Green Line / Central Corridor construction thread (archive)

Roads - Rails - Sidewalks - Bikeways
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FISHMANPET
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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby FISHMANPET » March 22nd, 2013, 9:11 am

Saw them installing one of the huge electrical boxes (what are they called?) by the West Bank Station yesterday. I guess that's probably what their temporary Washington Ave closure was for, since the truck was blocking the street.

MNdible
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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby MNdible » March 22nd, 2013, 9:34 am

This is misleading:
"The Green Line has been built on 11 miles of exclusive right of way"
That implies grade separation or no crossings.
Not really misleading. It clearly does have its own right of way. How else would you describe the situation?

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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby mulad » March 22nd, 2013, 9:38 am

The huge electrical boxes are traction power substations (TPSS).

I've been thinking the term "dedicated" is more appropriate than "exclusive" in describing the LRT right-of-way.

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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby Suburban Outcast » March 22nd, 2013, 11:47 am

It's similar to the streetcar route in Toronto on St. Clair Ave, as it runs in the median of the avenue but it's track was upgraded to it's own dedicated ROW 2007-2010. The Central Corridor is basically a LRT version of it, albeit a few differences.
Image
More info on the streetcar line / picture source

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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby UptownSport » March 22nd, 2013, 12:29 pm

Saw a stuck tractor East of Dale yesterday.
He'd pulled out of a lot onto University and couldn't turn sharply enough because of the 'right of way' barrier.
Trailer went up snow bank and must've lifted tractor drives enough to cause spin.
Police had Eastbound lane blocked, a pickup(!) was 'hitched' to tractor.

I care for an old lady who HATES, and I mean HATES the project. Of course, she's been around forever (tells stories about the neighborhood- including some about horses) so she rode streetcars- is familiar with rail- It doesn't dampen her contempt.
I try not to drive down University with her, and point out how easy it will be for her to get around with project completed.
It doesn't do any good ...

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Nick
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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby Nick » March 23rd, 2013, 3:37 pm

Went to a Wild game with twincitizen today. I walked around Downtown St. Paul a bit before the game, and I couldn't help but notice that the railbed/rails look really aged already--rusty metal, chipped concrete, etc. Is that normal or..?
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Tom H.
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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby Tom H. » March 23rd, 2013, 4:16 pm

I believe that rails rust very quickly when unused (as in, a matter of a day or two). Thus, you can tell whether a rail line is active by checking how shiny the tops of the rails are. It's just a thin layer of surface oxidization, though - nothing to worry about. The trains will wear it off in no time once they get running.

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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby talindsay » March 23rd, 2013, 11:15 pm

Yes, the rails are raw steel and rust on the surface quickly. Growing up I learned to look at the tracks to see if they were shiny - if they are, the line is in use and you shouldn't walk on the tracks. If they're orange, you can feel safe walking on them. Certainly a week of disuse will result in orange, oxidized rails.

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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby Nick » March 24th, 2013, 7:59 am

The more you know! :)
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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby mulad » March 29th, 2013, 8:27 am

Drew Kerr at F&C mentions that an LRV will go down the Central Corridor in about a month, pulled by a tow truck. He didn't say the reason for it, but I'm sure part of it is just to validate that they got the clearances right. Overhead wire installation should also resume in April.

http://finance-commerce.com/transit/201 ... ridor-lrt/

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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby Tom H. » March 29th, 2013, 10:47 am

Overhead wire installation has been occurring on campus between Stadium Village and East Bank Stations for the last week or two.

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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby UptownSport » April 6th, 2013, 2:44 am

And over the 35W flyover; Eastbound track.

You can (and people do) drive over tracks down 5th (where you're not supposed to.)
Any idea why University has barriers? I think track would be much less 'dividing' if it didn't have a wall ...

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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby commissioner » April 6th, 2013, 9:19 am

If you're talking about the black fence, that's to keep people from crossing the tracks wherever there isn't a crosswalk (which does absolutely no good by the way, the ones by the U work way better)

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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby seanrichardryan » April 6th, 2013, 9:26 am

I think it is to prevent pedestrians form making a mid block run in front of a speeding train. Blocks along much of University are around 500' long with fewer stoplights and cross streets so trains will be moving a bit faster than they do in Downtown Minneapolis.
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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby UptownSport » April 7th, 2013, 1:12 am

Hiawatha closed Friday night to Sunday(?) North of Franklin for 'maintenance.'
I'm assuming it's actually to tie in Central (saw a truck on 35W flyover and they're stringing caternary)

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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby UptownSport » April 8th, 2013, 1:47 pm

I think it is to prevent pedestrians form making a mid block run in front of a speeding train. Blocks along much of University are around 500' long with fewer stoplights and cross streets so trains will be moving a bit faster than they do in Downtown Minneapolis.
20120408 Central Corridor.jpg
I'm talking a wall, higher near stations and crossings.
There are at least full curbs at all places, Hiawatha has 1/4 curbs

This does an excellent job of partitioning entire city- No less than 94 did (there are bridges and walkways across 94)

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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby mamundsen » April 8th, 2013, 1:58 pm

There are still crosswalks, and even mid block crosswalks, all along University. I am confused if you are trying to say that this will divide the city or not?

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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby Silophant » April 8th, 2013, 2:02 pm

I don't know if putting physical barriers in to prevent jaywalking across a major artery, leaving crosswalks across it at every street corner and some mid-blocks, is really that comparable to digging a giant trench through a neighborhood and building a couple bridges over it.
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Andrew_F
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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby Andrew_F » April 8th, 2013, 2:11 pm

That does appear quite visually divisive, but I agree that it's nothing close to the level of a major freeway like 94 or 35W.

But what did people expect when putting LRT down a street? Hiawatha runs almost like a streetcar during the downtown portion of its route. If Central ran its entire route like that it would be very frustrating to ride.

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Re: Green Line (Central)

Postby UptownSport » April 8th, 2013, 2:24 pm

People expect what they're told.

I'm not sure "divisive" needs a qualifier.


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