|
mnea
<br />
<br />The Nonhstu would requl~e .... 'l~{OFe [qfonnation: "
<br />$22.3 million in public flmding and ........... :.' .....................................
<br />approval by the Burlington North..: ::),.' Phone: Northstar Contdor De- '~
<br />em Santa Fe railroad, which ownj ~..::. ve[opmentAuthodty, 612-323-"
<br />the tracks, And because commuter :' 5692.
<br />
<br />rail proponents are counting on
<br />$89 n'dllJon fi.om the state, the pro-
<br />ject's fate is expected to be sealed
<br />in the upconfing legislative se..sion.
<br /> 'A lot now hangs on whai the
<br />public decides to do with respect
<br />to suppo~ng the project." said DI
<br />Mitchell, assistant vice president
<br />of passenger operations for.
<br />Burlinglon. f
<br />tUthough Burllnglon officials
<br />are open to sharing Minnesota
<br />tracks w~th passenger n'ains -- the
<br />company already qhares tracks in
<br />mher cities -- the railroad will not
<br />cmnplete negotiations until pro-
<br />ject linanchlg is secured, Mitchell
<br />said.
<br />The prospects fi)r ilate funding
<br />Jre unclear. Gay. lesse Venmra
<br />mentioned the prniect in'his imm.
<br />.aural ~peech, but the ,idmin-
<br />istration hasn't decided what irans-
<br />ponation ~nding t0 recommend.
<br />Northstar o~cials have hired a lob-
<br />byist but have not identified legisla-
<br />tors who will push for funding,
<br />'transportation Commissioner
<br />Elwyn rinklenberg, who tikes the
<br />Northstar proposal, said his own
<br />ioal is to establish a fund for transit
<br />proiecu -- ~nuch tike the gasoline
<br />:iLX dedicated [o road improve-
<br />meats -- SO transit improvements
<br />can be freed fi.om project-by-
<br />project political approval.
<br />Northstar proponents say they
<br />are optimistic that legislators will
<br />recognize the need to plan
<br />coming growth and traffic con-
<br />gesdon.
<br />"Some people are against ev-
<br />erything and some people are
<br />ahald of change,' said Anoka
<br />County Commissioner Paul
<br />McCarron, a leading commuter-
<br />rail proponent. "But I think that
<br />under close examination they will
<br />see that this wonld serve the
<br />,q'eater good.
<br />"lt w~ll muve a maximum hum~
<br />bet o1' people with a minimum
<br />amount of cost -- less cost than
<br />expanding the roads or putting in
<br />light rail,' he said.
<br />'rhe Minnesota rransponation
<br />L]flna r~ m~Fi [ hlpl rnnked the
<br />
<br />~.. Web: hn'p:Hwww.brwinc.com/
<br /> northstar.
<br />}. Whot'a n.t: Planning meetings
<br /> will begin in late Jannary or
<br /> early February to gather public
<br /> input on station amenities.
<br />
<br />Northstar as Ihe store's most
<br />protnising commuter-rail line.
<br />Sludies have hagen on two olhers:
<br />the Dan Patch line front I.akeville
<br />to Minneapolis and the Red flock
<br />tine from Ilasdngs to St. Paul..
<br />
<br />Relief for Hwy. 10
<br /> Work .n ~l~c' xlmshqar began
<br />when ~1 bec:line ,:lear dial the area
<br />northwest of Minneapolis wouhl
<br />not he ~ choice tar ',i~hl
<br />.~.h:tL. mo said. Fha line was con-
<br />ceiveti as an ahemadve
<br />which is jammed with commnle~s
<br />al rush hour md is expected m
<br />becmne more congealed as the
<br />area northwest of th~ Twin Chi.
<br />grmvs, Now, lh~. 10 carries an
<br />amage of fig,000 cars a day In the
<br />cily of Anoka. acco.ting m the
<br />l'ranspomtion DepamnenL
<br /> tn additi.n Io ils use I)y lhe
<br />work fo[ce, supl)~lrle[S ~ay, the
<br />train would allow sludems to live
<br />at home and commule lo the Uni-
<br />versity nE Mtnnesola
<br />Cloud State Universi~. And some
<br />are b~okJng [on~ard m taking a
<br />commuler train to
<br />Minneapolis lo connect with the
<br />}ll~a Avenue light-rail line an
<br />mute to the Ml~eapolis-St, Paul
<br />Inlemadon~ g~on.
