To be perfectly clear, the Pawlenty appointees on the Met Council are proposing cutbacks. But perhaps their strategy is to encourage legislation to fix the problem. Whatever the case, Pawlenty needs to propose a way to avoid these cutbacks - the fourth cutback in five years. Then he needs to show the leadership to get the House and Senate to agree on a permanent solution. Anything less, and he should be shown the exit door to the Governor's office.
The problem is that the current transit funding source (the Motor Vehicle Sales Tax or MVST) is not bringing in as much revenue as forecasted. The ONLY proposal at the Capitol that would avoid these cuts is the Transportation 2020 bill (http://www.tlcminnesota.org). That bill relies on a sales tax proposal to fund a number of transit and other transportation needs - a permanent funding source for transit.
Democrats have included adequate funding in their budgets in the past. The real question is whether Pawlenty and his Republican friends will step up and lead us through the crisis, or whether they will sit back and let our transit system destroy itself.
Just to demonstrate what the transit cuts would mean, I pasted all St. Paul proposed route cutbacks below. In addition, fares will go up by 25 cents to cover the rest of the loss.
Bob Spaulding Downtown
ROUTE 3 Minneapolis - Como Ave. - Maryland - Rice St. - St. Paul
Weekday – Service east of Como & Cleveland would be reduced from every 20 minutes
to every 30 minutes between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. These trips would be eliminated: the
eastbound trips that leave Como & Snelling at 6:10 a.m. and 6:38 a.m.; the eastbound
trips that leave 5th St. Garage at 11:50 p.m. and 12:42 a.m.; and the westbound trip that
leaves 5th & Cedar at 11:46 p.m.
Saturday – These trips would be eliminated: the eastbound trip that leaves 5th St.
Garage at 11:43 p.m. and the westbound trip that leaves 5th & Cedar at 11:44 p.m.
JUNE 2005 Implementation
ROUTE 8 Franklin Ave. - University Ave.
Weekday, Saturday and Sunday – This route would be eliminated.
Alternate service is available on Route 2 west of 27th Ave., and on routes 16 and 50 on
University Ave.
ROUTE 23 Minneapolis - Uptown - 38th St. - Ford Pkwy. - St. Paul
Weekday – Service would be reduced from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes
between 6 and 9 a.m. and between 3 and 6 p.m., and from every 20 minutes to every 30
minutes between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Service leaving Uptown after 11 p.m. would be
eliminated.
Saturday and Sunday – Service would be reduced from every 20 minutes to every 30
minutes. Service leaving Uptown after 11 p.m. would be eliminated.
JUNE 2005 Implementation
ROUTE 46 Minneapolis - 50th St. - 46th St. - Ford Pkwy. - St. Paul Weekday and Saturday – Service after 8 p.m. would be eliminated. Sunday – Service before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m. would be eliminated.
ROUTE 62 Shoreview - Rice St. - DT St. Paul
Weekday – These trips will be eliminated: northbound trips that leave 4th & Wabasha at
5:04 a.m., 11:17 p.m., 12:17 a.m. and 1:17 a.m.; and southbound trips that leave
Camelot & California at 4:31 a.m., 10:50 p.m., 11:50 p.m. and 12:50 a.m. There would be
less service between Little Canada Transit Center and Larpenteur before 9 a.m. and
between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Service north of Larpenteur would be reduced from every half
hour to hourly from 9:20 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from 5:30 p.m. to 7:31 p.m.
Page 5 of 17
3/14/2005
Saturday – These trips would be eliminated: northbound trips that leave 4th & Wabasha
at 6:30 a.m. and 1:17 a.m.; and southbound trips that leave California & Camelot at 5:58
a.m., 6:58 a.m. and 12:50 a.m. All service north of Larpenteur would be eliminated.
Sunday – These trips would be eliminated: northbound trips that leave 4th & Wabasha at
1:06 a.m. and southbound trips that leave California & Camelot at 12:41 a.m.
Alternate service from downtown to Maryland Ave. is available on Route 3 on Rice Street
ROUTE 63 Grand Ave. - DT St. Paul - 3rd St. E.
Weekday – Service on Grand Avenue between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. (downtown times)
would be reduced from every 15 minutes to every 30 minutes. The trip leaving Lower
Afton & McKnight at 12:46 a.m. would be eliminated.
Sunday – Service along Grand Avenue would be reduced from every half hour to hourly.
