urbanMSP

To be honest, I thought the projections were unrealistic. I don't expect significant amounts of redevelopment in the inner suburbs, mainly as a lot of those areas are SFH, which have holy protections from the municipal comprehensive plan gods. I have noticed an uptick in new suburban developments on...

Totally posted in the wrong thread, meant to post in the "public transit news" one.

I saw one of the new Route 565 (Target North-Richfield) buses today (apparently service actually began on Monday) with 1 rider on it. Hopefully it can attract enough riders to become a permanent route.

March 8th bus changes are posted: http://www.metrotransit.org/these-routes-will-change-march-8 - New Route 30, every half-hour weekdays from 5:30 am - 12:15 am, starting at Golden Valley Road/Xerxes to Raymond/University via Broadway, the Quarry, Northeast Industrial Park, and the student housing at...

I don't think the Oxboro/Lyndale area will ever be high-class for a couple of reasons: 1. Presence of MOA will dominate any high-end retail. 2. Single-family housing is aging and rental housing is generally populated by immigrants and poor people. 3. Lyndale corridor is heavily industrial and servic...

If I was to put together a wishlist of freeway projects: 3-laning both 62 and 169, 252 and 110 conversion to freeways, Ayd Mill extension to 94, and probably a slew of managed lanes and BRT stations.

Met Council and City of St Paul are assembling the former bus garage, the shopping center, and another lot into a redevelopment opportunity. http://metrocouncil.org/News-Events/Planning/News-Articles/Snelling-University-Ave-redevelopment-opportunity.aspx http://www.ci.stpaul.mn.us/index.aspx?NID=5359

As far as I understand it, it's based on how many employees work in the adjacent MSA. So perhaps Miami and Phoenix do not have enough people working in the adjacent MSAs for them to become CSAs. From Wikipedia: " The primary distinguishing factor between a CSA and an MSA is that the social and ...

It depends on which definition you use. CSA: Atlanta (10494 sq mi), 6.09 million; Minneapolis (9556 sq mi), 3.76 million MSA: Atlanta (8376 sq mi), 5.46 million; Minneapolis (6364 sq mi), 3.42 million Urban area: Atlanta (2645 sq mi), 4.52 million; Minneapolis (1021 sq mi), 2.65 million The CSA for ...

Richfield to slim Nicollet and Penn down to 3-lane streets this summer: http://cityofrichfield.org/index.aspx?page=776 Open houses were held about the proposed reconstructions of 66th and Portland and their associated reduction to 3 lanes recently as well: http://cityofrichfield.org/index.aspx?page=...

Nice. So now we have to find $50 million for the enhanced buses and the $200 million for the LRT. Is this a project that will apply for FTA New Starts funding? I wonder how receptive the FTA will be to our "dual alignment" option. I recall reading something about how Austin, TX transportat...

Nobody would happen to know which of the alternatives was chosen at this mornings PAC meeting, would they?

From what I understand, the first two trips were essentially cancelled. It's hard to bustitute the early morning trips because it takes 30-45 minutes for any bus to get out of the base and up to Big Lake. By the time any buses can get up there, it's probably the time for the third trip to go out. In...

I have to say, I think that the Hennepin Ave bridge is one of the more beautiful 'new construction' bridges.

Unreliability continues. Here's a tweet from this morning:

@MetroTransitMN: UPDATE: Northstar 1st trip now expected to leave Big Lake 30 minutes late due to freight issue.

https://twitter.com/metrotransitmn/stat ... 9374690304

One the other hand, it's much more visible to have state troopers pull people over. And who wants to be pulled over by a trooper?

I suppose it's similar to the way that the light rail uses a proof-of-payment system. It isn't too difficult to cheat it, but if you get caught, see you in court!

The problem with spreading out low-income housing is that bus service is very poor outside of the central cities, and relocating public housing evenly throughout the metro forces many of the poor to have to purchase cars, which are expensive and probably help keep them in poverty rather than rising ...

I use the carpool lane every morning, and it's great to see that its patrolled regularly.

The problem came up in an FTA Title IV review. ADA paratransit fare can only be twice the regular bus fare.

Isn't there supposed to be an apartment building fronting 5th Ave where the pond is in that drawing?