urbanMSP

I want car storage ramps in the center of downtown, especially on 5th, to go away long before the ABC ramps.

I do not want to get rid of the ABC ramps (at least in the medium term). I want them to be (almost) the only option.

A lot of people from other parts of the metro use those ramps too, not just drivers coming from the west. I use them when attending events at Target Center/Field or at one of the theaters on Hennepin, and I come from the south.

While I don't see the ABC ramps going away, what if we required that "people who park" pay the cost of their parking rather than paying for parking ramps with federal dollars under BS program names that include the phrase "congestion mitigation and air quality?" I dunno.

Do the ABC ramps become a stop on downtown streetcar lines/loop (other than blue/green lines)? A place with plentiful rental bikes, ebikes, escooters, etc.? I’m guessing someone who drives downtown rather than taking the Blue or Green lines probably won’t hop on transit once they get down there.

On the other hand, that’s what seems to happen today for Vikings games. My partner & I took the 6 bus to the Green Line to get to a Vikings game a year or two ago, and you could barely get a seat on the train, presumably because of the ABC ramps driving ridership. Or maybe that’s everybody transferring from buses.

Will stadiums be an initial driver of getting suburbanites on SWLRT? Might suburbanites like the ride (literally & figuratively), and then start using it for commutes or shopping or other entertainment?

While I don't see the ABC ramps going away, what if we required that "people who park" pay the cost of their parking rather than paying for parking ramps with federal dollars under BS program names that include the phrase "congestion mitigation and air quality?" I dunno.

*shrug* If the city wants to increase the rates, that's their call. Personally, I think the ramp is a a very good deal as it is, and would be fine paying somewhat more for the handful of times I use it each year. But I imagine they have their reasons for keeping the rates where they are at the moment.

Do the ABC ramps become a stop on downtown streetcar lines/loop (other than blue/green lines)? A place with plentiful rental bikes, ebikes, escooters, etc.? I’m guessing someone who drives downtown rather than taking the Blue or Green lines probably won’t hop on transit once they get down there.

On the other hand, that’s what seems to happen today for Vikings games. My partner & I took the 6 bus to the Green Line to get to a Vikings game a year or two ago, and you could barely get a seat on the train, presumably because of the ABC ramps driving ridership. Or maybe that’s everybody transferring from buses.

Will stadiums be an initial driver of getting suburbanites on SWLRT? Might suburbanites like the ride (literally & figuratively), and then start using it for commutes or shopping or other entertainment?

I'm not sure I agree with the bolded. I think the ABC ramps pretty well model the "leave your car at the edge of the city" structure, even if we'd prefer "the edge of the city" to be defined differently. In general, there's a nascent mobility hub in that area, between the Blue/Green Lines, Northstar (and future Duluth rail) terminus, skyway access, a few major event destinations (ballpark, arena, First Ave), and a consolidated car storage. I think it's been pretty successful in that function, and I can imagine it as a strong foundation for a project where over time the mix of modes becomes less autocentric and the car storage gets pushed further out of the city--as long as the experience of getting from that suburban car storage to the mobility hub is just as good as or better than today's experience on 394.

People with carpool parking contracts automatically get free transit in the downtown zone:
https://moveminneapolis.org/carpool-parking/

With respect to the comment about not being sure how much Eden Prairie or Minnetonka has thought about redevelopment of the station areas, this Southwest Community Works effort may shed some light on the topic. https://www.swlrtcommunityworks.org/bey ... -framework

The investment framework was an effort of multiple cities, the county, and consultants to think about what some of the infrastructure steps necessary to realize redevelopment in these station areas. It built off of previous processes to think about larger goals. Take a look at the Golden Triangle report, which realized the importance of breaking down superblocks, improving access, and setting up a development pattern that could allow property owners to redevelop in support of the plan. In my interactions with the City of Eden Prairie, they were eager for SWLRT for its power to guide future investment in the city.

Personally, I'm worn out by all of the rehashing out of whether this line should be built. It's happening. So what needs to happen from here to realize the vision and maximize the outcomes of this project. All five cities and the county have a lot bet on the line and some have put considerable funds into it already (such as my previous post that focused on Hopkins).

Also, a comparable property that may be similar to some of the areas along the Green Line Extension is the Spring District in Bellevue. Once an office/warehouse corridor tucked between Downtown Bellevue and Microsoft, it's transitioning into a mixed-use, urban district along the future East Link light rail line. There are big differences, with respect to some of the economic drivers, but it does show how master redevelopment can lead to big changes.
http://www.thespringdistrict.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_District

With respect to the comment about not being sure how much Eden Prairie or Minnetonka has thought about redevelopment of the station areas, this Southwest Community Works effort may shed some light on the topic. https://www.swlrtcommunityworks.org/bey ... -framework

The investment framework was an effort of multiple cities, the county, and consultants to think about what some of the infrastructure steps necessary to realize redevelopment in these station areas.

That looks great. Living nearby, I could see what SLP & Hopkins were doing along their sections, but really had no idea what Mtka or Eden Prairie were doing. Thanks for that link with comprehensive PDFs.

Is the plan to extend the route two over to serve 21st St. station by opening day? I understand that 21st St. station will serve the trail network, but other than that I’m not really sure where it’s going to get ridership from. There seems to be a decent amount of residential units in the area, but most of them are single-family units. From what I can see, it doesn’t look like there is much space for higher density development around the station. Just my thoughts; what do others think?


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Extending the #2 bus to the 21st St. Station via Douglas Ave (not sure why that and not just continuing on Franklin) is on the service improvement plan. Currently it's a low priority item because implementation is a few years away.

The last few parcels are being purchased.

https://finance-commerce.com/2018/12/me ... est-sites/

The huge Tech Center in Hopkins is one that still remains to be bought.

That tech center is where Hopkins is going to extend 17th St., right?

Correct!

The article mentions along with the tech center there is one more parcel they describe as "small and irregular", any idea where it is?

http://www.urbanrail.net/am/minn/minneapolis.htm
The Urban Rail website has updated their Twin Cities Map to include the green line extension.

While back I said I would maybe put together some type of image/chart comparing time to get to each station on the SWLRT route with our current transit system and I manage to do one part of it (first time trying to make one of these so its a bit rough).
Times are slightly different than my initial rough estimated back in December so I might need to double check them again but its a start.

All I need left is to make one for rush hour and try to hunt down a good estimate of the prepossessed timetable for comparison

I know the groundbreaking already happened and construction has "begun", but is there anywhere along the route where actual activities are happening? I haven't seen anything at all, other than some utility markings, from the EP terminus to about Louisiana station. I imagine with the weather warming up, things should be kicking into gear soon.