Search found 1139 matches

by alexschief
March 18th, 2024, 11:00 am
Forum: Minneapolis - Downtown
Topic: Downtown Minneapolis Retail News
Replies: 1432
Views: 472661

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Retail News

Another contestant enters the arena!
by alexschief
March 15th, 2024, 2:14 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Uber/Lyft
Replies: 25
Views: 1987

Re: Uber/Lyft

Metro Transit already runs microtransit service in select areas at a steep subsidy. There's no aspect of the rideshare/TNC model that public ownership solves to make it profitable. If the state wants to run a transportation company that doesn't run efficient fixed routes and doesn't rule out exploit...
by alexschief
March 15th, 2024, 10:23 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Uber/Lyft
Replies: 25
Views: 1987

Re: Uber/Lyft

I'm pretty skeptical that the city level is the correct place for regulation of rideshare companies. But I have no sympathy for the companies themselves. From the start, they've abused information asymmetries with their "employees" to subsidize their anti-competitive pricing. The entire mo...
by alexschief
February 15th, 2024, 2:32 pm
Forum: Suburbs
Topic: Bloomington Central Station & South Loop Development
Replies: 219
Views: 84599

Re: Bloomington Central Station & South Loop Development

I think people really underestimate how many people it takes to turn a greenfield into an actual market for goods and services. The good news, I guess is that there is absolutely enough space in this area to keep adding more homes, offices, and whatever else to activate it. The bad news is that even...
by alexschief
February 8th, 2024, 1:57 pm
Forum: Minneapolis - Downtown
Topic: Downtown Minneapolis - News & General Topics
Replies: 2027
Views: 770232

Re: Downtown Minneapolis - News & General Topics

It's gonna grow by a lot next year as well. Between the Block One, O2, North Loop Green, Duffey 2.0, Strutwear, Northstar Center, and other projects, there are nearly 2,000 units of housing currently under construction which should all mostly be complete in the coming months. There is nothing coming...
by alexschief
February 7th, 2024, 1:23 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Transit Crime
Replies: 280
Views: 998827

Re: Transit Crime

Yeah, I ride public transit more than most people (although I don't rely regularly on the light rail), and it's been basically non-existent that I've seen crime in the literal sense of someone doing something that they could plausibly be prosecuted for. When people talk about crime on transit, they'...
by alexschief
February 2nd, 2024, 1:39 pm
Forum: Minneapolis - Downtown
Topic: Harmonia - 255 2nd Ave S - 25ish / 20ish / 10ish stories
Replies: 31
Views: 28102

Re: Harmonia - 255 2nd Ave S - 25ish / 20ish / 10ish stories

It is a great idea to move the transit layover here from Gateway Ramp, but I suspect it won't happen because neither Metro Transit nor the City have asked for that. We don't know what they have or haven't asked for, or whether they have even considered it. Would Metro Transit turn down a brand-new ...
by alexschief
February 2nd, 2024, 10:43 am
Forum: Minneapolis - Downtown
Topic: Harmonia - 255 2nd Ave S - 25ish / 20ish / 10ish stories
Replies: 31
Views: 28102

Re: Harmonia - 255 2nd Ave S - 25ish / 20ish / 10ish stories

New renderings and a new brand name (Washington Yards) for this project: https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2024/02/01/sherman-downtown-minneapolis-development-office.html The current plan seems to be three buildings; one half-block office building facing Washington, one tall market rate ho...
by alexschief
January 4th, 2024, 11:58 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Blue Line Extension - Bottineau LRT
Replies: 1749
Views: 951622

Re: Blue Line Extension - Bottineau LRT

Between Target Field Station and the Lowry/North Memorial Station, there should be a maximum of four stops. Really, I had hoped there would be three. But four has got to be the absolute limit. Moving the proposed Lyndale Station to the east (Could it sit on the highway bridge? I imagine there are st...
by alexschief
December 29th, 2023, 2:32 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Public Transit News / Current Events (MN only)
Replies: 2909
Views: 692172

Re: Public Transit News / Current Events (MN only)

Metro Transit's November weekday ridership numbers are out, and they're even better than October. Ridership on most services fell surprisingly little in real numbers between those two months, less than is typical, and so November 2023 achieved 59.5% of November 2019 ridership, the best recovery perc...
by alexschief
December 21st, 2023, 2:37 pm
Forum: Local Politics and Governance
Topic: Minnesota State Flag and Seal Redeisgn
Replies: 55
Views: 230140

