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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: August 29th, 2014, 9:50 pm
by David Greene
The project works to enter Final Design where the remaining engineering issues are worked out and then construction. Along the way the Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) gets signed to receive the federal share. Politically, municipal consent is the big hudle, at least locally. We still have to worry about national politics and the Highway Trust Fund. That's one of the reasons the Met Council wanted to fast-track SWLRT -- to get the FFGA in place before Congress can gut transit funding.

The lawsuits aren't going anywhere. At best they are a negotiating tool to extract more out of the project, though I'd guess at this point the Met Council isn't too keen on giving Minneapolis anything more in terms of mitigation.

No lawsuit filed to stop an LRT project in Minnesota has ever succeeded. Mostly I think people are smart and understand they're using lawsuits to influence negotiation. If it's different with this group, well, then they aren't very smart.

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: August 30th, 2014, 8:44 am
by MNdible
There's no state funding dedicated for this yet, right?

Or at least nothing beyond a token amount?

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: August 30th, 2014, 11:07 am
by grant1simons2
I don't know if this forum has polls but I'm interested if anyone currently on the site would use this line whether it be for work, school or fun. I would be one using it for school. Nice to go home to mom and dad for a home cooked meal

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: August 30th, 2014, 12:04 pm
by twincitizen
There's no state funding dedicated for this yet, right?

Or at least nothing beyond a token amount?
No specific bonding money in the Dayton era, other than general transit dollars that may have made their way into this project. CTIB and Hennepin County so far. Would state funds for SWLRT come as part of a bonding bill? Or part of the state budget? How was Central funded? I honestly think the state is trying to dodge directly funding this, preferring to increase the transit sales tax and have that pick up the state's 10% as well. That would be another $165MM coming from regional transit money instead of statewide. That's not going to make the other metro counties too happy. Given that you need the supermajority to pass a bonding bill...I can't see it happening that way. Republican Party opposition to public transit has seemingly become more unified and crystalized in recent years as the party has become more "pure". I feel like transit didn't used to be so explicitly partisan.

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: August 30th, 2014, 12:25 pm
by EOst
So what happens if Republicans take the state House of Representatives? I assume there isn't much chance that this would get funded in the lame duck session.

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: August 30th, 2014, 3:13 pm
by David Greene
Bonding is what's been done before but there are always other pots of money. A regional sales tax wouldn't count as the state's match.

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: August 30th, 2014, 6:00 pm
by colink
I don't know if this forum has polls but I'm interested if anyone currently on the site would use this line whether it be for work, school or fun. I would be one using it for school. Nice to go home to mom and dad for a home cooked meal
Yes I would. I live in Bryn Mawr and would love to be able to take the train downtown. I actually would be using it tonight if it were an option.

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: August 30th, 2014, 6:08 pm
by Anondson
From Penn or Van White?

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: August 30th, 2014, 6:14 pm
by acs
I don't know if this forum has polls but I'm interested if anyone currently on the site would use this line whether it be for work, school or fun. I would be one using it for school. Nice to go home to mom and dad for a home cooked meal
I live/work downtown and the only two times I need my car are to go to my friend's house at west Calhoun and my parent's house in Eden Prairie. I'd love to pocket ten grand today but the line won't be open for another five years.

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: August 30th, 2014, 7:37 pm
by talindsay
Bonding is what's been done before but there are always other pots of money. A regional sales tax wouldn't count as the state's match.
But of course the state made up that rule so they can change it. The federal government doesn't care who pays the local match, only that local powers show the commitment to come up with one. It's been discussed before that any money Met Council chooses to spend out of its budget counts as state match for state guidelines, and the feds don't care - so Met Council could bond for it if they really wanted to extend themselves.

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: August 30th, 2014, 8:05 pm
by David Greene
The sales tax would more than likely go to CTIB, not the Met Council.

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: August 30th, 2014, 8:37 pm
by blobs
so...yay?

I won't use the line ever but I guess it's good for Hopkins

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: August 30th, 2014, 8:46 pm
by grant1simons2
And for the Bassett creek development, and for the golden triangle.

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: August 31st, 2014, 8:15 am
by colink
From Penn or Van White?
Penn. This is going to be the most expensive stop since it will require an elevator/bridge to be built so it might be the first to go if they need to cut costs. However, it's got the support of N. Mpls community leaders since it is thought to be the best option for service for those neighborhoods (Until the Blue Line is extended north). I think it might be a political issue if they try to cut this one out.

I currently take the 9 bus downtown from time to time but I love the idea of not having to look up the bus schedule since it could be up to an hour wait in the late evening hours. And 2 hours if you happen to miss your bus by a couple of minutes.

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: August 31st, 2014, 2:24 pm
by talindsay
The sales tax would more than likely go to CTIB, not the Met Council.
Yes, I would say that's the expected outcome. Again, the state can choose however they want to handle the match. separately, Met Council contributions count as state match.

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: September 1st, 2014, 9:30 pm
by Minneapolisite
So city council said in so many words, "NYC doesn't know how to do mass transit: we're going to do the opposite and show them how it's done." This is insanity.

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: September 1st, 2014, 10:05 pm
by David Greene
So city council said in so many words, "NYC doesn't know how to do mass transit: we're going to do the opposite and show them how it's done." This is insanity.
Do you actually know the history of the NYC subway?

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: September 2nd, 2014, 6:16 am
by mattaudio
It was built by private companies because we had not yet built urban freeways with the expectation that everyone get a car?

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: September 2nd, 2014, 6:54 am
by EOst
It was built by private companies because we had not yet built urban freeways with the expectation that everyone get a car?
I think he's referring to the fact that they were frequently built to relatively undeveloped areas as a way to spur development. The borough of Queens, for example, largely didn't exist when a lot of the trains there were built.

Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Posted: September 2nd, 2014, 6:58 am
by grant1simons2
Sounds familiar