U, Met Council negotiations over light rail hit stumbling block

[Sam]

So the Hiawatha is a wonderful success because, it exceeded VERY CONSERVATIVE ridership projections.

HOW ABOUT THE HIAWATHA PAYING FOR ITSELF??

It now takes a $30,000,000 annual subsidy to keep it running.

How many millions will the Central Corridor take, or maybe BILLIONS?

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Jim in downtown wrote:

<quoted text>
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/ward9/issues_...
"The Hiawatha line provided 9.1 million rides in 2006, an average of 27,000 per weekday. In the first half of 2008, Metro Transit reports a 16.2% increase and an average of 32,000 rides per weekday. Ridership levels have already exceeded the pre-construction estimate for the year 2020."
http://www.metrocouncil.org/about/facts/Hiawa...
"In 2008, Hiawatha LRT rider-ship topped 10 million for the first time, a gain of 12.3% over 2007."
"Before construction, planners had predicted the areas surrounding LRT would draw 7,000 new housing units by 2020. By 2008, more than 8,000 new housing units were open or under construction along the line, with another 7,700 proposed by developers."
I for one look forward to new developments like the Lyric Apartments that are under construction. Frogtown Crossing at Univ and Dale intersection.

[ItchyRainbolt]

Joe Blow wrote:

<quoted text>
BTW, I was working construction on the Hiawatha rail line 3 years before the Minnesota Legislature approved the proposal. And, mark you calendars, the tunnel to the airport was built with sub-standard concrete. The government knows this and has covered it up. You heard it here first. We will be paying greatly when this concrete fails in a few years.

Wow, thanks for that piece of information. The ride out to the MOA was really boring, but now that I know it is fraught with danger it will be a whole lot more interesting! Knowing you could be crushed in a tunnel collapse at any moment tends to focus your senses!

[TSW]

I really hope the University does not derail the Central Corridor Project. If their arrogant behavior does shut down the project, the legislature should have no choice but to reduce the U's funding to offset all the costs thus far that have gone into planning for the project.

[James]

NOBODY wants OR needs the Central Corridor!

Why not use the U of Ms concern to s-h-i-t-c-a-n the entire project!

[Flanders]

I honestly think the money for the rail could be used in better ways. Why build an entirely new system when you could enhance what is already existing?