Northstar commuter rail off to smooth start

Service is off to a smooth start on Minnesota's new Northstar commuter rail service linking Big Lake and downtown Minneapolis.

[Brianna]

That's great for people living in the North! Now what about all of us to the West? I would gladly hop on a light rail to ride to Minneapolis or the Airport. It would save me a lot of time and hassle especially when we have snowstorms! 494 always clogs in two major spots and sometimes you sit for what seems like hours barely moving.(even after they "fixed it" and added lanes) Please consider making a light rail to the West. Thank you!

[Raroh]

I am kind of surprised by the numbers. I was thinking the trains would be packed the first week and then adjust to a more stable number of riders in the weeks to follow. But the trains are not to capacity on the first day? I don't think that is what they were hoping for.

[Gary]

Agreed. A commuter train through Plymouth/Golden Valley would be great. The tracks are there already and pretty much parallel Hwy 55. Let's get 'er done.

[LifeORiley]

I rode the last one out of BL this AM. A VERY nice ride and very organized.

[Tank Murdoch]

what % of commuters use light rail during rush hour and what is the total price of the light rail system????

we wonder why bridges fall because we don't prioritize our spending

[Big Laker]

Whoo hooo! The commuters on Highway 10 were just loving it today. The roads were free and clear and flowing like melted butter. I look forward to more of the same tomorrow.

Thanks Metro Transit!

PS: I want to know who the 44 people were that needed to leave Minneapolis and come to Big Lake. I really doubt any of them made it this far north.

[Big Laker]

Raroh wrote:

I am kind of surprised by the numbers. I was thinking the trains would be packed the first week and then adjust to a more stable number of riders in the weeks to follow. But the trains are not to capacity on the first day? I don't think that is what they were hoping for.

I don't think it's surprising at all.

I've been in way too many meetings regarding this thing and I always ask I've always how many of Big Lake's 10,000 residents + 15,000 in Big Lake Township, 15,000 in Becker Township,+ Monticello, St. Cloud, etc. actually work in downtown Minneapolis. The answer I get? Not many people do.

To the person that lives up here and works in Blaine or Shoreview this thing won't help one bit. Go the the transit planning site and try getting from point A to point B without having to go through points X, Y, and Z. You can't. Short of leaving a second car down at Coon Rapids or Fridley so you could drive to your final destination. You can't get there from here.

Then there's the local government officials in Big Lake who actually believe the trains will be full of people leaving the city for Big Lake. These people are crazy if they think this it will happen. I live here and I wouldn't visit here.

We have lakes people can visit. So does Minneapolis, and White Bear, and Minnetonka, and a thousand other cities in this state. Big deal. We have sports bars. Next argument please. We have lots of open space. Really? That's the best you can come up with?

These are just small town pipe dreams pushed by big city unelected government.

That's all this train wreck really is.

[We Dont Need You]

Since everyone is complaining about getting their

own light rail straight to Downtown Mpls or St. Paul

I have a great idea!!

Why don't all of you move to the Cities and stop

complaining and wasting tax payer dollars to make

your trip easier and faster!

Oh I know why? Too afraid to live in the cities but

good enough to work there, play and enjoy it daily.

Enough is enough of catering to the folks who want

it both ways.

The commuter rail will lose more money then it tries
to bring in guaranteed......not much ridership!!

[Small Lake]

Big Laker wrote:

Whoo hooo! The commuters on Highway 10 were just loving it today. The roads were free and clear and flowing like melted butter. I look forward to more of the same tomorrow.
Thanks Metro Transit!
PS: I want to know who the 44 people were that needed to leave Minneapolis and come to Big Lake. I really doubt any of them made it this far north.

Here is your answer to the 44 people buddy:

10 gangbangers

10 sex offenders

10 shoplifters

10 convicts

and finally..
...
...

4 minorities.......

.........who just happened to overslept their stops in Minneapolis.

[Small Lake]

Enjoy the (40 minus the lost 4) new NEIGHBORS Big Lake!!!!