The trips that leave McKnight & Lower Afton at 11:35 p.m. and begin at Summit & Finn at
12:35 a.m. would be eliminated.
JUNE 2005 Implementation
ROUTE 64 DT St. Paul - Payne - Maryland - Maplewood Mall
Weekday – Route 64C would be eliminated. Service south of Maryland and Prosperity
would be reduced from every 7-15 minutes to every 10-15 minutes between 6 a.m. and 6
p.m. The trips leaving Hillcrest at 4:59 a.m. and 5:12 a.m. would be combined into one
trip.
Alternate Route 64C service is available on routes 64H and 64N.
ROUTE 65 Rosedale - Co. Rd. B - Dale St. - DT St. Paul
Weekday – Service after 6:30 p.m. would end at Selby & Dale. Service would end at 9:30
p.m. rather than at 11 p.m.
Saturday – Morning service would start two hours later, at 10 a.m.
Sunday – Service would be eliminated.
Alternate service is available on routes 3, 16, 21 and 67 with transfers to Route 84.
ROUTE 67 Minnehaha Ave. - DT St. Paul - Smith Ave. - Signal Hills Shopping Center
Weekday – Rush-hour service would be reduced from every 20-30 minutes to every 30
minutes. Evening service would end at Gilbert & Prior at 9:38 p.m. rather than at 12:38
a.m. Route 67H service on Moreland Ave. would be eliminated.
Saturday and Sunday – Service would end at Gilbert & Prior at 6:38 p.m. rather than at
8:38 p.m.
Alternate service is available on Route 68 for some areas.
ROUTE 68 Jackson St. - DT St. Paul - Robert St. - Inver Grove Heights
Weekday – Rush-hour service north of downtown St. Paul would be reduced from every
20-30 minutes to every 30 minutes. Service to Richmond and Syndicate, the loop through
Signal Hills, and Route 68G limited stop service would be eliminated. All but rush-hour
service south of 5th Ave. & South St. would be eliminated. Service between 70th St. and
75th St. would travel on Dawn Ave. Service on 70th St. east of Dawn, on Concord Blvd.,
on 80th St. and on Dawn Ave. between 75th and 80th St. would be eliminated.
Page 6 of 17
3/14/2005
Saturday and Sunday – All service south of 5th Ave. & South St. would be eliminated.
ROUTE 70 St Clair Ave. - W. 7th St. - DT St. Paul - Burns Ave. - Ruth St.
Weekday – Service west of downtown would be reduced to rush-hours only, with ,
eastbound trips arriving at 5th & Minnesota between 6:45 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. and
between 3:47 p.m. and 6:17 p.m., and westbound trips leaving 6th & Cedar between 5:45
a.m. and 7:45 a.m., at 2:45 p.m., and between 3:43 p.m. and 5:15 p.m.. Service east of
downtown would be reduced from every 30 minutes to hourly between 9:15 a.m. and
2:30 p.m. (downtown times). The trips starting at Sun Ray at 9:49 p.m. and at 5th &
Minnesota at 10:17 p.m. would be eliminated.
Saturday– Service would operate from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. rather than from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
(downtown times)
Sunday– Service would be eliminated.
Alternate service for Highland, Cretin, St. Clair and W. 7th St. customers is available on
Route 63 or Route 74. Alternate service for some customers east of downtown is
available on Route 63.
ROUTE 71 Little Canada - Edgerton St. - DT St. Paul - Concord St. - Inver Grove Heights
Weekday – Eliminate service north of Skillman and south of Concord Exchange &
Concord. Eliminate midday service to Brainerd and Edgerton and reduce service north of
Cayuga and Mississippi from every 15 minutes to every 30 minutes . The trips that leave
Sloan & Roselawn at 10:43 p.m. and 6th & Robert at 11:15 p.m. would be eliminated.
Saturday – Service north of Skillman and south of downtown would be eliminated.
Frequency north of Cayuga & Missississippi would be reduced from every 30 minutes to
hourly to Westminster & McMenemy.
Sunday – Service would begin later, starting with the southbound trip leaving Sloan &
Roselawn at 9:34 a.m.
Alternate service in some areas is available on Route 68. In Inver Grove Heights, Route
68 would provide alternate service rush hours only.
