Green Line / Central Corridor construction thread (archive)

[UptownSport]

MTC website says 96% complete

[mulad]

A Bombardier LRV made a surprise appearance during yesterday's farmer's market in downtown St. Paul. Chistina Morrison made a blog post about it: http://lettherebelightrail.blogspot.com ... watch.html

Video:

[UptownSport]

Wicked!
Still keeping those doors open!!!

[mattaudio]

There's an all-way stop at 4th and Wacouta (eastern side of Union Depot station) -- is that going to stay? Can they have stop signs controlling LRT/traffic mix?

[mulad]

I've been curious about that stop and the one at 4th & Wall. But of course the stretch of track between Union Depot and the OMF will only be used as trains enter/leave service for the day (or part of the day).

[bubzki2]

I'd think that cars, after stopping, would simply know they are to yield to a train. But, you never know...

[LRV Op Dude]

There's an all-way stop at 4th and Wacouta (eastern side of Union Depot station) -- is that going to stay? Can they have stop signs controlling LRT/traffic mix?

The four way stop will remain. Yes, the trains will have to stop for the stop sign. Also, trains will be restricted to no bell or horn use unless it is for a emergency between Union Staion and OMF. It is part of the agreement of having the OMF in the Lowertown area.

[mamundsen]

Did anyone go to the Open Streets event yesterday?

I also saw a new article that there would be 15 Metro Transit police constantly riding the Green Line. I wonder if they will actually be on BOTH lines?

[VAStationDude]

15 police constantly riding? Seems unlikely. Maybe 15 full time officer positions added with the Green Line opening but not 15 officers on duty 20 hours a day. That would be close to 60 full time officers just for the Green Line. At $80,000 a year in salary and benefits per officer, the cost would be $4,800,000.

[mamundsen]

yeah, I guess I read that a little too quickly. Here is the article:

http://www.monitorsaintpaul.com/metro-t ... y-to-ride/

"When the light rail line on University Ave. opens next year, there will be 15 Metro Transit Police Officers patrolling it."

[mulad]

I do see Metro Transit police surprisingly often these days, both along University Avenue and in downtown St. Paul. They tend to camp out at the stop at 5th Street and Minnesota Street, on the same block as the "Central" stop.

Anyway, catenary wire has started to be pulled in downtown St. Paul. There's a gap of at least a few blocks between the wire along University Avenue and what's currently in downtown -- So far, I've only seen wire on Cedar Street and 12th Street (north side of I-94 along the Capitol office building complex). As of this morning, the catenary arms were only attached to poles as far as the corner of 4th and Minnesota (east end of the Central station).

Tout video from a PiPress reporter: http://www.tout.com/m/l6j65f?ref=tw9j8nvi

[UptownSport]

Now its back to 94%

Why? Official announced the higher number just before website reflected it.

MTC website says 96% complete

[Silophant]

It shows 96% for me. Strange.

[talindsay]

Perhaps they accidentally, and momentarily, uploaded an old version of the website from their change management system while updating it.
EDIT: it's showing 94% for me too. I haven't loaded the page in a while.

Honestly though, I wouldn't worry too much about the percentage - it's a made-up number and whatever it says is unlikely to have any effect on how much time is left before trains run.

[Scott Wood]

Anyway, catenary wire has started to be pulled in downtown St. Paul. There's a gap of at least a few blocks between the wire along University Avenue and what's currently in downtown -- So far, I've only seen wire on Cedar Street and 12th Street (north side of I-94 along the Capitol office building complex). As of this morning, the catenary arms were only attached to poles as far as the corner of 4th and Minnesota (east end of the Central station).

Overhead wire is now up on 4th Street in the vicinity of Wacouta and Wall Streets.

[mulad]

Some or all of the system in downtown St. Paul is being set up as the single-wire stuff seen in low-speed sections like in downtown Minneapolis and parts of the UMN campus, in contrast to most of the line which has a top catenary wire suspending the contact wire the trains actually draw power from.

My brother and I also noticed this week that there's only a single overhead wire along the Washington Avenue Bridge even though it's supposed to be a relatively fast section of track -- it looks like the supporting arms are spaced close together to compensate.

[UptownSport]

Yes, noticed single overhead on WAB, too.
Has anyone seen University overhead line progress East of Snelling?

[Snelbian]

Last I saw it looked like they'd gotten down to Hamline. That was about a week ago.

[commissioner]

The overhead wire is all the way to the OMF but is tensioned only to Chatsworth. Poles are going up in the omf yard and they have been laying track there. Also they have been testing signals various places along the line. Any idea of when everything will be cut in?

[UptownSport]

Thanks.

Heard about it being tested East of Snelling; spotter was surprise at how fast it was going when it 'surprised' him.