Fraters Libertas

Runaway $ Train

This is the latest and unfortunately probably not the last update on the projected cost to build the super fabulous Hiawatha light rail line to connect downtown Minneapolis and the Mall of America.

Rerouting the Hiawatha light-rail line through Bloomington to take passengers directly to the Mall of America, in addition to adding more parking, would cost $35 to $45 million, project officials reported Tuesday.

What's interesting about this latest news is that I always thought that the rail line was going to go directly to the MOA from the get go. That was the whole point of the line wasn't it?

The original proposal was for a station on 24th Avenue S. that would require riders to take an escalator up to a skyway spanning 24th Avenue and walk through the east-side parking ramp to reach the mall. Those transferring to the bus would then take an elevator to the ground-floor transit station.

The new, rerouted proposal would add about 2,200 feet to the 11.6-mile rail line and would require the construction of a rail platform in the mall's existing transit station. A stop there would allow the rail line to deliver passengers directly to the mall's door and within steps of connecting bus routes, Setzer said.

"The plan makes rail service much more convenient both for mall-bound customers and employees and for those who are transferring at the mall between bus and rail operations," Setzer said.

Perhaps I'm missing something here but again the whole point of this project was to connect the MOA and Downtown. Wouldn't making it convenient for mall bound customers have been something you would have considered during the initial planning?

The original proposal to build a rail station across 24th Avenue S. came at the request of mall officials, who were not convinced that a closer connection would be an asset.

So the "mall officials" essentially f'ed up here. Now they come back to the Met Council and say, "By the way we changed our mind and now we'd like that light rail thing of yours to run right up to our door. Sorry about not telling you earlier. There won't be a problem will there?"

No. No problem here. Not like there's a budget crisis in the state or anything. We'll just hit the taxpayers up for that extra $35 to $45 mil. Besides we'll get most of it from the Feds so it's really like free money anyway.

Transit officials are looking for federal funds to cover 80 percent of the cost and local contributions to cover the balance.

But when it's all said and done it's going to be worth all the trouble and expense isn't it?

For commuters, the new design would replace a 200-space lot at 24th Avenue with a 600-space lot at E. 82nd St. and 28th Av. S., adding 400 spaces. Even with the larger lot, however, Setzer has said the rail line would lack parking. The original design provides a total of about 1,000 park-and-ride spaces rather than the 4,000 to 5,000 spaces that officials believe will be needed to accommodate rail riders.

So we'll be able to ride the train. We just won't be able to park anywhere near the frickin' station! Maybe if they had a shuttle bus....

Council Member Peggy Leppik of Golden Valley said that Minnesota taxpayers deserved the council's best efforts to make the rail line successful.

"If it bombs, it bombs for all of us," she said. "I do hope you will be able to put together a funding package."

I actually know Peggy Leppik and she's a very nice and hard working woman but I wonder if she's heard the old adage about throwing good money after bad?

If your ire as a tax payer isn't raised just yet consider this gem.

So far, project officials have spent $100,000 to explore the design changes. That money would be lost if the changes were not made.

No I'm afraid that money was "lost" a long long time ago.