We’ve heard it all before from Met Council chairman Charles Zelle, who oversees Metro Transit and the Twin Cities’ light rail lines. Promises and plans to crack down on the…
Should Minnesotans believe politicians, or their own eyes?
The Southwest Light Rail Transit (SWLRT) project has been a disaster. As my colleague Tom Steward noted recently, construction: …now stands nine years behind schedule, pushed back from 2018 to…
The Met Council continues to plug away on the construction of the troubled Southwest Line Rail Transit line as though there’s no tomorrow. And at some point there may not…
Thousands of passengers concerned for their safety simply no longer take a chance on riding the Twin Cities light rail lines due to rampant crime and vagrants. Just ask Met…
MPR News reports: The Minnesota Senate voted Monday to prohibit planning for a new passenger rail service between the Twin Cities and Duluth, which is known as the Northern Lights…
The most important address in Minnesota politics is located in St. Paul, but it’s not the state capitol building. The most important address is 1600 University Avenue. This glass office…
The Minnesota Twins have canceled the opening game of the 2022 Major League Baseball season due to bad weather. Accordingly, Metro Transit canceled Northstar commuter rail service to the stadium…
I have recently written about why the legislature should not use surplus funds to increase funding for childcare or create a state family and medical leave program. Unfortunately, the list…
The $2 billion Southwest Light Rail Transit Line is the most expensive public works project ever undertaken in Minnesota. Besides that, it also holds the potential to be the state’s…
It’s the last thing those who depend on public transportation in the Twin Cities want to hear. The number of police officers protecting passengers on Metro Transit lines has dramatically…
Northstar Commuter Rail never did hit the rosy ridership projections officials promised at the line’s inception in 2009. But even Northstar’s most ardent critics must find it hard to believe…
In the market, prices are determined by the actions of buyers and sellers. In economics, this process is illustrated by the demand-supply curve. The demand curve has a downward slope…
Consequences eclipse good intentions or favorable PR.
A new study by a national transportation group confirms what metro area drivers already know, as well as the findings of a landmark American Experiment traffic congestion study. The Twin…
The coronavirus pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to public transportation. The Metro Transit, for example, recorded a 55 percent ridership decline between 2019 and 2020. According to the Metropolitan…
Judging by the Met Council and Southwest Light Rail Transit’s regular e-updates for the public, the most expensive public works project in Minnesota history appears to be right on track.…
Two years ago, Gov. Walz proposed raising Minnesota’s gas tax by 20¢ — a 70 percent hike. The proposal did not pass. House representatives have brought another proposal to raise the…
The Northstar commuter rail line in the northwestern suburbs has been a loser from the start of service in late 2009. The 38-mile line from Big Lake to Minneapolis never…
A report in the Minneapolis Star Tribune today indicates that Metro Transit is pulling the plug on its electric vehicle ambitions: In late 2018, Metro Transit unveiled an ambitious plan…
A report in the Minneapolis Star Tribune today indicates that Metro Transit is pulling the plug on its electric vehicle ambitions: In late 2018, Metro Transit unveiled an ambitious plan…
A January 2020 Met Council report warned that “investments that address Twin Cities congestion are of statewide importance and warrant attention.” So why is the St. Paul City Council trying to…
During the pandemic, passengers have avoided public transit like the plague with Metro Transit suffering a 60 percent loss in ridership alone. It’s hard to blame the public considering the…
The Northstar commuter rail line never has lived up to ridership expectations. It’s always been a huge loser for taxpayers, who have heavily subsidized every ride taken on the train,…