Matty Lang wrote:
Good for the Mayor--that is exactly the type of gusto we need in the transportation debate.
Absolutely. We neecd leaders. We have lots of citizen leaders on this issue. Citizens wrote a ytansit bill last session and got most of it through the legislature. The governor vetoed it. It's time for our elected leaders to take a stand. It's time for us to hold them accountable.
Jason mentioned the proposed baseball stadium. I'll add in the proposed football stadium in Blaine.
This is an explicit disinvestment in the city. I'll support a tax to keep stadiums in Minneapolis or St. Paul, but not move them out and encourage further sprawl.
Now, I wouldn't necessarily shed a tear for Blaine if the Sunday traffic on 35W moved North, but isn't the type of mixed use development Mr. Wilf is proposing perfect for rail transit? I would shed a tear if such a project was built without rail transit connecting it to the rest of the region.
No one is talking about rail on 35-W. And actually, it's really not the right corridor for it. We'd leverage much more of its development potential by running it on Nicollet or another local commercial corridor. A line running up Nicollet through downtown then on to Central would be very interesting. Some creative alignment could get it into Blaine. But again, we shouldn't be building a stadium there anyway. There's a busway from Lakeville proposed for 35-W which will help, but is a bit of a lost opportunity. However, political realities make it the only viable option right now. And it definitely doesn't go to Blaine. It doesn't even make it into downtown according to current plans.
Sales tax to fund it? I don't like that as much as a long overdue increase in the gas tax dedicated to transit to foot the bill.
Can't happen. The gas tax is constitutionally dedicated to highways. There is a ballot referendum to dedicate 100% of the motor vehicle sales tax to transportation, with no less than 40% of that going to transit and no more than 60% to highways. We'll vote on it next fall. It will help transit a lot, but doesn't solve the whole problem. But it's a start. Part of the reason we had a transit crisis this year is that motor vehicle sales taxes were down. It's an unstable source. A general sales tax, with its diverse sources, is better. But still, this ballot amendment will help. Transit advocates should support it.
In order to help more people choose to get out of their cars we have to invest in a transit system that is attractive (rail), competitive in the time sense (rail), and competive in the price sense (rail--if the true costs of cars are factored in).
Right. I recently talked to some transit experts and they have done studies that show if Bus Rapid Transit is implemented as true BRT, that is, with dedicated rights-of-way, light-rail-like station, preemptive signalling, etc. the cost approaches that of light rail. And rail is cheaper to run due to the fuel cost of buses. Buses are great for local routes, the "last mile." Rail is for corridors. I'm very skeptical when I hear that LRT on the central corridor (University Ave.) will be $800 million (that's about right) but a busway will only be $200 million. That indicates to me that the busway would be a glorified local bus, not unlike the lines that run the opposite direction down Hennepin Ave. right now. And believe me, there's little advantage to that system over the current setup.
How does the saying go--you get what you pay for. BRT will not get enough people out of their cars--rail is proven to be far more attractive.
It's not just about getting people out of cars. LRT also has proven urban renewal effects. I count at least 4-5 condo projects going up around the Hiawatha line. Blooming Central station is already being talked about as the "third downtown." BRT has never demonstrated this ability anywhere it's been tried.
And dedicated bus lanes can and could be easily oppend up to car traffic in the future.
This is a concern. I believe carpool/bus lanes are a politically correct way to expand freeways. We already have more lane-miles per capita than any other urban area in the U.S.
Buses sharing right of way with cars take away the time savings and don't address on site polution either. Buses can be used for local travel at the neighborhood level although Streetcars (rail) would be even better.
I'm not convinced streetcars are always better, but they do have the urban development effects of LRT. A Midtown Greeway streetcar would be great, especially with the plans I've seen to integrate developments into the Greeway. A Grand Ave. streetcar in St. Paul would be fantastic. We _really_ need something on the northside. The neighborhoods there should identify the appropriate corridor to redevelop.
Both Mayor Rybak and Commissioner McLaughlin would do well to push for a larger and quicker investment in transit (rail)--wich would save the City, the region , and the State an obscene amount of time and money when we desperately need it. To do this they can reach out to Suburban Mayors, city councils and county Commissioners to build support that can be shown at the State level.
Definitely. Many suburban mayors really want transit. St. Louis Park, Minnetonka, Lakeville, Bloomington, etc. have all expressed interest. They want this to happen. The problem is that in many cases, their state legislators are actively working against it. A notable exception is Ron Erhardt from Edina. He gets it. So do the Republicans who voted with him on the transportation bill last session.
Gubernatorial candidates should recognize that investment in the "Cadilac" of transit systems is not just good for Minneapolis and St. Paul, but for the entire region and State.
"Cadillac" is the wrong word. It implies wasteful luxury. What we are investing in is dependable, durable, efficient transportation infrastructure. If I had to compare it to a car, I'd call it an Accord. David Greene The Wedge REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
