Green Line Extension - Southwest LRT

Roads - Rails - Sidewalks - Bikeways
tmart
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby tmart » March 22nd, 2018, 9:39 am

They already failed trying to prevent two light rail lines from being built, why do they have an obsession with still trying to kill it?
It's red meat for their base.
Bingo. They have to demonstrate to their constituents that they threw everything at the wall to try and kill it. Notice how a few bullet points down from the "safety" consideration they also just outright say they hate rails. Rails indicate investment in urban areas, and investment in urban areas signals to their constituents that there hasn't been a sufficient transfer of tax revenue from urban donor counties to rural recipient counties.

They of course understand that this won't work. But they're going to make people vote against it, or make Dayton veto it, so that in the fall Pawlenty can talk about how the DFL killed small-government reforms in favor of "unelected bureaucrats building billion-dollar trains." And honestly, stirring up outstate and exurban resentment is probably the only effective tactic they'll have given the national environment right now.

DanPatchToget
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby DanPatchToget » March 29th, 2018, 9:09 pm

http://www.startribune.com/southwest-lr ... 478353053/

Anyone want to sue the Lakes and Parks Alliance for wasting our time?

How much is their lawsuit costing this project? Even if its one penny it should be billed to them.

Bakken2016
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby Bakken2016 » March 30th, 2018, 8:14 am

http://www.startribune.com/southwest-lr ... 478353053/

Anyone want to sue the Lakes and Parks Alliance for wasting our time?

How much is their lawsuit costing this project? Even if its one penny it should be billed to them.
Yawn, the appeals court will uphold the Judge Tunheim's decision. Lake and Parks Alliance is clinging on by their last breath.

tmart
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby tmart » April 19th, 2018, 4:52 pm


mamundsen
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby mamundsen » April 19th, 2018, 6:43 pm

Too late to look at 3c? LOL. I always love that one.

DanPatchToget
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby DanPatchToget » April 19th, 2018, 9:52 pm

Wonder if the people who decided on the Kenilworth route may be reconsidering if that was the best decision, or maybe they have single track minds (no pun intended) and will defend it no matter what happens.

Korh
Union Depot
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby Korh » April 19th, 2018, 9:59 pm

The only reason why I was ok with the Kenilworth route is I was under the assumption Metro/hennepin county owned the corridor and when the the tracks it the greenway got removed, cutting off TC&W's main line to get to the city, they allowed them to operate in the the kenilworth "temporarily" while they find a new route. Now I'm starting to see just how wrong that is.

Bakken2016
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby Bakken2016 » April 19th, 2018, 10:30 pm

So what now?

DanPatchToget
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby DanPatchToget » April 19th, 2018, 10:41 pm

The only reason why I was ok with the Kenilworth route is I was under the assumption Metro/hennepin county owned the corridor and when the the tracks it the greenway got removed, cutting off TC&W's main line to get to the city, they allowed them to operate in the the kenilworth "temporarily" while they find a new route. Now I'm starting to see just how wrong that is.
The freight reroute "agreement" that no one can find nor did any party sign.

I don't know how that proposal got so far when it was just an assumption. Sorry to beat this already dead topic, but seriously who came up with it and why did no one in the planning department speak up and we wasted a couple years studying this insane idea?

kirby96
Union Depot
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby kirby96 » April 20th, 2018, 9:54 am

Isn't there the potential for a big payday for TC&W here?

They are in a strong position, but if SWLRT was truly that detrimental to their operations they would have just said no in the first place, wouldn't they have?

I mean, if that assumption is true, I can totally understand them holding out for the 'windfall' they are accused of seeking: they hold all the cards and a risk profile that is seriously skewed to the upside due to the seeming poor planning on the part of our local agencies (their downside is limited to business as usual, and their upside is the sky is the limit). Only pure altruism (ha!) would lead them to not try and maximize that situation. That said, it also seems stupid that they wouldn't make an agreement at some point. Basically it seems like a situation has been created where their incentive is to push this as close as they possibly can to putting the project at real risk and then agreeing to a payout.

It seems like what's happening is exactly what a game theorist probably would have expected.

kirby96
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby kirby96 » April 20th, 2018, 9:57 am

dup
Last edited by kirby96 on April 20th, 2018, 10:18 am, edited 1 time in total.

Bakken2016
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby Bakken2016 » April 20th, 2018, 10:06 am

Too late to look at 3c? LOL. I always love that one.
I think Minneapolis should be focusing on Midtown Greenway Streetcar, because this better serves the area between the two rail lines. Nic-Central can wait.

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VacantLuxuries
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby VacantLuxuries » April 20th, 2018, 10:29 am

I think Minneapolis should be focusing on Midtown Greenway Streetcar, because this better serves the area between the two rail lines. Nic-Central can wait.
Well, one of those rail lines has been on various precipices of not being built for years now, so that might factor into why they're not focusing on it.

go4guy
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby go4guy » April 23rd, 2018, 9:19 pm

Does anyone know what TC&W pays on taxes for their property the rail lines sit on? Seems like with how long of a stretch they have thru valuable areas, they would be paying way more in taxes than there infrequent service could possible recoup. Or are they getting a sweetheart deal? Maybe it is time to reassess their property value.

DanPatchToget
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby DanPatchToget » April 23rd, 2018, 11:02 pm

TCW owns the right-of-way between Minnetonka and somewhere far west (Montevideo?). CP owns the right-of-way between Minnetonka and St. Louis Park. Hennepin County owns the right-of-way between St. Louis Park and Cedar Lake Jct. where the Bass Lake Spur connects with the BNSF. TCW also owns the ex-Minneapolis Northfield & Southern bridge crossing the Minnesota River between Bloomington and Savage.

Qhaberl
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby Qhaberl » April 24th, 2018, 6:11 am

Sadly, I think we will be leading a long time before we see this actually built. It’s really unfortunate all of the delays. First the delays with people fighting the south west line, now the delays with the railroad companies not wanting to play nice. This line could be so good for the cities. There is already a huge amount of development occurring around the stations. It would be unfortunate if all of that goes to waste, and developers pull out their proposals.


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bubzki2
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby bubzki2 » April 25th, 2018, 12:30 pm


Bakken2016
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby Bakken2016 » April 25th, 2018, 12:37 pm


MNdible
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby MNdible » April 25th, 2018, 12:52 pm

This is, presumably, just part of the posturing between the railroad and the Met Council as they try to close out negotiations. Right?

tmart
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)

Postby tmart » April 25th, 2018, 1:12 pm

This is, presumably, just part of the posturing between the railroad and the Met Council as they try to close out negotiations. Right?
Probably...but either way, bringing it to the courts will likely have real effects in terms of wasting even more time and money. Not to mention eroding political will and reinforcing the reputation as "the controversial beleaguered transit project."


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