Green Line LRT

Roads - Rails - Sidewalks - Bikeways
mulad
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby mulad » June 18th, 2014, 10:21 am

There was a lot of that on the 16/50.

kirby96
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby kirby96 » June 18th, 2014, 10:50 am

While I don't believe ProspectPete has ever explicitly mentioned the race of the young man, the discussion here seems to indicate we all assume he was black. Assuming that to be the case I can't help but think that tolerating offensive behaviour simply because of the race of the offender seems far more 'scared of black people'.

EOst
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby EOst » June 18th, 2014, 10:59 am

I've actually been offended by the behavior of a lot more white people on both trains so far. That isn't a racial issue; it's a non-confrontational thing.

talindsay
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby talindsay » June 18th, 2014, 11:12 am

It seems the issue (in general) is actually the use of "outdoor voice" and general rudeness/selfishness, rather than the specific language, no?

Sure, nobody wants their children subjected to vulgar language of any kind (racial or not), but if everyone using public transit could simply use their indoor voices and limit long/loud conversations in general, it doesn't really matter as much what the actual words are.
I think it's a cultural thing. In Europe, except late at night, transit is generally completely silent - people don't speak, or else they speak in very low voices. That's true in larger American cities with long-running systems as well, most of the time. I was on the Toronto subway last week and it was absolutely silent for the entire stretch from Yonge to Kipling - not so much as an "excuse me" in over a half hour ride. That's pretty extreme, and it was striking, but the general expectation is that you don't talk on public transit. For some reason, I've noticed smaller American cities' populations appear not to be aware of this - Seattle, St. Louis, Minneapolis all have really loud trains and buses as people practically shout at each other to be heard over the train - and other people - for the duration of the ride.

Sounds like a project for a sociologist to study.

Chava
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby Chava » June 18th, 2014, 11:15 am

Interestingly enough, the behavior I've seen on transit here has shocked and offended me more than anything I ever saw on late night weekend rides on the CTA Red line in Chicago. A ton of hostility, and the ever pervasive profane language. Not sure what it's all about. I did see more drivers put a stop to that kind of stuff in Chicago, so maybe that's why it feels more pervasive here? Drivers haven't seemed to care about ridiculousness here. May be related to what they're actually allowed to do in those situations however.

Chava
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby Chava » June 18th, 2014, 11:19 am

It seems the issue (in general) is actually the use of "outdoor voice" and general rudeness/selfishness, rather than the specific language, no?

Sure, nobody wants their children subjected to vulgar language of any kind (racial or not), but if everyone using public transit could simply use their indoor voices and limit long/loud conversations in general, it doesn't really matter as much what the actual words are.
I think it's a cultural thing. In Europe, except late at night, transit is generally completely silent - people don't speak, or else they speak in very low voices. That's true in larger American cities with long-running systems as well, most of the time. I was on the Toronto subway last week and it was absolutely silent for the entire stretch from Yonge to Kipling - not so much as an "excuse me" in over a half hour ride. That's pretty extreme, and it was striking, but the general expectation is that you don't talk on public transit. For some reason, I've noticed smaller American cities' populations appear not to be aware of this - Seattle, St. Louis, Minneapolis all have really loud trains and buses as people practically shout at each other to be heard over the train - and other people - for the duration of the ride.

Sounds like a project for a sociologist to study.
That about sums up my experience as well! There are fools everywhere, without doubt, but my time on NYC, Chicago, and Boston transit was the same. Everyone kept to themselves and went about their business.

ECtransplant
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby ECtransplant » June 18th, 2014, 11:30 am

I'm usually more offended by the crowding of the doors on the light rail and lack of use of the back door on the bus than anything else. Also symptoms of unfamiliarity with transit, I suppose

MinnMonkey
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby MinnMonkey » June 18th, 2014, 11:49 am

This mornings commute at 8am Eastbound from Government Plaza to Raymond, the train operator overshot the switches at the Blue/Green split and we headed down the Blue line for a hundred feet or so before stopping. The driver had to get out and run to the other end of the train and back us up, then ran back to the front and we continued down the Green line only needing to stop at 280.

Stopped driving to work Monday, and so far I don't see any reason to go back to the car, and hopefully the light timings will get worked out soon (I have overheard a lot of grumblings on the train about the lights). Even if MetroTransit could come out and say they are aware of the problem and working on it, would do a lot to improve the public perception of the line.

