Is the budget crisis increasing metro interest in "congestion pricing" or "toll roads?"
Tim Erickson Hamline Midway St. Paul, Minnesota - USA
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Bruce Gaarder Highland Park Saint Paul http://www.effectivetransit.org
The highways are not going to be unclogged during rush hours.
One problems for the two central cities is the large number of pass-through traffic, due to the lack of capacity on (or plain lack of) bypass highways. An older figure was at least 50% during rush hours.
Lrt isn't going to do anything, while consuming vast amounts of taxpayer funds that could have considerably improved the real transit system for most riders. The number of "new" riders on lrt in 2020 is projected to be about .1% of all trips in the area, for each lrt line.
The NorthStar commuter rail line works out about the same, though it may have an effect on highway 10. The claim is that it would carry as many people as 1 1/2 lanes of highway 10. But if the road is going to be as congested as they say it will be, it's going to be congested most of the day, whereas only 11% of the trains will run outside of peak times and the projected schedule has most only going as far as Elk River. So the solution to that all-day congestion, given the multitude of destinations for all-day and weekend traffic, is to add a lane in each direction anyway.
The University's Center for TRansportation Studies just published what may be the final report in their Transportation and Regional Growth (TRG) series. "Market Choices and Fair Prices: Research Suggests Surprising Answers to Regional Growth Dilemmas".
While I may argue with some of the perspectives and figures, I think it's a pretty good document.
www.cts.umn.edu/trg/index.html
From the preface: "These research findings and implications should stimulate fresh coverage of the issues by the media and a better-informed debate among elected and appointed public officials at all levels. Advocacy groups will find no silver bullets with which to arm their push for preferred solutions, but every group interested in better transportation and land-use policy will find a body of facts and analysis that will change the way the region considers its future choices."
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 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- ================================================= Tim Erickson http://www.politalk.com St. Paul, MN - USA 651-643-0722 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ICQ: 105978430 =================================================
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