urbanMSP

My gods, looking at all the lanes they're going to put at the intersection at 63rd Ave North. They're going to need a 75 foot gate arm for that beast.

Bottineau light rail project wins $1.2 million FTA grant
http://finance-commerce.com/2016/10/bot ... fta-grant/
*UNLOCKED*

Great to see the Feds awarding these funds to the next extension! Not bad to get 12% of the awarded money for a line still going through planning.

$1.2m of $15m, so ~8%. Regardless, this line is looking more and more likely, which is great news. Perhaps it will have an easier time politically than the Southwest line.

Perhaps it will have an easier time politically than the Southwest line.

It will be very telling how the DFL responds to GV/Homewood residents. How will it compare to the reaction to the CIDNA/Kenwood folks?

$1.2m of $15m, so ~8%. Regardless, this line is looking more and more likely, which is great news. Perhaps it will have an easier time politically than the Southwest line.

DOH! #badatmath Sorry.

Just in the nick of time, as they say.

Your post is empty for me, so the BB code may be broken.

Watching that, makes me think why aren't we just doing the 1st two stations (Penn and Van White) NOW? That would probably improve transit in an area that needs it. Look at how many different projects are planned for that area. Blue Line extension, C Line, D Line (?).

Link to the invisible (to some) video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g_CgInn0fg

Watching that, makes me think why aren't we just doing the 1st two stations (Penn and Van White) NOW? That would probably improve transit in an area that needs it. Look at how many different projects are planned for that area. Blue Line extension, C Line, D Line (?).

Yeah it kinda sucks the way we structure/schedule these projects for federal funding. With Bottineau now <12 months behind Southwest in terms of implementation, it would be ideal to see a combined bid package for the first 4 stations of both Southwest and Bottineau. It would be extremely optimal to do all of the construction east of I-94 (i.e. 7th & Olson intersection) all at once.

I love that they start the satellite images on the far end, highlighting just how much nothing we are building to.

I'm a bit curious how this will impact Northstar ridership, especially for special events. If someone's along the I-94 corridor or in much of greater Minnesota, it's not that much further to take 94 to 610 over to Brooklyn Park and use the (much more frequent) LRT line versus special event service along the Northstar line. (I guess it is 20 miles further looking at Google Maps, but it's all freeway driving versus having to cross over at Monticello and, frankly, a lot better service frequency and span of service than being tied to a special event train.)

Doesn't it seem like some of these stations would be far more valuable as TOD pads rather than surface park and rides? I'm thinking Golden Valley Road specifically. You could fit 200+ units on that little triangle, in place of ~90 vehicles.

That station is downright weird anyway. It's surrounded by park and the backside of the golf course. At least if they built something in that parcel there'd be a reason to use that station.

Duh, that station is for getting to your car.

Also, I couldn't stand to watch that video - 80% of it is just suburban flyover.

This reminds me why I much prefer the streetcar plans to these regional suburb links. Vehicle type isn't what's important, it's the regional vs. core service levels.

Presentation posted for next Monday's Transportation Committee meeting. The schedule has been pushed back a bit, with the opening in 2022 now.

https://metrocouncil.org/Council-Meetin ... pdate.aspx

Blue Line Extension Newsletter
https://metrocouncil.org/Transportation ... ly-20.aspx

MPRB planning committee suggests approving the easement for the BLRT parking lot on that triangle of parkland in GV:

Resolution Granting 2.635 Acres of Permanent Easements and 10.810 Acres of
Temporary Easements Within Theodore Wirth Regional Park and Glenview
Terrace Park Associated with the METRO Blue Line Extension Light Rail Project,
for a Fee of $690,245, Pending District Court Approval of Permanent Easements

I wish we had a no-net-loss rule here. A parking lot is pretty much the worst use for parkland I can imagine.