Re: Minnesota State Flag and Seal Redeisgn

Snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. The commission flirted with some awful ideas but picked a great one. I've seen people conflating "simple" with "safe." But the chosen design is actually fairly bold, defaulting to a tricolor would've screamed 'FLAG!' and given more colors...
by alexschief
December 1st, 2023, 11:59 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Public Transit News / Current Events (MN only)
Replies: 2909
Views: 692172

Re: Public Transit News / Current Events (MN only)

Metro Transit just posted the October weekday ridership numbers, and it's a pretty good report. September is typically the biggest month for ridership by a good margin, but in 2023, it looks like October was much closer than is typical. While the C and D Lines fell slightly from their October record...
by alexschief
October 27th, 2023, 1:23 pm
Forum: Minneapolis - Downtown
Topic: Downtown Minneapolis - News & General Topics
Replies: 2027
Views: 770232

Re: Downtown Minneapolis - News & General Topics

Tearing down that ugly ass ramp and turning it into a park/stairs/entrance/etc. might not be the #1 on the list of single biggest land use upgrades in DT but is sure isn't far off the top of that list. Room for both a residential tower and a grand staircase connecting the two levels, similar to wha...
by alexschief
October 27th, 2023, 12:30 pm
Forum: Minneapolis - Downtown
Topic: Downtown Minneapolis - News & General Topics
Replies: 2027
Views: 770232

Re: Downtown Minneapolis - News & General Topics

From CM Michael Rainville's latest email newsletter: The United States Postal Service is holding a public meeting regarding the future use of their facility at 100 S 1st St. The hearing will take place at 2pm on Wednesday, November 1st at the Shoreview Community Center (4580 Victoria St N). I do not...
by alexschief
October 24th, 2023, 1:09 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Road Geek Topics
Replies: 295
Views: 139806

Re: Road Geek Topics

Obviously a road's design speed is more important than its posted speed. That said, I do think there are regional difference in driving speed that likely make a difference in crash outcomes. I always think about my experience driving in Georgia where the average speed of highway traffic seemed to be...
by alexschief
September 13th, 2023, 3:34 pm
Forum: Minneapolis - General Topics and Citywide Issues
Topic: MPHA Family Housing Expansion
Replies: 13
Views: 23884

Re: MPHA Family Housing Expansion

Some updates on this:

These sixteen buildings are nearing completion.

I've attached some photos in a tweet here.

Here is a hype video for the project.
by alexschief
September 7th, 2023, 11:56 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Better Bus Routes - Metro Transit
Replies: 34
Views: 62619

Re: Better Bus Routes - Metro Transit

Not sure what we're arguing about here? Any N/S route is going to have to pass through downtown. Wanting a grid network with N/S connecting buses and wanting downtown service are compatible goals because we have Twin Cities that are both functionally laid out like hourglasses. Re: the #4 bus and fut...
by alexschief
August 31st, 2023, 12:31 pm
Forum: Minneapolis - South, Southwest, and Uptown
Topic: Hiawatha-Minnehaha Corridor - General Topics
Replies: 267
Views: 219469

Re: Hiawatha-Minnehaha Corridor - General Topics

New project proposed for 3561 Minnehaha Ave. 32 units, 0 car parking spaces, 36 long-term bike parking spots. Packet . This one will be built to passive house insulation standards, all electric utilities, rooftop solar array. Footprint Development strikes again. Thankfully unlike last time , they ha...
by alexschief
August 30th, 2023, 1:30 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Blue Line Extension - Bottineau LRT
Replies: 1749
Views: 951622

Re: Blue Line Extension - Bottineau LRT

I mean, knock on wood, but this project doesn't seem to include any tunnels through wetlands, floating bridges over lakes (East Link in Seattle), or P3 delivery structures (Purple Line in Maryland). Building LRT on plain old surface streets, plus three bridge structures (by my count) is something yo...
by alexschief
August 1st, 2023, 9:36 am
Forum: Minneapolis - Downtown
Topic: Downtown Minneapolis Retail News
Replies: 1432
Views: 472661

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Retail News

Also in "Downtown is Back" news, the Five Guys has unlocked their street-facing entrance.
They've locked the street-facing door again, downtown is no longer back.