LRT - few stations, few of them even if a few more are built, parking problems by every station. A good deal for a few people, a bad deal for others, and no deal at all for others.
PRT - So now consider, or reconsider, PRT (Personal Rapid Transit). Many stations (68 in ward 6 area in Dean Zimmermann's plan) in (relatively inexpensive) webs; expandable to all of Mpls, StPaul, etc, so that there are hundreds of stations, no need to drive to them if you're in the cities, and dozens (and so a minimal parking problem) of them on the fringes for those outside the web to drive to. Because PRT is on elevated guideways, it does not impede car traffic, and is not impeded by it - just as unimpeded during rush hours as off hours. What's not to love? --David Shove roseville On Tue, 3 Aug 2004, Bruce Gaarder wrote: > Gina makes good points, as does David. > > I don't think that you should blame Metro Transit (and met council) for > most of the problem. The city of Minneapolis declared, quite early in > the process, that there would be no park-and-rides within the city limits. > As far as I know, that included the Hi-Lake stop. Hate to defend the met > council. > > Cast your minds back to the station area "planning" meetings that were > carefully orchestrated to guide the people (or "sheeple" as someone I > know in Houston calls them) towards expressing preferences for the urban > planner's dreams. How do you think the neighbors would have reacted to > plans to put 50-100 space parking lots in at each station? > > It's correct to think that the city and met council dream of high density > housing near the stops. Hasn't the zoning been changed to prohibit "new" > auto-oriented businesses near the stops? > > The city, as is the case with most good-sized cities, pretty much hates > on-street parking downtown and would rather force you into pay parking. > Who cares (from their point of view) that this drives away a lot of > short-stay customers, who don't have time to take transit to get there > in the middle of the day and don't want to spend $2.50 to park for a 5 > minute errand. Portland put a moratorium on construction of new parking > ramps downtown for a number of years until the merchants pretty much said > "no new parking, we leave." > > It was funny to read the met council PR that informed us how most of > south Minneapolis is "within four blocks of a bus line that connects to > the lrt." Let's see, four north-south blocks is 1/2 mile. Consider the > lot of someone wanting to go from 34th and Hiawatha to 24th and Hiawatha, > They will still take the #7. But what about those who used to ride the 7 > south of 46th, along 34th Avenue, 42nd Avenue, and 54th Street? Take the > train to the nearest stop and walk. > > > Visit www.EffectiveTransit.org > > The Independent Unsubsidized Voice of > Citizens for Effective Transit in the Twin Cities > > * lrt isn't a potato chip, you can stop at just one * > > Bruce Gaarder > Highland Park Saint Paul MN > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 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 > 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