[Brett K]

I think history has shown in other cities that if you build good transit, people will gradually move out near it and use increases. It will take time, but there will be more people living near this route because they put those locations on their search for a new home.

For me, I live near the line, but I work in St. Paul. I thought I would use it in the evenings to come into Minneapolis for entertainment (like I used to do when I lived in the DC suburbs). But, no evening trains. So I'll probably never ride it.

[Larry]

115 on the first train. What a waste of time and money!!

[McKnight]

How about a train that goes back and forth on MckNight road... the 3M express?

[Get off our backs]

Most politicians have never run a business. While many may have worked in their lives they were never responsible for the bottom line. That’s why they thing building a rail system that will forever lose money is a good idea.

Led by equally inept constituents who feel that it is government’s job to ‘level’ the playing field by redistribution of wealth, these legislators build a rail system that will never ever break even. It will require government subsidies every day for the entirety of its future.

Why do we continue to elect morons that pass project after project and spending bill after spending bill even though they cannot pay for any of it?
Businesses cannot go to their customers and demand that they pay more for what they sell to pay for the stupidity of poor management. Business wouldn’t build a product that would perpetually lose money but government can. You see government has this thing called the tax code and it is enforced through the rule of law. So when they create stupid programs as light rail and northern corridors that forever lose money they simply look at the public and say, PAY MORE TAXES so we can pay for this rail system that is a big loser.

We may have passed the point of no return as there are now enough dumbed down people in America that believe something is owed to them and they are entitled to others hard work and paychecks. We have a press that’s happy to print story after story telling these leeches that they are deserving and a government that enjoys extending debt of others to gain power and keep getting elected.

[DizzyOne]

One question, did the 115 fares pay for the fuel the train used? I'm sure the 44 on the return trip didn't. Another boondoggle that the taxpayer is stuck with. No wonder the state is broke.

[Big Laker]

Small Lake wrote:

<quoted text>
Here is your answer to the 44 people buddy:
10 gangbangers
10 sex offenders
10 shoplifters
10 convicts
and finally..
...
...
4 minorities.......
.........who just happened to overslept their stops in Minneapolis.

Hopefully they realized once they got off the train that there isn't much here, except a Coborn's and some nice mom and pop shops.

Walmart and all the other really good places to hang out at are in Elk River and Monticello.

[Sounder]

Can we pipe anymore resources into Minneapolis?

GEEZ!

[LBJ]

The headline should read Northstar line turns on tax dollar spicket to begin siphoning off taxes into sucking vortex of liberal causes that benefit those who pay the least. What percentage of people in the state live close to the northstar line?

[Jeppy]

How about running some nice busses on McKnight with NO expenditure for rail and no need to screw up my drive over McKnight?

I'll bet express bus service to White Bear would cost a lot less then rail.

Install traffic lights instead of stop signs and have opticon on the lights to allow express/non-stop bus service, a lot less expensive than a $330,000,000 (three hundred thirty MILLION dollar choo choo), for sure!! Not to mention operation expenses, MILLIONS.

==========

McKnight wrote:

How about a train that goes back and forth on MckNight road... the 3M express?

[Justin]

Buses will never get the opticon for the fact their damn near useless i work for a metro fire department and half the lights i go though with the opticon doesn't change because it fails to trip it or idiots run the light once the opticon does trip it....
and a side note the train is for commuting i doubt thugs will take it cause one u get out to big lake how are you getting back??? waiting for 8+ hours for the one train that go in reveres to the rest come on give it a break

Jeppy wrote:

How about running some nice busses on McKnight with NO expenditure for rail and no need to screw up my drive over McKnight?
I'll bet express bus service to White Bear would cost a lot less then rail.
Install traffic lights instead of stop signs and have opticon on the lights to allow express/non-stop bus service, a lot less expensive than a $330,000,000 (three hundred thirty MILLION dollar choo choo), for sure!! Not to mention operation expenses, MILLIONS.
==========
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