Paul Rohlfing wrote: > As a Powderhorn resident, I can't wait for light rail rides to the airport > and to all the restaurants and bars downtown. .... > What would a mature light rail system look like?
Carol Becker wrote: http://www.metrocouncil.org/Planning/transportation/TranPlan2025%208x10%20S ept%20Final.pdf Above is a link to the Metropolitan Council's website. The Council is the region's Metropolitan Planning Organization, which means it is designated by the federal government as being in charge of coordinating all of the regional transportation planning. This link shows a 2002 plan for transitways in the region. (transitways are typically corridors where transit can operate separately from auto traffic using various modes, light rail, commuter, rail, and bus rapid transit are the three contemplated for the region) It shows 11 potential transit corridors. Understand that there are fairly limited numbers of options for siting these things as you can only put them where some corridor already exists unless you want to condemn out literally miles of homes and businesses. I say: The Met Council takes a pretty regional view . . . I'd like to add what I think a mature system would look like for Minneapolis (though, incidentally, I think the Met Council regional plan is pretty incomplete). I know the Met Council doesn't look like they want more light rail, but hopefully a successful Minneapolis system could be extended out through our first-ring suburbs. Paul, I don't think we should talk about what a mature light rail system would look like, as much as what a mature transit system would look like. In my opinion, that system might include a decent amount of light rail, but it could also include separated busways, which could have the benefits of LRT, without having to lay track, buy trains, etc. A mature system would offer frequent, fast, reliable, limited stop service on all of our major arteries. Furthermore, lines would not be simply linear, and not simply connect some place and downtown. One line should go through two sectors of the city (i.e. the Hennepin-Central Line, the Nicollet-Broadway line, the Cedar-Washington line). Some lines would probably overlap at places (i.e. The Hennepin-Central line and the Hennepin-Franklin line would overlap at Uptown). This provides more options and trains/buses that come more quickly. If we wanted to get really fancy and build some overpasses, the system would include one or two diagonal routes that would speed service between edges of the city and connect multiple other routes (i.e. Lake St/Midtown Station to the Penn/West Broadway station). An opinion from someone who hasn't studied transit planning, but who thinks it's neat . . . --Jeff Rosenberg Cedar-Riverside Conveniently located on the Cedar-Washington and Central lines. REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email 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 City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
