Blue Line Extension - Bottineau LRT

[TroyGBiv]

Great points and overview Alexschief! You’ve given us a great sense of the project and the community concerns. I am 58 and all my life North Minneapolis has been complex like this. So underserved and so fragile in some ways. You hate to think that this kind of investment is either not valued, or is not welcome, or that it could destabilize or hinder current businesses or future development. Not trying to start any fights - I am not sure what is the best scenario here. Over the decades there has been justified anger that the south side get more investment than the north side. But with investment can come gentrification and subsequent loss for the current residents who have made their neighborhoods their home.

[Hero]

2. The station at Emerson/Fremont is not going to be between those two streets as I hoped. This is because there is not enough space between the two streets (about 365 feet, trains are 300 feet long, plus ramps and a gore on either side) for a full station. The station will be one block to the east instead, taking advantage of Dupont Avenue not running on through Broadway.

Government Plaza is approximately the same size as Emerson/Fremont would be.

[Oreos&Milk]

Instead of trying to connect North Loop via LRT I think a streetcar line on Nicollet from Lake Street to Washington Ave where it can make a beautiful turn onto Washington Ave and continue west into North Loop and maybe even terminate with a Metro Blue line connection. That would be a much better solution. I would even support it being a city bus as it builds up dependable ridership and secures funding for streetcar construction.

[Trademark]

Instead of trying to connect North Loop via LRT I think a streetcar line on Nicollet from Lake Street to Washington Ave where it can make a beautiful turn onto Washington Ave and continue west into North Loop and maybe even terminate with a Metro Blue line connection. That would be a much better solution. I would even support it being a city bus as it builds up dependable ridership and secures funding for streetcar construction.

I know I'm getting pretty far into Fantasy Maps territory at this point, but If we're doing a streetcar line on Washington Avenue to connect North Loop, which I think is a great idea. I've had this concept in my head for awhile connecting at Seward to a future I-94 BRT and with the Green Line at West Bank and the Blue Line at Broadway and Lyndale or maybe continuing up farther North to serve Lowry and the Upper Harbor Terminal.

[Trademark]

Good news for the Blue Line!

https://ccxmedia.org/news/robbinsdale-v ... l-members/

[Bakken2016]

https://www.startribune.com/southwest-l ... 600236599/

This is about both SWLRT and Bottineau, but this opinion piece is just a bunch of contradicting sentences strung together, obviously this writer knows nothing that high capacity rail transit should serve where people actually live.

[Trademark]

https://www.startribune.com/southwest-l ... 600236599/

This is about both SWLRT and Bottineau, but this opinion piece is just a bunch of contradicting sentences strung together, obviously this writer knows nothing that high capacity rail transit should serve where people actually live.

One of these days imma bite the bullet and pay for Star Tribune

[DanPatchToget]

IIRC, the same organization (Citizen Advocates for Regional Transit) also wants part of Riverview to be on Shepard Road. www.citizensforregionaltransit.org

I agree with the concern about spending more than a billion dollars for a slow train, but why not advocate to make Bottineau LRT faster through North Minneapolis with the same technologies they suggest for a hypothetical BRT?

[Bakken2016]

IIRC, the same organization (Citizen Advocates for Regional Transit) also wants part of Riverview to be on Shepard Road. www.citizensforregionaltransit.org

I agree with the concern about spending more than a billion dollars for a slow train, but why not advocate to make Bottineau LRT faster through North Minneapolis with the same technologies they suggest for a hypothetical BRT?

I truly don't think it will be slow through North Minneapolis. There will be 3 stations total on the Northside: Plymouth, Fremont/Emerson, and Penn. This is not the same situation where the Green Line along University Ave has stops every 4 blocks.

[Hero]

2. The station at Emerson/Fremont is not going to be between those two streets as I hoped. This is because there is not enough space between the two streets (about 365 feet, trains are 300 feet long, plus ramps and a gore on either side) for a full station. The station will be one block to the east instead, taking advantage of Dupont Avenue not running on through Broadway.

Government Plaza is approximately the same size as Emerson/Fremont would be.

Is there a reason they couldn't lower the track by a foot or more to shorten the ramps to the platform? Anything to make the transfer to the busiest bus in the system easier is a win in my book.

[alexschief]

Tracks have to be at-grade.

[Bakken2016]

https://metrocouncil.org/getdoc/0cbfac2 ... sItem.aspx

Recommended route between Target Field Station and West Broadway due in June 2023. 30% Design plans in October 2023. Spring 2024 would then be the start of municipal consent process.

[Tom H.]

HF1576 (bonding version) / HF1577 (cash version) introduced into the MN House yesterday, proposing $200M in state money for the Blue Line Extension. Does anyone know what would this do to the funding mix for the project? I was under the impression that Hennepin County was doing the heavy lifting on the local funding piece for BLRT. Maybe this is meant to be a backdoor to help close the SWLRT gap, by freeing up Hennepin funds to be reallocated?

[Bakken2016]

HF1576 (bonding version) / HF1577 (cash version) introduced into the MN House yesterday, proposing $200M in state money for the Blue Line Extension. Does anyone know what would this do to the funding mix for the project? I was under the impression that Hennepin County was doing the heavy lifting on the local funding piece for BLRT. Maybe this is meant to be a backdoor to help close the SWLRT gap, by freeing up Hennepin funds to be reallocated?

I assume that is the case, since the Hennepin county transit tax is a general pool for all transit projects.

[Tcmetro]

Materials about the design options for Broadway and 21st have been posted to the website.

https://metrocouncil.org/Transportation ... rials.aspx

The materials show that they are considering a two station option that would have stops at Aldrich and James instead of at Dupont.

[Silophant]

They'll consider a two-mile-long bridge to get across I-94, but grade separation anywhere along W. Broadway is right out?

[MNdible]

Wasn't one of the big takeaways of the original Blue line and Green line that it's better to run trains down the middle of roads rather than on the side? And if so, why do we have so much side running rail in these plans?

I can't tell from the plans -- are they still proposing to cross the 7th St/6th Ave intersection at grade? If so, that remains a profoundly stupid decision.

[Silophant]

Yep, still crossing 7th/6th at grade. They're extremely committed to that flying junction plan, I guess.

[grant1simons2]

When are we going to admit that we're just bad at designing light rail?

[BigIdeasGuy]

They'll consider a two-mile-long bridge to get across I-94, but grade separation anywhere along W. Broadway is right out?

While I get your larger point, I94 has to be crossed somehow & to imply grade separation in each location is the exact same set of variables is preposterous