4.3. SR 01-20-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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RAIL TRANSPORTATION ~' O~ Northstar Federal agency wants line to end before St. Cloud because of cost BY }dANK SHAW Sorry. St. Cloud. A key federal study released T.quvsday effectively stops the Northstar commuter rail service at Big Lake in central Minneso- ta instead of St. Cloud or Rice, cutting the proposal in half. Prelmmnary numbers fi'om the Federal Transit Administra- tion suggest that Ws not worth the money to exteud the rail serv- ice beyond Big Lake, which is about 40 miles fi'om downtown Minneapolis. Also gone are proposed stations Ltl Northeast Minneapolis and Coon Rapids. The news is another blow to the project, which has come under fire m recent weeks for cost o-erruns ~:nd for spending aI least $~14,000 in taxpayer money on lobbying and public relar tions since 2002. Gev. Tim Pawlenty has said his support of the proposal will largely hinge on the FTA report. But a spokeswoman said that he would reserve pulgment until the agency releases its tin'al numbers em'ly new month. COMMUTER RAIL, 3B Commuter rail (contimled) Northstar supporters put the best face oil Thursday's report. Noting that the FTA standards are tough, they said they were pleased that North- slar at least partially met them. "While we believe there is strong pnblic support and the potential ridership to justify the fidl Northstar Corridm; we are pleased that the Northstm commnter rail project can pass this tough cost-effectiveness test," said state Rep. Kathy Tin- gelstad, R-Andoven Tmgelstad is a leading champion tbr Northstar in the Legislatm'e, which this winter is expected to debate whether to borrow $126 million for the service. Northstar spokeaman Paul McCarron said he expects that both the total cost of the $310 nlillion project and the anlouat the group will ask the state to borrow will drop. He said it was too early to say by how much. Rice Northstar ' Commuter Rail St. e~,~e East St. Cloud proposeO line m half. The stuoy says Clouo 'f~ · Clear Lake no~ De COSt effective ~ ~ aec~er 1~ route~ ~ ·. ' B'lgLake [] Recommended J MINNESOTA ~ · : ~ff/~m~ : ~ ~. E k Rtver~/,/ lwia~ [ f ~e Anoka ~ // : I '"' ~ * Fridley Northstar~ Commuter Rail } &. {-~ ¢ Downtown ~ ~ Minneapolis ~ VA Med ca Tra Center ~ ' Cer · Minneapolis/ St. Pau) MaU ~ International Amer Airpor[ Source; Northstar Corridor DevelOpment Authority PIO[~EER PRESS The shorter length would cut out many state lawmakers in the St. Cloud area who sup- port the project -- and U.S. Rep. Jhn Oberstm; who is influ- ential in transportation mat- ters. Rice is in Oberstar's dis- trict; Big Lake is not. Oherstar said tile FTA report was ba~ed (:,n old Jilt'ill' matioa bat added that tie would accept its decisioa tin'now "At this point, we need to take lhe FTA decision, roll with it trom here and bring ko'ward m,n'e cotwindng btfia'mation," he said. Oberstar and other Min- nesota menlhers of CongFess recently helped secure $5.7 md- lioo tbr Northstar in a t~rlecal highway bill that the U.S. Sen- ate has yet to pass. FTA approval could hrblg far more federal money to the project if the state is willing to support it. The report measured North- star's expected ridership against the cost to build and maintain it. Ac?rding to McCarron, extending the serv ice to Rice wonld be more than twice as costly as the agency is willing to accept. Service to St. Cloud also was too costly but upi nearly as much as sevvice to Rice. Only by stopping the line at Big Lake and by removing the two sta lions could Northstar meet the agency's criteria. Northstar critics say they saw this coming State Sen. Mady ReiteL R- Shoreview, spent 26 years wm'kblg tot tile Bln'lillgttal Northe/n Railroad, the coral)a- ny that owns the tracks North- star wuuld use. Reiter said she knmv the project could never meet lbderal standards all the way to Rice. "They sbould just leave eom- muter rail alone tbr the time being,' she saki "We simply don't have the mo~ey." Slate Rep. Phil Krmkie, another ICepublican f/'oHt Shoreuiew, said the report doesn't bclp Northstar's chaaees of getting bond money this winter. Kriukie wilt) filed a comphdnt last month against Northstar that accused them of improper lobbying ~ is chair- nlan of the House commi~ee that sets the state's borrowing agenda. Krmkie said he expects Northstar's supporters will ask lbr tile inouey auyway. "Do 1 think these people will in any way tuld their tents because of this? No,' he said. "It's like the Army in retreat. 'We've abandoaed Rice and St. Chmd, hut we're holding firm at Big Lake.'" Hank Shaw can be re,cited at hshutv!~pio~lecrp~e$$.co~l or 651-