The number of stations on the Central Corridor light rail has been a major design issues for some time, but today St. Paul got the three extra stations on University Avenue that many had wanted.
The Central Corridor light rail line will connect downtown Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul, running along University Avenue for much of the way. Planners originally envisioned six stations, one every half mile, through the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul, the area just west of the State Capitol. Then to save costs, three of the stations were removed from the design, but today they've been reinstated in response to input from community groups and the city of St. Paul.
Several stations on the existing Hiawatha light rail line are around a mile apart through the residential areas south of Lake Street, and the Central Corridor planners felt that it was reasonable to expect rail users to walk up to a half mile to reach stations in Frogtown too.
Community groups felt otherwise. The Frogtown neighborhood is one of the most densely populated areas, and residents currently use buses much more than the average Twin Cities resident. Once the light rail is running, the frequency of the 16 bus route along University Avenue will be reduced, lengthening journey times for those further from the stations. Widely spaced stations would make access to businesses along the Central Corridor line less convenient. And compounding the problem, many parking spaces along University Avenue will be removed to make room for the line.
The Central Corridor line will now have six stations in Frogtown, spaced a half-mile apart. The stations will be at Snelling Avenue, Hamline Avenue, Lexington Avenue, Victoria Avenue, Dale Street, and Western Avenue, and planners hope that the extra stations will help the neighborhood enjoy more of the benefits of the line after the disruption during construction.
Comments