Anderson & Turpin wrote:
3) I'd love to hear a real plan for mass transit, so we can truly see how
much it really costs. The real question is, "can we build our way out of
congestion with mass transit?" I doubt it.
Check the Met Council's 2030 transportation policy plan. It's all right
out there. We have the system planned. We just need to build it.
BTW, the 2030 plan is a delay in the original schedule to get things
done by 2020. We really need to hit the 2020 date. The projection
is 1 million new residents by 2030 but so far our metro area's growth
rate has been FAR beyond what was projected for the past 5 years or so.
On the MNDOT web site, it says that we drive about 39.7 million miles each
day in the Metro. On the Metro Transit web site, is says that there are
19,300 LRT riders each day, and the line is 12 miles long. I'll give the
LRT the benefit of the doubt, and assume the average ride is 5/6 of the
line, or 10 miles. That means they have 193,000 people miles each day. The
Hiawatha line cost $715 million. To seriously dent the car traffic in a
growing region like the Twin Cities, they better plan on replacing 1/2 the
current car miles, which would be 19.85 million miles. At the same rate as
we paid for the Hiawatha line, we'd need to spend 19.85 million/193,000 *
$715 million = $73.5 billion. Anybody have that kind of money hiding in
their couch cushions?
First off, to mitigate congestion, we need to build mass transit (LRT
and buses) along key corridors. Metro-wide trip numbers are not
relevant. What's relevant is the volume along specific corridors,
as the Met Council demonstrates in the TPP.
Highway-only folks like to drag out the tired argument that public
transportation only makes up 3% of metro trips currently. What they
hide is the fact that it makes up at least 40% of trips to downtown
Minneapolis.
We will never reduce congestion. The level of congestion we have today
will remain with us as long as we have cars. All we can do is slow
its growth.
Now I would agree that Hiawatha was a stupid over-priced place to put our
first train, so there would be a lot of places with better value to have
LRT.
I used to think this too until I started using it when it opened. The
cars are full during rush hour and steadily used throughout the day.
I took a train to city hall one afternoon and it was standing room
only at about 1:30pm. Weekends have steadily high levels. Standing
room only trains are quite common.
But to replace so much auto traffic, we'll need to put the trains in a
lot less efficient places than even Hiawatha.
No, we don't. We build along key corridors and supplement with buses.
Plus of course we'd need to
knock down a lot of houses, which is verboten to a lot of mass transit
advocates.
No, we don't. Where did you get this idea?
And usually one needs at least 50% more train miles to replace x
miles of auto miles, since the train rarely goes exactly where its customers
want to go.
Again, where are you getting this information? It sounds like
pure speculation to me.
So does anyone have a plan for reducing congestion? All I know is that
Yes, the Met Council has a plan. They've had it at least since 2000.
traffic has worsened dramatically in the Southwest Metro for the last twenty
years, which is where I mostly drive. The population has boomed, but there
Then you'll enjoy the Southwest LRT that's planned!
have been zero new highways added in that area during that time. I think
Lanes have certainly been added. 212 and 494 come to mind.
it's logical to see a connection there. I believe new roads would help a
lot. But then I don't buy into the dogma of the mass transit people.
We need a balanced, multi-modal solution. It's not about roads vs.
public transportation. It's about building the kind of community
we want to live in. I'd rather build a community where I don't
have to rely on a car. I have a car and I use it quite a bit but I
much prefer taking public transportation. And I grew up in the
suburbs and drove exclusively until this past June.
Ironically, I can't take the bus when I have meetings about public
transportation after work. They cut the bus line from Mendota
Heights to St. Paul. :-/
If you want to drive everywhere, that's fine. Just don't force the
rest of us to do it. That way freeways will be less congested.
Public transportation benefits more than just the immediate people
that use it. It's not just about getting people from A to B either.
Public transportation, especially LRT, has demonstrated positive
development and community-building effects.
David Greene
The Wedge
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