ROUTE 74 Minneapolis - Ford Pkwy. - Randolph Ave. - DT St. Paul - 7th St. E. - Maplewood
Weekday – Rush-hour service (downtown times) would be reduced from every 10-15
minutes to every 15-20 minutes. Service between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. (downtown times)
would be reduced from every 20 minutes to every 30 minutes. Service from 9 p.m. to
11:15 p.m. (downtown times) would be reduced from every 30 minutes to hourly.
Saturday – Service between 8 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. (downtown times) would be reduced
from every 20 minutes to every 30 minutes. Service between 9:30 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.
(downtown times) would be reduced from every 30 minutes to hourly. The trips that leave
46th St. Station at 4:28 a.m. and 6th & Cedar at 5 a.m. would be eliminated.
Sunday – Service between 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. (downtown times) would be reduced
from every 30 minutes to hourly.
ROUTE 75 DT St. Paul - Wabasha St. - Mendota Heights - Robert St. - Inver Grove Heights
Weekday – Route 75D service to Park View Plaza would be eliminated. Service to Lake
Cove Apts. and Cenex would be eliminated. Route 75F rush-hour service to 54th and
Alta would be reduced from every 20-50 minutes to every 60 minutes. Midday service to
Livingston and Mendota would be reduced from every 30-60 minutes to every 60
minutes. All midday service south of Livingston and Mendota Rd. would be eliminated.
Service would end at 6:30 p.m. rather than at 1:30 a.m.
Saturday and Sunday – All service would be eliminated.
Alternate service is available on routes 67 and 68.
ROUTE 76 St. Paul - Midway Shopping Center - Concordia Ave. - DT St. Paul
Weekday – Service would be eliminated.
Alternate service is available on routes 16, 21, 50 and 65.
ROUTE 87 Rosedale - Fairview Ave. - Raymond Ave. - Cleveland Ave. Saturday – Service would be eliminated.
ROUTE 94 DT Mpls. - I-94 - DT St. Paul
Weekday – Route 94B service to the Capitol would be eliminated. Service to River Park
Plaza would be eliminated. Service would be reduced from every 15 minutes to every 20
minutes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Saturday – Route 94B service to the Capitol would be eliminated.
Sunday – Route 94B service to the Capitol would be eliminated.
Alternate service to the Capitol is available on routes 16 and 50. River Park Plaze service
is available on routes 68 and 71.
ROUTE 262 Shoreview - Rice St - DT St Paul
Weekday – Service will travel on Hodgson Rd. and Rice St. between Shoreview
Community Center and downtown St. Paul. Service north of Tanglewood Dr. would be
eliminated. Also, would be reduced to three trips morning and three trips afternoon.
ROUTE 265 White Bear Lake - Maplewood Mall - DT St. Paul
Weekday – Service north of Maplewood Mall would be eliminated. These trips would be
eliminated: southbound trips arriving at 6th & Cedar at 8:07 a.m., 9:06 a.m. and 10:02
a.m., and the trip leaving 5th & Minnesota at 5:44 p.m. Northbound morning and
southbound afternoon service also would be eliminated.
Alternate service from White Bear Lake to Maplewood Mall is available on Lake Area Bus
Dial-a-Ride, and between Maplewood Mall and downtown St. Paul on Route 64.
ROUTE 275 Centerville Rd. - White Bear Lake - DT St. Paul
Weekday – Reduce to operate two trips morning and afternoon between Lino Park and
downtown St. Paul.
ROUTE 294 Stillwater - Hwy. 5 - 3M - DT St. Paul
Weekday – Service east of the St. Croix Park & Ride lot would be eliminated. Service
would serve Sun Ray Transit Center. Service would be reduced to 4 a.m. and 4 p.m.
trips to/from downtown St. Paul. Two reverse commute trips in the morning and
afternoon would continue.
ROUTE 350 Maplewood - McKnight Rd. - DT St. Paul
Weekday – Route would be replaced by a Maplewood shuttle route connecting with
Route 294 at Sun Ray Transit Center. There would be no service on Upper Afton or
Londin Lane.
ROUTE 361 Cottage Grove - St. Paul Park - Newport - DT St. Paul Express
Weekday – Eliminate midday service between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., and after 6 p.m. and
adjust schedule with elimination of Route 362.
ROUTE 362 Cottage Grove - DT St. Paul
Weekday – Service would be eliminated. Alternate service is available on Route 361 from
the Cottage Grove Park & Ride.
ROUTE 417 Mendota Heights - DT St. Paul
Weekday – Service would be eliminated.
Alternate service is available on DARTS
Dial-a-Ride.-------------------------------------------------
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