I agree with Erik completely that the 26th Avenue bridge should be used for high speed rail, either light rail or the link for the NorthStar to Hastings Heavy rail lines.
I just looked at the Portland Light Rail system and it runs all the way from Hillsboro on the west end of Portland to Gresham on the East. What is still missing is a coordinated long term plan like both Denver and Portland have. We first need to build one major eastwest line, (NOT ON UNIVERSITY AVENUE), connecting Minneapolis and Saint Paul and extending out to Excelsior, Minnetonka or Eden Prairie on the West and extending out to Hudson on the East. Then over the next 20 to 30 years arms can be built off that main line to Stillwater, Hastings, Rochester, Blaine and Coon Rapids, Apple Valley, and Maple Grove. But it is essential that we build the backbone of the system first and everything can grow from that. My preferred route is along I-94 to Hudson, across the 26th Avenue bridge, along the Greenway to the Hiawatha Corridor line and then west to Eden Prairie. Dan Dobson Saint Paul --- Erik Hare <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > On Mon, 8 Nov 2004, Bob Spaulding wrote: > > > There's already a coordinated effort to bring a > > similar streetcar from Uptown along the Midtown > > Greenway in Minneapolis (just north of Lake), and > one > > thought is this could connect with that line, > possibly > > via the 26th Street railroad bridge over the > > Mississippi. > > That's all great! Personally, I'd use that bridge > for a higher speed > commuter rail, and run the streetcar along Lake > through to Selby all the > way -- connecting to the high speed line whenever > reasonable. But the > idea is the same, and it's all worth talking about. > It's a very cheap > alternative, comapred to what we normally talk > about. > > > This effort is being promoted by different people > than > > the West 7th busway, under different > circumstances. > > This is being described from the outset as a > "Civic > > Dialogue". I think there's a real attempt to get > a > > neighborhood-level discussion going before going > > forward. > > To me, this is the key to success. The neighbors > are the likely riders of > such a system, and it's got to be about their needs. > The other group that > could benefit, Lake St Bizes, needs to be heard from > as well as to what > they need. How this fits into St Paul at Merriam > park is also critical, > and I think we have exactly the same issues. > > Erik Hare [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://home.comcast.net/~wabbitoid/ > Irvine Park, West End, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, > North America, Earth > > Fine Amish furniture, cedar chests, and crafts > http://www.harmonycedar.com > > > _____________________________________________ > To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > _____________________________________________ > > St. Paul Topics - This Week: Light Rail > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul-topics > _____________________________________________ > NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your > password - visit: > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul > > Archive Address: > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ > _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ St. Paul Topics - This Week: Light Rail http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul-topics _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
