HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981 03-18 Study proposes light rail transit line from mall area to St. Paul THE REVIEW Maplewood, Minnesota Single Copy 30` WED.,MARCH 18, 1981
Study proposes light rail transit
line from mall area to St. Paul
A light rail transit system from the northeast suburbs to downtown St. city and would cut down on air pollution. report.
Maplewood Mall to downtown St.Paul is Paul would use the light rail transit However, Bastian says, the system The Metropolitan Council will conduct a
one of the alternatives proposed in a system each day. The study has might help St.Paul,but at the same time meeting at 7 p.m.March 31 at the Min-
Metropolitan Council study released received poor reviews from members of would create headaches for Maplewood. neapolis Public Library auditorium to
recently. the Maplewood City Council. Several If the system is built,he predicts vehicle hear public comment on the study.The
According to the study,the 8.77 mile council members recently expressed a vandalism and thefts will increase in the council is expected to act on the report on
system would carry about 18,000 dislike of the proposal for the Maplewood mall area.An extra patrol burden will be April 9,
passengers daily and would cost ap- to St.Paul light rail transit system. placed on the Maplewood Police The Minnesota Legislature directed the
proximately$9.2 million per mile. Department,he states. Metropolitan Council to study the
Capital costs for this stretch are If the Maplewood to St.Paul system is feasibility of light rail transit in the Twin
estimated at$81 million.This figure in- approved,it would require a substantial Members of the city council also Cities area.The conclusions of the study
eludes construction,vehicle,acquisition number of park-and-ride spaces to be question the accuracy of the study's were to be ready in time for this
of right of way,a feeder bus system and built near the mall. figures projecting daily ridership. The legislative session.
parking lot expenses.Construction costs Councilman Gary Bastian said at a city council members believe the Light rail transit is electrically
alone are projected to be$55.8 million' recent Maplewood City Council meeting passenger predictions are too high. propelled rail vehicles operated singly or
that he foresees a large amount of land There are four light rail transit system in trains. It would use about the same
The study shows the system running being paved for the light rail transit corridors proposed in the study.Two of amount of energy as other mass transit
next to the north-south Burlington Nor- system parking lot "and taken off the the corridors go from Minneapolis to its alternatives, but would use less
thern Railroad tracks to Beam Avenue in Maplewood tax rolls." suburbs in Hennepin County. Another petroleum,according to the study.
Maplewood.The tracks are located east The commuters would park their corridor runs parallel to University If a bus feeder system is not needed,a
of Highway 61. The system would run vehicles in the lots near the mall and then Avenue from downtown St. Paul to the light rail transit line can usually operate
parallel to Beam Avenue to Maplewood ride the light rail transit system into Minneapolis downtown area. Capital at a surplus, the report says. It is
Mall. downtown St. Paul. Promoters of this costs for the light rail transit systems in estimated that the annual capital costs for
According to the study,approximately mode of transportation say it would the four corridors would range from$81 the Maplewood to St.Paul line would be
2.9 percent of the persons traveling from reduce vehicle congestionin the capital million to$138 million,according to the $6.71 million.