Will someone explain why a city that is having problems with retail
sales is so ardently behind a light rail project that can only drain
consumers from its core. It makes no sense. To invest the money that
is being invested here, there should be a pressing, real problem that
needs to be dealt with. I drive from the city to the Airport and Mall
regulary, and it takes twenty minutes most of the time. There is no
problem, certainly not one that justifies a cost that is approaching
$1billion for a system that will require annual subsidies for its
lifetime.
The only reasons that I have heard are: 1. There is availble land
(right of way) and light rail is cool, and 2. The light rail system will
link the two highest population centers in the state. (I'll let the
later reason sink in for a while, but it comes from a light rail
proponent).
I was involved for a while with light rail in the mid-80s when the
plan was to link staple and Minneapolis with a line that ran through the
University. It made very good sense to link those centers, but I just
don't understand why the city of Minneapolis would want to make it easy
to get to the Mall of America, especially when we have spent os much on
the convention center so that visitors would fill our downtown stores,
hotels, restaurants and other facilities.
Clark Griffith
7th Ward
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