is going to hate it either way; he doesn't care about "existing density" or "urban transportation," he hates the project because he thinks trains are dumb.

It'll be fodder for many conservatives just because it is money not going to roads. Period.

Oookay- LOCKED

http://finance-commerce.com/2014/06/sou ... partments/

The apartments in question.https://www.google.com/maps/place/Clare ... ac479cbfb3

I knew someone who lived here, they are nothing beyond ordinary.