<br /> Bide.hip esOm~les ~orecast
<br />~,340 dd~ a day in 2003, or about
<br />2.8 mi~ion rides a ye~.
<br /> Iohn Weaver, an Anoka City
<br />Council member, ~nks mlership
<br />wouhl ~ow as the frustration in-
<br />creases ~th delays on }1~. 10.
<br />"This MIl be a ma~elous ~ellef
<br />v~ve that we n~,' Weaver aid.
<br /> ~e popnlafi~ of the project
<br />has astounded Sherimrne
<br />Cnmmissim~r Betsy Wergin,
<br />chainvoman of lhe Northstar Cop
<br />ddnr Development .~dthnri~y,
<br />
<br />Commuters board a Bufllnglon
<br />Northern Santa Fa train this week
<br />at Chicago's Union Station. The rail-
<br />road's b'acks sro also used for com-
<br />muter rail In Los Angel..
<br />
<br />joint powers board ,werseeing the
<br />proiect. Wergin said she ms ini-
<br />tially a skepdc, "What I hear when
<br />I go eve~vhere i~, 'You've got to
<br />do this,' ' she said,
<br />
<br />Hailroad Is eooperating
<br /> Rtulin~on bas bom suppnrlive
<br />;Ind involved in disc.salons ;IbOlll
<br />the project, said ~lcCarron,
<br />~oka Coun~ commissioner,
<br /> The railroad has commuler
<br />~rab~s running on ils tracks in
<br />Chicago ~d Los Angeles and ~11
<br />~oon add ~em in Sealtle, the
<br />comp~y's Mitchell said,
<br /> Besides bu~ng the trains, th~
<br />capHal case co~ected ~th com-
<br />muter r~l come in ~e con-
<br />s{~ction o[ stadons ~nd iQ'
<br />Irack ~p~ovemen~ necessa~ for
<br />safe andefficient sharing of
<br />· ac~ by passengers and fieighl, ·
<br /> Some of the negmiations be-
<br />tween Northstar officials and ~e
<br />railroad focus on what uack im-
<br />provements are necessa~ and
<br />ow much each side ~1 pay.
<br />Bu~on would be paid for the
<br />passenger train use of its track hut
<br />d.es not e~ecl to make a
<br />prnfit ham Ihe ~er.'ice, HilchNI
<br />';aid.
<br />
<br />,. The primary concern for the
<br />: company Is that It must be sure
<br />. that the passenger service does
<br />[not get In the way o.!' or delay lis
<br />· ~tel$ht Opi~tlons, he said. Among
<br />the opponents of the project a~e
<br />two Republican legislators from
<br />the area that would be served by
<br />'ther~illine. ,,, .: ', ,'
<br />'t Rep. Mark Olson, R-Big Lake,
<br />'said people support the rail line
<br />not because they plan to use It but
<br />because they th~nk it will get other
<br />drivers off the toad. "l think it's a
<br />fun and exciting thing for os to
<br />confider .... "he said. But when
<br /> roeople look at the facts, support
<br /> r the.project will fade, he said.
<br /> Sen. Mark Ourada, R-Buffalo, a
<br /> member of the Senate Transpof
<br /> radon Commitlee, said he is skep-
<br /> Ileal of the benefit commuler rail
<br /> would provide far the money. 'l'o
<br /> my way of Utinking we may be
<br /> much better off to say. 'Let's
<br /> spend that on technology and
<br /> lecnmmutin~ capability :go that
<br /> people don'! have to commute at
<br /> all.'"
<br />
<br /> ~ervice In 2003
<br /> Unlike Ii~ht rail..vbich -uns ,m
<br /> its mvn tracks and provides ire-
<br /> quent, all-day service, cnmmtner
<br /> rail wonld mn only ,'st rush hours.
<br /> The tracks would have t,) lye kept
<br /> open for freight !ransportadon
<br /> most'o( the slav.
<br /> B~t like tht: proposed Hiawatha
<br /> !lght-rall line. which has received
<br /> $120 million Itt state Eroding, the
<br /> Northstar must receive a ftmdtng
<br /> commitment rtom die state to Will
<br /> approval from tire Federal Transit
<br /> ,\dministrati,m .sod $1 i I million
<br /> fi'om the federal government.
<br /> Though ofllclais wince at the
<br /> suggestion that the tw~ projects
<br /> are competing far funding, both
<br /> need money front the same fed-
<br /> ual transpormion fund.
