I know the mayor sucks, but how does it hurt the residents? University Ave is like 10 lanes wide and used to have 2 rail lines in the middle anyway. Whats the alternative?
A light weight trolley system that would emulate the street car line would probably be more appropriate an less costly. The smaller/lighter cars require less construction cost than the heavy and costly LRT cars.
A better question would be is it really necessary & helpful? How many people commute between the downtowns and will this help the commuters who live along University? A trolley would be more appropriate for those commuters w/ more stops than the LRT will have and still be efficient.
I can see a trolley on Thomas or Marshall but the LRT on University would bring much needed development to the street. It might not be needed, but Hiawatha didnt need one either and the LRT brought alot of development there. It would have made more sense to build on University to begin with. To connect the two downtowns would be good for the Twin Cities as a whole.
Why would connecting the downtowns be good? What benefit does it provide? Is there really a need to go back and forth between downtowns? Most people move to one or the other downtown. Not between them. Tell how you think this is needed. People who live near University sure don't think this going to help theire neighborhood.
It would connect Saint Paul and the U of M to the airport and the mall and all the capitol that comes with it. It would also provide a possibility for future expansion to Stillwater, Hudson, or White Bear Lake. Building it on West 7th or somewhere else would take that away and serve less people. The LRT has to go to Saint Paul and the U somehow. Its not right that Midway or Frogtown can just go ahead and shut the whole thing down. So c'mon. It'll be cool. You know it will.
On sub-zero days, in the middle of winter, when the large doors slide open and remain open while at the stop, it will be very cool. On very hot summer days, it will not be very cool.
If the light-rail was built on the existing transitway, that is currently misused as a parking lot bus shuttle, the line could be extended to the East Metro suburbs for less than the cost of the proposed concrete project.
Building it on the transitway would only serve the students at the U and not the residents of the cities. Although it wouldnt be a bad idea to build it there also.
Using the existing, and currently mis-used transitway, for one section of a Central Corridor route that could be extended east and west, to and past both Downtowns, would serve students at both U of M Twin Cities campuses as well as all the neighborhoods, businesses, and institutions along the route.
Why would you want to build west of that? Theres a lot more buisnesses on University than there is on Pierce Butler. Building it down an old industrial rail line would be ugly and unaesthetic, not to mention bypassing away people the same way 94 did in the past.
There are 5 major access points along the proposed Central Corridor light-rail line - the 2 downtowns, the University, and the Midway and State Capitol areas. The University Transitway-Pierce Butler alignment would serve all 5 access points better, faster, cheaper and more safely than the University-Washington Aves. route.
Thats just bad city planning. Unfortunately its not surprising for St. Paul. 94 was faster and made University more safe and then killed all the buisness on that road in the process. Let amtrak deal with that Hamline corridor like they used too. Make it part of the St. Cloud line.
Typical statement from this Mayor. Get it done regardless of if it necessary or if it hurts residents (his constituents) in the process.
carterfamilyinstpaul 4 years ago
I know the mayor sucks, but how does it hurt the residents? University Ave is like 10 lanes wide and used to have 2 rail lines in the middle anyway. Whats the alternative?
eluko79 4 years ago
A light weight trolley system that would emulate the street car line would probably be more appropriate an less costly. The smaller/lighter cars require less construction cost than the heavy and costly LRT cars.
A better question would be is it really necessary & helpful? How many people commute between the downtowns and will this help the commuters who live along University? A trolley would be more appropriate for those commuters w/ more stops than the LRT will have and still be efficient.
carterfamilyinstpaul 4 years ago
I can see a trolley on Thomas or Marshall but the LRT on University would bring much needed development to the street. It might not be needed, but Hiawatha didnt need one either and the LRT brought alot of development there. It would have made more sense to build on University to begin with. To connect the two downtowns would be good for the Twin Cities as a whole.
eluko79 4 years ago
Why would connecting the downtowns be good? What benefit does it provide? Is there really a need to go back and forth between downtowns? Most people move to one or the other downtown. Not between them. Tell how you think this is needed. People who live near University sure don't think this going to help theire neighborhood.
carterfamilyinstpaul 4 years ago
It would connect Saint Paul and the U of M to the airport and the mall and all the capitol that comes with it. It would also provide a possibility for future expansion to Stillwater, Hudson, or White Bear Lake. Building it on West 7th or somewhere else would take that away and serve less people. The LRT has to go to Saint Paul and the U somehow. Its not right that Midway or Frogtown can just go ahead and shut the whole thing down. So c'mon. It'll be cool. You know it will.
eluko79 4 years ago
On sub-zero days, in the middle of winter, when the large doors slide open and remain open while at the stop, it will be very cool. On very hot summer days, it will not be very cool.
If the light-rail was built on the existing transitway, that is currently misused as a parking lot bus shuttle, the line could be extended to the East Metro suburbs for less than the cost of the proposed concrete project.
centralcorridor 4 years ago
Building it on the transitway would only serve the students at the U and not the residents of the cities. Although it wouldnt be a bad idea to build it there also.
eluko79 4 years ago
Using the existing, and currently mis-used transitway, for one section of a Central Corridor route that could be extended east and west, to and past both Downtowns, would serve students at both U of M Twin Cities campuses as well as all the neighborhoods, businesses, and institutions along the route.
centralcorridor 4 years ago
Why would you want to build west of that? Theres a lot more buisnesses on University than there is on Pierce Butler. Building it down an old industrial rail line would be ugly and unaesthetic, not to mention bypassing away people the same way 94 did in the past.
eluko79 4 years ago
There are 5 major access points along the proposed Central Corridor light-rail line - the 2 downtowns, the University, and the Midway and State Capitol areas. The University Transitway-Pierce Butler alignment would serve all 5 access points better, faster, cheaper and more safely than the University-Washington Aves. route.
centralcorridor 4 years ago
Thats just bad city planning. Unfortunately its not surprising for St. Paul. 94 was faster and made University more safe and then killed all the buisness on that road in the process. Let amtrak deal with that Hamline corridor like they used too. Make it part of the St. Cloud line.
eluko79 4 years ago
metoo
rayofminneapolis 4 years ago