![]() Critically, final Riverview route decisions have yet to be made, and one remaining option would use parts of the Canadian Pacific spur. Ortega was referring to the ambitious Riverview Corridor transit line, a high-speed streetcar that would run from the Minneapolis/St. “As we study it, the corridor now goes down West 7th, but parts of the spur might be needed.” “The spur is part of Riverview Corridor,” Ortega explained. Ortega represents the district where the spur is located, and also chairs the county’s Regional Rail Authority, which would most likely be the entity that purchases the land. “We have made no determinations on the spur these are all parts of negotiations,” said Ramsey County Commissioner Rafael Ortega. That’s a big reason why there’s been little progress. That leaves little room for maneuvering for cities and counties looking at putting projects together. Instead, railroad decisions are made by the Surface Transportation Board, a federally appointed group group that typically acquiesces to railroad demands. The problem is that freight railroad regulations give little power to state or local government. The closest analogy is the popular, groundbreaking Midtown Greenway in South Minneapolis, a national model for how transformational rail corridors can link urban neighborhoods.īut first, the government needs to own the land. ![]() Paul A 2018 study done by the city of St. Paul will miss its chance to create a key transportation link through a fast-growing part the city.Ĭity of St. For some community members, there’s a real worry that the land will be sold piece-by-piece instead. Instead, it’s an ideal candidate for public use, either for a trail or a mix of recreation and transit.īut so far, there has been no movement to acquire the right-of-way from Canadian Pacific. The spur used to connect the Highland Ford factory into the rail network, but with that factory closed and no other customers along the way, any legitimate railroad purpose for the route vanished. Paul, where an obsolete rail spur runs five miles through the city’s Highland and West Seventh neighborhoods. The latest case of a railroad impasse is in St. Meanwhile, ambitious projects like the Midtown Greenway Extension remain at an impasse thanks to a lack of action with Canadian Pacific. ![]() Both the Green Line and Blue Line light rail extensions have been stymied by difficult railroad negotiations with the BNSF railroad. As the Twin Cities get more ambitious about transit and trails, the region’s freight railroads have increasingly become obstacles to progress. ![]()
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