The thing is I don't even think this streetcar idea is good. I think it's a bad idea that's worse than current transit in the corridor and will require a full reconstruction to eventually be LRT.Look, I know LRT is best for Riverview, but quite a few of you are making perfect be the enemy of good. I think there should instead be a focus on the options Ramsey County has put on the table and advocating for the best one, which is Streetcar Option 1. It's not LRT, but it's pretty close to it with 87% dedicated right-of-way and center-running on West 7th. Converting the rest of the route to dedicated right-of-way may not be as simple as throwing down some paint on the road, but I also don't think it would require tearing up the road and tracks and starting from scratch.
As for ABRT, I've already said why that's barely an upgrade over Route 54, and making this an ABRT route doesn't mean we saved a ton of money that can be put towards many other ABRT routes. That's not how funding for transit projects works.
Not an expert on how capital transit funding is won, but I am under the impression that the state/county/city has to commit half to win a federal match for the other half. Someone in MN will have to commit $1 billion + to build Riverview.
So yes, stopping this one streetcar is not equivalent to winning over $2 billion for new aBRT lines, but it's fair to say that Ramsey County could commit the $1 billion for Riverview to 10 aBRT lines.
Riverview isn't being built at this point to improve transit or aid in our transition away from personal vehicles. If that were the case, Ramsey County would be committing a billion dollars to projects that will actually improve service or replace car trips.
No, Riverview is being built to appease St. Paul's inferiority complex and score a "big win" for some county commissioners who need a "legacy."