Since your agency administers transit in the Metro, and you have mentioned upholding standards, I would like to know about BRT on Lowry.
It does not appear that Lowry is appropriate for BRT travel. It also appears to diminish potential for "fast" commuting. It would appear reasonable to keep BRT on West Broadway in North Mpls, and provide commuters to BRT by utilizing "local" MCTO service. Finally, by spreading BRT more thinly, that is, also utilizing Lowry as a BRT corridor, there is clearly the loss of critical mass, and BRT money, to West Broadway's development. West Broadway is the sole appropriate avenue for BRT in North Mpls, by any, and all objective standards. How about your standards. FYI, I forward to you a letter I wrote to The Mpls. Forum List regarding this matter. Please respond. Sincerely, Keith Reitman Stakeholder NearNorth West Broadway and Lowry Aves. Subj: BRT/ Trojan horse for redevelopment of Lowry Avenue/ Wrong Avenue for BRT Date: 6/15/03 8:25:58 PM Pacific Daylight Time From: <A HREF="mailto:PennBroKeith";>PennBroKeith</A> To: <A HREF="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]">[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> The "Big Muddy " still crosses West Bro. at the Broadway bridge. I often wonder: What if our civic leaders could divert that water away from the Northside's greatest Avenue? If they could send it through, somewhere else, by-passing "Our Avenue With the Most Potential" West Broadway; how quick would they do it? They are now diverting some progress that is coming "down the pike", again. Hwy 81 (West Broadway), has a huge County/Federal/Suburban Municipal(s) redevelopment/reconfiguration program from Rogers, to our City limits. But at our City Limits, planning and implementation, dead ends. Is there a wall at Wirth Parkway; maybe some buried land mines, to explain the aversion to cooperative planning with our stretch of West Broadway? Can Mpls' West Broadway have it's rightful place in the plan? Eastbound at Wirth Parkway--Warning: Do not enter, inner-city West Bro. ahead, stagnancy maintenance zone, no passage. West Bound at Wirth Parkway--Warning: Do not exit the hood, Suburban Opportunity Zone ahead, stay out. Met Council Chief Peter Bell told people that development standards shall be utilized for Met Council projects. Metro transit, including BRT, is the responsibility of the Met Council; but not a peep from Peter Bell. Is it fair to expect that Federally fueled, and financed, projects in our Northwest Quadrant will adhere to obvious, and reasonable standards? Guess again. BRT is comin'. Plain English: Fast Buses. Light rail; without the rail. Rubber wheels below; and a steerin' wheel inside. What a great advancement that is; and it carries more then people! Yep; it carries most of the Hwy 81 (beyond Mpls.) Redevelopment design money, and implementation money, as a bonus cargo. BRT is doing some heavy schlepping of Federal cash for road redevelopment. But BRT, the "Fast Bus" , has been hijacked, and diverted! The hijackers are wearing no masks, carrying no bombs, and they are not packing heat. Sport jacket and tie is the uniform of choice, or ladies's power dresses. The pen is more mighty then the sword. And Civic Leaders did the switcheroo. Consider: Lowry is an Avenue in North Mpls. that is being redesigned with, mostly, one traffic lane in each direction; and no parking lanes. Yet, Civic Leaders are touting it for Bus RAPID Transit (BRT) routing. And what booty is garnered by elected officials intercepting a Fast Bus at Wirth Parkway? Who gains, and who loses by diverting it off major West Broadway? Who gains, and who loses, by detouring BRT onto more minor Lowry Avenue north? Who is sending long distance BRT commuters along little Lowry to get from DT, and North Mpls, out to Rogers, and back?? The "booty" in this hijacking is tens of millions of Federal dollars! Money that should go to the more appropriate major transit corridor, West Broadway. It may go to Little Lowry instead. Who/what/where/why/how????? Who: Those who have more interest in minor Lowry Avenue north then major, and unique, West Broadway Ave. What: Diverting Federal Transit, BRT, Money to redevelop Lowry Avenue. BRT belongs solely on West Broadway. Regular MCTO transit to BRT nodes at West Broadway/Penn, and West Broadway/Lyndale, from all over North Mpls., is appropriate. Ask Peter Bell, Met Council Chief, about "standards". He just won't stand up for West Broadway; he is willing to dismiss his "standards" and yield to the political will of others. Where: First, where not: Not Lowry Avenue, a neighborhood corridor. NOW where: West Broadway the Northwest Quadrant's main commercial, and main commuter, Corridor. Why: Cynical and shortsighted Civic leaders' desire to renew minor Lowry Avenue, at the expense, and with the neglect, of more appropriate West Broadway Ave. How: Further clogging a narrow "neighborhood corridor" with additional BRT busses, and calling it a multi modal commuter corridor, and other gobbledeegoof, while hijacking tens of millions of Federal dollars for the wrong County Road, Little Lowry Avenue. So...does the river still run under the Broadway Bridge? So far, yes. Should West Broadway be the sole route for BRT in North Mpls, of course. Should it be diverted, diluted, and slowed down for Trojan Horse funding of Lowry Avenue renewal: No. Lowry BRT is a bad choice that must be halted; the federal dollars must go to West Broadway Avenue. Keith Reitman Property owner on both Lowry & West Broadway NearNorth TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. 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