According to the MTC (percursor of METC), buses are on Nicollet Mall because MNDOT paid for the street so that the buses could be there. As a former driver, I always thought running buses on Nicollet Mall was disasterous. The architecture of the street encourages people to walk and wander, but the buses can flatten you like you are so much pizza dough. WizardMarks, Central
timothy connolly wrote: >Bob Gibbons, Director of Customer Services for Metro >Transit, stated the Mall carries 11 routes and 930 bus >trips a day. > >If I recall, one of the major justifications for the >Mall routes was that retail establishments(Dayton's et >al)felt it was necessary for their survival. > >As it has turned out not even the Mall seems to have >been able to save retail in downtown Minneapolis. > >Maybe it is time to try something new. > >Why not a total pedestrian mall with bicycle paths and >real live grass, good art(of which I don't consider >MTM or the thing at 6th Street to be),taller growing >trees. > >The whole nine yards. > >Add in the sidewalk cafes, ban obnoxious speakers >piping bad music from each restaurant, a carousel >dedicated to Barbara Flanagan > >That might bring people downtown at least through the >summer months. > >When Metro Transit was considering running 576(?) plus >buses down Dupont from Lake to 22nd passing my wife's >house while they repaved Hennepin Avenue I became >concerned. > >I suggested they might run half the 6 and 28 route >buses one way up and down Dupont and Emerson in >opposite directions and that they run the 12 and 17 >route buses on Irving between Lake and 24th and 22nd >so that the burden was shared. > >Furthermore I suggested that if they were determined >to continue with their plan I would need to know so >that I could have an inspector out to the house to >check the foundation before and after. Of course I >would file a claim to be reimbursed for inspections >and subsequent damages if there were any. > >For good measure I think I said something about going >up and down Dupont suggesting other homeowners might >want to do the same. > >These were mostly 90 year old houses and it stood to >reason their foundations may not have been as solid as >those of buildings along Hennepin. > >I think the idea of broaching this idea to the folks >on Irving where the house prices were about $100k and >up over the houses east of Hennepin pretty much put a >damper on things. > >Miraculously the city found a way to route buses(and >cars I believe) on half of Hennepin while they paved >the other side. > >The man in charge of the project for Public Works >whose name I won't mention wasn't too happy and had >difficulty disguising his feelings when I >occasion-ally saw him at City Hall but what the >hey...it was not personal, it was only business. > >The point is that there is little reason running buses >on Hennepin won't work if we just give it thought. >Isn't that why we have Traffic Engineers? Isn't that >why we've paid SRF hundreds of thousands dollars in >consultant fees over the years? To figure out these >very things. > >Public Safety people, especially the Fire Department >people will sqwauk, that they would be too far from >buildings(isn't that one reason why they have >hoses)but cities where there are pedestrian malls must >have faced similar issues. > >I'm told State Street in Chicago has a pedestrian mall >and that Denver has one as well. Does anyone know if >that is correct? > >Those who might suffer the greatest adversity are >disabled people who currently benefit from bus routes >on the Mall. > >Then again there are probably disabled people who will >benefit from a changeover. > >Someone is always going to be on the short end of a >stick(they'll be two more blocks away from work,etc.) >but isn't it better to provide the greatest good for >the greatest number of people and make allowances or >accomodations for those who are truly in need. > >I've never liked the Nicollet Mall. > >My sister asked me once why I would want to run for >office. I told her I wanted to be the guy to drive a >front end loader that took the first chunk out the >Mall. > >Maybe I just should have applied for a job with Public >Works! > >Tim Connolly >Downtown, one block off Nicollet Mall > > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >LAUNCH - Your Yahoo! Music Experience >http://launch.yahoo.com >_______________________________________ >Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy >Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: >http://e-democracy.org/mpls > _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
