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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014 10-08 Residents turn up to voice concerns over Rush Line MAPLEWOOD REVIEW Residents turn up to voice concerns over Rush Line OUT - 82014 Patrick Larkin Review staff 7 i A big group of East Siders 11, at4 -Air, walking down Bruce Vento fitr Regional Trail on a Mon- day evening was enough to bewilder and slow down a smattering is pass- � ing through the area. The residents,over 50 of them, were there to walk the quiet path through the East Side on a Monday night, concerned that it might one day be gone. As Ramsey County Patrick Larkin/Review begins studying options Josh Olson,senior transportation planner for Ramsey County Regional Rail for the proposed Rush Line Authority, led a walk along the Bruce Vento Regional Trail on Monday,Sept.29 Corridor, one rapid-transit where the county is considering putting a transit line. route on the table would change the landscape of transit line, with hopes of one woman asked. within a block of where the wooded pedestrian choosing a route by fall Another woman said that the alignment would run, area. The trail runs along of 2015. she walks her dog along the said he was against light Ramsey County Regional As part of the study trail, and would be crest- rail going through the Rail Authority land that of the two options, the fallen to see the mature trees area, explaining that he starts near Swede Hollow county invited residents to downed for the sake of tran- suffers from tinnitus, a Park and heads northeast walk along a section of one sit infrastructure. hearing related ailment. towards White Bear Lake. of the proposed corridors Josh Olson, engineer for "I'd have to move," he Ramsey County is cur- that goes along the Bruce Ramsey County Regional said, adding that the light rently studying two poten- Vento trail, which follows Rail Authority, noted that rails going into Portland, tial routes for the Rush an abandoned Burlington the county is in the mid- Oregon caused him to move Line Corridor. The transit Northern railroad corridor. dle of evaluating the route from there in the 1980's. system would use either options, and that nothing However,if it were bus rapid light rail or bus rapid tran- Varying agendas is set in stone. trasing going in instead of sit to create a transit line The large group of resi- He said planners will light rail,he'd be able to put from St. Paul to the north- dents showed up with vary- look at ways to fit both a up with it,he said. east suburbs --one route ing agendas -- some came transit corridor and a bike Maplewood residents would go along I-35E from to learn about the project, path along the route. Steve and Jane Kolias downtown St. Paul up to some had specific concerns Olson spent the majority showed up because the pro- Forest Lake,while the other to voice, and some simply of the hour-long walk field- posed route along the trail would cut through the East wanted to voice their gen- ing specific questions and is right behind their house. Side and Maplewood along eral opposition to putting a concerns from residents. As regular users of the rail right-of-way land up to train or BRT line through bike trail, they said they're White Bear Lake. their neighborhood. Noise concerns worried what might hap- The county is bearing "Do we have a chance Collin Cromwell, an down to focus on the new at all of stopping this?" East Sider who lives see Rush Line on page 3 Rush Line... continued from page 1 ocT - 8 2014 pen to it if a bus or light rail Brooks, a bicyclist, also went through the space. said he'd hope that the line They also said they were could improve bike connec- concerned about the property tivity to his area, which he value of their home—they says is underserved. wondered if a transit route so dose to their home would Nature making its case decrease the property value At the conclusion of the "We feel like we'd lose a meeting, walking along ton,"Steve Kolias said. the wooded path at sun- set, Payne Phalen District Congestion reduction? Council director Les- Meanwhile, East Sider lie McMurray noted the Barbara D.Johnson lives a vibrancy of the path, with couple blocks away from the cyclists and pedestrians trail, and said she liked the passing by steadily. prospect of being able to take "Nature has made its a train or bus straight into point,"she said. downtown from her house. Additional opportuni- Recently retired, she ties for input about the recalled regularly driving proposed transit line will through commuter conges- be scheduled for the fall. Lion in downtown St.Paul at Olson told the crowd that her job,and imagined a route open houses are sched- like the Rush Line could help uled in November. reduce that congestion. An East Side meeting She also said that if the is scheduled for Nov. 18 at transit line actually made Duluth and Case Recreation frequent stops in the East Center, 1020 Duluth St. Side, it would be a benefit Other open houses will take for the area -- "one of the place in White Bear Lake and things that gives the East Maplewood. More details Side a bad rap is that it's dis- will be made available closer connected,"she said. to the date of the events. White Bear Lake resident Mike Brooks echoed that Contact Patrick sentiment,saying commuter Larkin at 651-748-7816 or congestion in the town is at eastside @lillienews.com. a mess. "I'm hoping some- Follow him on Twitter at thing like (the Rush Line) @ESKPatrickLark. could clean that up,"he said.