Central Corridor critics and comments

The Central Corridor series that we published this week has generated several comments and critiques, and more stories remain to be told. One of the most cogent critiques came from Ed Felien, who had previously published it in The Pulse of the Twin Cities as The Great Train Robbery.

Other comments ranged from suggestions for further investigation to analytic criticism to a rant about stopping the "socialist agenda." They have been posted as comments to the original article and also appear below.

Another controversy on West Bank

From Russ Adams, Executive Director, Alliance for Metropolitan Stability
Good analysis and kudos for being willing to put yourself out on the limb with savy, even funny, predictions.

There's one other controversy regarding the Central Corridor plan that's worth looking into. It's just before the Washington Av. U of MN tunnel: the location of the rail station for the West Bank. The University is coming under considerable pressure from an interesting coalition of community groups, Cedar/Riverside residents, local West Bank businesses, and a number of ethnic communities to move the station about a block further West. It's a great David vs. Goliath story.

I suggest you contact Hashi Abdi at the Somali Action Alliance (612-455-2185) and Debbie Wolking of the West Bank CDC (612-673-0477) to learn more about it. There's a big community meeting regarding this at 5:00 PM at the Brian Coyle Center on Friday, April 13th.

Wrong technology for the location

From Erik Hare

This project has been estimated at 1.1B$ as it now stands, but it has to get down to about 850M$ to go anywhere. With all of the extras that are needed to make this functional, it is unlikely to be built as it has been envisioned.

The problem is that the technology being called for is best suited for a regional rail system. Some people still claim that this is a regional rail system, despite the slow speed inherent in traveling down University Avenue. Yet Ramsey County insists that this is primarily a local form of transportation.

The problem is that Regional and Local rail are different, much as the need for Speed and Convenience are different. These need to be separated out into two different systems, one fast with limited stops, the other on city streets connecting to the high speed hubs. It is time we understand that these different goals are oil and water, and do not mix.

Ultimately, I predict that University Avenue will be seen as a local route and we will change over to a technology that is better suited to a local route - something more along the lines of the streetcars in Portland, Toronto, or Seattle, or the planned routes in Albuquerque, Atlanta, or Miami. Along with this, a higher speed system along rail beds will be built that connects the downtowns with limited stops at Vandalia, Snelling/Marshall, and Grand. Such a two-tier system will not only provide far better service with less disruption, it will certainly be cheaper as well.

We are decades behind the times by insisting that this one type of technology must suit all needs. It is not going to fit within the limits we must work with. The sooner we abandon this scheme and get on to something realistic, the better.

Wake up people and stop this before it is too late!"

From Anonymous
Yes, and DC has the congestion it always had. The Metro and rail lines have done nothing to relieve it and never will. There is no way that any light rail or train system will do anything other than create a large siphon and drain on our tax dollars. The noisiest people are the shrill few who wish establish their socialist agenda at our expense. Wake up people and stop this before it is too late!

Truth to Tell’s 90-minute special (originally aired Sunday, 3/25/07) examines the issues around the Central Corridor light rail line connecting Saint Paul and Minneapolis through dialogue with representatives from government (including Commissioners Toni Carter and Peter McLaughlin, Councilmember Cam Gordon and others) and the community (including Rosemary Knutson from Cedar-Riverside, Tim Mungavan from CRCDC, and Seitu Jones, Jim Erkel, Anne White and others.)

"Click here to listen":./files/TruthtoTell-4-Central_Corridor128.mp3

For previous Central Corridor coverage, see:

Stop by stop: tracing the route of the Central Corridor by Jane McClure, Special to the TC Daily Planet

Central Corridor finally on track, but questions remain by Jane McClure, Special to the TC Daily Planet

Central Corridor process and the players
by Jane McClure, Special to the TC Daily Planet

Talking Turkey on LRT by Dave Healy in the Park Bugle

Central Corridor critics and comments