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Tom H.
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby Tom H. » June 18th, 2014, 3:31 pm

Just saw an EB Green Line train with "Snelling Ave" as its destination.

mulad
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby mulad » June 18th, 2014, 5:02 pm

Saw a Bombardier set this afternoon that had "Lexington Parkway" on the first car, "Minneapolis" on the second (though that still had the old flip-chip signs), and "Metro Transit" on the third:

Image
IMAG0201 by Mulad, on Flickr

The Bombardier cars have been having mismatched destinations on the Blue Line for a long time. I figure it'll work out for these cars when they all get upgraded to LED signs.

I've been on 2 or 3 Siemens trains that have started the end-of-route message cycle ("The next stop is the final stop" / "Union Depot station" / "This train is out of service" / "Please exit the train") after leaving Central going westbound, which is pretty annoying. However, it's amazing how many riders who have presumably worked in downtown Saint Paul for years, and yet don't know where the heck they're going.

ProspectPete
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby ProspectPete » June 18th, 2014, 8:33 pm

Did some of the bombardier cars get a paint job to match the new Siemens blue angels style paint schemes?

David Greene
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby David Greene » June 18th, 2014, 8:46 pm

Did some of the bombardier cars get a paint job to match the new Siemens blue angels style paint schemes?
Yep. The original livery soon will only live on in my commemorative Hiawatha opening day paper models. Got a few Green Line ones too, BTW.

Suburban Outcast
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby Suburban Outcast » June 18th, 2014, 8:49 pm

To be honest, I kind of liked the old black paint style more on the old Bombardier cars, but their yellowish interiors are ugly-looking imho. I'm glad the new Siemens trains avoid using that same color in the interior.

MinnMonkey
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby MinnMonkey » June 19th, 2014, 8:18 am

A couple observations throughout the week:

1) This line is VERY popular. I have been seeing a steady increase in passengers each day on the trains I take. Many trips are standing room only. I am very curious to see ridership numbers.

2) Signals seems to be getting worse (maybe that means they are at least working on them). Today once we left downtown Minneapolis we needed to stop at: Church, Union, Walnut, Oak, Ontario, Huron, Berry and Eustis. I got off at Raymond. Watched the train proceed and it needed to stop at Vandalia and Cleveland then I lost site of it. Overall it added about 30% to the advertised riding time. Granted, it still beats the stress of driving!

mullen
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby mullen » June 19th, 2014, 9:10 am

if you're driving west on univ at huron/23rd, pack a lunch. reminds me of how hiawatha signals were before things were reconfigured.

mullen
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby mullen » June 19th, 2014, 9:11 am

correction, driving east on univ.

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FISHMANPET
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby FISHMANPET » June 19th, 2014, 10:09 am

My wife and a friend are both saying that conditions on the train are quickly deteriorating. Maybe we need to really step up patrols on the Green Line, based on the broken window theory of crime. I'd hate for this line to scare off all the choice riders because the cars are filthy and the other riders are obnoxious.

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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby exiled_antipodean » June 19th, 2014, 10:16 am

After all these years you'd think Minnesotans would have worked out how to provide cover from precipitation to people walking or standing in a busy place. But no, most commercial buildings here are without awnings and the bus-stops seem to have been designed by someone from an arid climate.

talindsay
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby talindsay » June 19th, 2014, 10:20 am

Or maybe the bus shelters are designed by General Motors to drive auto sales :-P

Seriously though, on Saturday during the opening I noticed water literally pouring over the front - the open side - of the shelters at Stadium Village station. As far as I can tell it's because they set up cascading shelters, and the higher pitched shelter was dumping all the water that hit it directly onto the flat top of the main shelter, which then sent water both ways - off the front and back - since it was flat. Only an issue during major rain storms, but still, even 5 degrees of pitch on that roof would have gone a long way to keeping passengers dry.

Chef
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Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Postby Chef » June 19th, 2014, 11:18 am

My wife and a friend are both saying that conditions on the train are quickly deteriorating. Maybe we need to really step up patrols on the Green Line, based on the broken window theory of crime. I'd hate for this line to scare off all the choice riders because the cars are filthy and the other riders are obnoxious.
I rode the 16 a lot through the '90s and '00s and always felt like that bus line was the most dangerous place to be in St Paul. Some of the things I saw/experienced were pretty over the top. It eventually got to the point where I wouldn't take jobs that forced me to ride that line late at night. I would not be surprised if such behavior spilled over to the Green Line without a heavy presence from Metro Transit police.


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