Public Transit News / Current Events (MN only)

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SamtheBusNerd
City Center
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby SamtheBusNerd » November 16th, 2017, 5:34 pm

So, while we thought that the light rail closure was bad...

Metro Transit buses will return to the Nicollet Mall on Dec. 2 only to be rerouted back to Hennepin for a month for the Super Bowl
http://www.startribune.com/metro-transi ... 458052503/

This is rediculous. Is Metro Transit actively trying to lose riders these days?

intercomnut
Rice Park
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby intercomnut » November 16th, 2017, 6:38 pm

So, while we thought that the light rail closure was bad...

Metro Transit buses will return to the Nicollet Mall on Dec. 2 only to be rerouted back to Hennepin for a month for the Super Bowl
http://www.startribune.com/metro-transi ... 458052503/

This is rediculous. Is Metro Transit actively trying to lose riders these days?
Nicollet Mall is the City's street. If they want Metro Transit off of it for a Superbowl event, Metro Transit has to move. It's no different than any other event where the City closes a street.

Silophant
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby Silophant » November 16th, 2017, 8:04 pm

True enough, but MT just shouldn't move the buses back to Nicollet until the Super Bowl's done. It isn't worth it.
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SamtheBusNerd
City Center
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby SamtheBusNerd » November 16th, 2017, 8:57 pm

Whether it's the city forcing MT to do it without input or some sort of agreement between MT and the city, it's a problem. Part of being a city that cares about stuff like equity is not treating transit riders as inconsequential. Shutting down our downtown transit mall for a month for a party is doing just that. A few nights is one thing but an entire month is rediculous and disrespectful to everyone who has to ride the bus in this city.

intercomnut
Rice Park
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby intercomnut » November 16th, 2017, 9:32 pm

True enough, but MT just shouldn't move the buses back to Nicollet until the Super Bowl's done. It isn't worth it.
Fair point.

Multimodal
US Bank Plaza
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby Multimodal » November 16th, 2017, 10:06 pm

Perhaps the Super Bowl events just prove that Nicollet Mall is better as a pedestrian-only mall, and buses should be permanently re-routed off of it.

RailBaronYarr
Capella Tower
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby RailBaronYarr » November 17th, 2017, 9:03 am

Perhaps the Super Bowl events just prove that Nicollet Mall is better as a pedestrian-only mall, and buses should be permanently re-routed under it.
FTFY

DanPatchToget
Wells Fargo Center
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby DanPatchToget » November 17th, 2017, 9:19 am

If buses can be rerouted and the travel time is less or the same as Nicollet Mall then I fully support a pedestrian-only Nicollet Mall (as long as people can still bike through there). Considering buses go 15 miles per hour maximum on that stretch it probably wouldn't be too difficult.

Bakken2016
Wells Fargo Center
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby Bakken2016 » November 17th, 2017, 9:28 am

If buses can be rerouted and the travel time is less or the same as Nicollet Mall then I fully support a pedestrian-only Nicollet Mall (as long as people can still bike through there). Considering buses go 15 miles per hour maximum on that stretch it probably wouldn't be too difficult.
The new speed limit on Nicollet Mall is 10MPH.

David Greene
IDS Center
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby David Greene » November 17th, 2017, 10:01 am

Let's say Metro Transit refuses and provides regular LRT service.

What is DHS gonna do about it? Shut down the Super Bowl?

SamtheBusNerd
City Center
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby SamtheBusNerd » November 17th, 2017, 10:45 am

If buses can be rerouted and the travel time is less or the same as Nicollet Mall then I fully support a pedestrian-only Nicollet Mall (as long as people can still bike through there). Considering buses go 15 miles per hour maximum on that stretch it probably wouldn't be too difficult.
I wonder how well it would work if instead of Hennepin (which isn't working well now), we took a similar approach to Denver and the majority of express buses stopped at one of the bus stations at the edge of downtown. We've already got all the 394 bus stops under the A-B-C ramps and the Leamington Ramp at 35w. What if the majority of suburban expresses stopped there and the 10/11/17/18 (and eventual Orange Line) took their place on Marquette and 2nd?

intercomnut
Rice Park
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby intercomnut » November 17th, 2017, 11:05 am