<br /> Commuter rail officiaJs hope to
<br />receive a favorable rating for the
<br />project from the Transit Ad.
<br />rr~nisn'adon in Februa.,~ or March.
<br /> The long*range plan is to con-
<br />nect the light-rail and commuter-
<br />rail Lines with a station in down-
<br />town Ivfinneapolls behind the T~-
<br />get Center.
<br /> In August. the Northslar devel-
<br />opment authority hired Shandwick
<br />Reeearch International to conduct
<br />a lelephone poll of 500 residents
<br />Ii,ag within .5 miles ~fthe North.
<br />stqr line. Seventy-three percent nf
<br />respondents ~aid they considered
<br />commuter rail ia go,t,l idea..md 17
<br />percent said they would use dte
<br />
<br />, Rail_pj_oJects at a glance
<br />
<br />'North~ta~ commut, r 'raft
<br />
<br />~ b ~ Commute~ rail
<br />is passe~ge~ ~'a~ service
<br />Ii, at oPeatea on existing
<br />height railroad ~'ac~& In
<br />cars ~led ~ c~esel
<br />
<br />serves ionge~ ~z~s from
<br />suburban madders and
<br />opeates pimadb' from &
<br />a.m. to 9 a~. and 3 pm. to
<br />
<br /> t.~g~ 80 miles~
<br />
<br /> dde~ip: 9.340 per
<br /> ddes a day
<br /> u about 2.8
<br /> million ruff a
<br /> year by 2001
<br />
<br />'/ Wright
<br />
<br />Bl~ Lage- LSat~
<br />Co. Rd. ,I 3
<br />
<br />light rail
<br />~ is ltl: [ i~t tal eun~ on ilz own
<br />~acks, off~k~g fre~ent se~e
<br />~ough Ihe day. R uses e~tr~
<br />~wer c~r~ ~y ove~e~d wle$. ·
<br />
<br />~Oda~ed ~: 19,5~ dal~ g ps
<br />at ~n~g and 24,4~ a day Oy 2020.
<br />
<br />~g c~ $9~ milan a ye~,
<br />
<br />~ ~ ~ ~ ~t a~i~b~
<br />~ ~ ~ ~ ~t ava~b~
<br />
<br /> ~ oo~t: S223
<br /> milan -- ~0 percent
<br /> federal, 40 percem state'
<br /> atx110 pece~t
<br />
<br /> mien a year inchiding
<br /> ~ cost of f~ bu~s
<br />
<br /> Pas~8~ f~ wash
<br /> off~t ~e of U~is COSL
<br />
<br /> $.u5.
<br />
<br /> ~ $3.47 ~ 2~3.
<br />
<br /> 30 ~rcenl of
<br />
<br />xl Ramsay B~
<br />
<br />H~.Co. 6/st Ay.
<br />
<br />and Cenfal Ay. NF.
<br /> ~_.
<br />
<br />Mlnneaool~ -
<br />N, 511~ SL and St
<br />
<br />. Mpls.-SL Paul hr1Ah'<xt
<br />
<br />Sources: Minnesola DeoaMment at
<br />Nonttstar CorrUot D~velo~ne~l
<br />
<br />Star Ttbune mao by ~.'-a~ F~e~rnann
<br />
<br />line to commute to work.
<br /> All four counties touched by
<br />the rail line -- Sherbume, Benton,
<br />Annka attd tlennepin -- have
<br />agreed m pay part of the t0 per-
<br />cent cnunry share of the project,
<br />The connty poninn would come to
<br />$23 milliun in ."003 dollars,
<br /> Besides its cost, the biggest
<br />concerll ;ihmll the project Is wh.
<br />wmzld pay Iho operating ,:n~ts --
<br />$13,8 n.lli,m ,i year in 2110:1 daf
<br />hrs. CoomV 'md ci~ nfficiah do
<br />
<br />or. want their residents In pay.
<br /> The issue is unresdved. The
<br />Transportation Depot!meat '.viii
<br />jlresenl a commuter.rail master
<br />clan early next year that would
<br />alp the Legislature get a com-
<br />muter-rail system going, but it
<br />would leave funding an open po-
<br />litical question.
<br /> lalurle Blazl:e rem he reached
<br />h), e.omit nt Gettin~th~.re,'*~tar
<br />
<br />
<br />
|