If buses can be rerouted and the travel time is less or the same as Nicollet Mall then I fully support a pedestrian-only Nicollet Mall (as long as people can still bike through there). Considering buses go 15 miles per hour maximum on that stretch it probably wouldn't be too difficult.
I wonder how well it would work if instead of Hennepin (which isn't working well now), we took a similar approach to Denver and the majority of express buses stopped at one of the bus stations at the edge of downtown. We've already got all the 394 bus stops under the A-B-C ramps and the Leamington Ramp at 35w. What if the majority of suburban expresses stopped there and the 10/11/17/18 (and eventual Orange Line) took their place on Marquette and 2nd?
Fun fact, that’s similar to what the original plan was for Leamington. We were gonna copy Denver and have express buses drop off at Leamington and then have frequent free shuttles going up Nicollet Mall. But there ended up not being enough funding.

amiller92
Wells Fargo Center
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby amiller92 » November 17th, 2017, 11:54 am

Let's say Metro Transit refuses and provides regular LRT service.
Huh? You mean MetroTransit insists on providing regular LRT service through the security perimeter?
What is DHS gonna do about it? Shut down the Super Bowl?
I'd imagine they'd block any trains from entering the security perimeter.

MattW
Rice Park
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby MattW » November 17th, 2017, 12:45 pm

Too good to not post: Image

MNdible
is great.
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby MNdible » November 17th, 2017, 1:37 pm

This has got to be the absolute worst transit hill to die on.

tmart
Rice Park
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby tmart » November 17th, 2017, 2:07 pm

I don't think it's a transit hill. It's frustration with public subsidies of for-profit businesses (and especially sports (and especially the NFL)) that has been present for years and is boiling over into transit because hosting the Super Bowl is pervasive and disruptive across the region.

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FISHMANPET
IDS Center
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby FISHMANPET » November 17th, 2017, 2:23 pm

This all just feels like another proxy way to be mad about the stadium.

tmart
Rice Park
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby tmart » November 17th, 2017, 3:46 pm

This all just feels like another proxy way to be mad about the stadium.
It's basically the same discussion but touching 3x the public infrastructure dollars, and a more tangible public impact. I'm not surprised that it's flaring up again, because the resentment has been simmering all along.

I definitely think that it's kind of silly how much of this has come down on Metro Transit's shoulders, instead of the people who invested in a stadium and asked for a Super Bowl bid. But I guess most of those people (at least at the City level) aren't in office anymore, so...

BenFranske
Block E
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby BenFranske » November 17th, 2017, 3:52 pm

This all just feels like another proxy way to be mad about the stadium.
For some people it might be. For me it's not, I more or less passively supported (or at least accepted) the stadium. Granted I'm not really taking sides for or against Metro Transit here either, I don't think it's the hill to die on. I also can see DHS's point of view. Of course if they had their druthers they would make the exclusion zone the entirety of downtown... I do think that if a lot of other people are actually upset about it they should feel free to make some noise about it, maybe they'll win some kind of concession (the NFL/Host Committee ends up paying Metro Trainsit some reasonably large sum of money allowing the purchase of a bunch of bus shelters, etc) which could improve transit in the long term for more people than will be disrupted.

What I myself really want people to understand is that there are no hard and fast rules here, everything is negotiable. The "security zone" is defined by DHS, it's different for every event in every city, they could just re-draw it around the station and tracks. Of course they don't want to, but as I said, I'm sure there preference would be to shut down downtown entirely. You have to draw the line somewhere, but where exactly is arguable. It's good to have some pushback, the back and forth negotiations almost certainly improve outcomes for many.

David Greene
IDS Center
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Re: Public Transit News and Current Happenings

Postby David Greene » November 17th, 2017, 8:54 pm

For me it isn't a transit hill. It's a very real, hyper-local manisfestation of the way we're being completely screwed by the rich and powerful, in multiple aspects of society and our daily lives. Look at what is going on in Congress, at the FCC, EPA, etc. etc. etc. It is all about catering to the wealthy and screw everyone else. I am tired of it. This is one very clear policy where we can be very loud, very visible and very covered by the media. It's very hard to be an apologist for what's being done here, because "nebulous security concerns."


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