Just heard that the Southwest Light Rail dream project had some bad planning again. It’s delayed 3 more years and is $400 million over budget as of now.
The bright side is the nice statues in front of Scheels should last a little longer before the vandalism starts.
I’m shocked…
….that its only 400 million…
I’m shocked…
….that its only 400 million…
For now anyway
SNAFU
Does it really surprise anybody?
The most expensive homeless shelter in history….
Does this train have a dining and drinks car???
I know a railroad guy who said this couple years ago. Nothing new as far as they knew
Have they figured out how to make people pay to ride it?
Have they figured out how to make people pay to ride it?
They only harass/check the people coming out of the stadiums after a game since they figure that they have the $ to pay for a ticket. I bet with this cold weather it’s more of a heated shelter than a transportation method…
There isn’t a met council project out there that runs smooth…..
I wouldnt ride that thing anymore. Watch the crime continue to spread outside the downtown areas as this reaches out.
It was a great way into downtown to avoid parking and chaos…..and then once that 1 year honeymoon period was over and they gave up on enforcement of any policies, it snowballed. I’d consider this project THE biggest waste of taxpayer dollars in my time living here without any close second.
What a boondoggle. I’m sure glad Wisconsin shut down the light rail before it got started.
What a boondoggle. I’m sure glad Wisconsin shut down the light rail before it got started.
For now but as the agendas keep getting pushed it might not be as far out as we think.
Just wait until it’s done and it takes an hour+ to go from EP to Downtown, I’m sure people will be lining up…. 
Light rail or any rail/train is such a waste outside of extremely dense metropolitan areas. Buses would be a FAR better and cheaper investment, but still not likely to have mass uptake in MN imo.
Sure is a good thing road construction projects are never delayed nor over budget.
And once it’s done they predict to have to subsidize each rider @ $15.xx. So double that to equal reality. There is still no plan on how to pay for that subsidy. The half cent Hennepin county train sales tax adder won’t cover the annual operating losses.
Sure is a good thing road construction projects are never delayed nor over budget.
Any examples that are comparable to this, or previous rail projects?
OK, so we build a 2 billion dollar rail spur, with limited access and use, and expect it to be self sustaining? Only in a DFLer’s dreams. The clowns in DUluth keep pushing for a similar high speed system that will connect them with the casino in Hinkley, and the TC…..even though the AMTRACK train of the 70’s couldn’t sustain itself WHILE IT RAN ON AN EXISTING RAIL LINE!
Any, no, EVERY, proponent of these boondoggles needs to be held accountable for their vote/support. If they really believe this is a good idea, they should be willing to fund it by paying 4x what the average tax payer is getting soaked for until the whole steenkin’ thing gets paid off. As Maggie Thatcher once said: “socialism works until they run out of other people’s money”.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Brent Siebenaler wrote:</div>
Sure is a good thing road construction projects are never delayed nor over budget.Any examples that are comparable to this, or previous rail projects?
The county I live in borrowed about $11 million during the Clinton administration at 8% because the then finance director claimed that “interest rates would never be lower”. The caveat for getting that 8% rate was that the municipality was required to have a shovel ready plan for spending it within 2 years. Fast forward 18 months. The repayment window is approaching because the money hasn’t been dedicated yet, so in less than 5 months an entire county/city municipal courthouse & jail was designed and permitted (a bureaucratic impossibility!). The total budget was allegedly to come in under $19 million. When all was said and done, it went north of $43 million because the designers forgot things like doors, windows, elevators, or equipping the entire jail complex. I somehow think that if the folks making the decision to move forward were on the hook financially for the over-runs, things would have been different.
Ironically, the old city hall, built in the 70’s, that was unfit and unsafe to occupy, is still safe, fit, and occupied by private businesses. Go figure.
OK, so we build a 2 billion dollar rail spur, with limited access and use, and expect it to be self sustaining?[/quote
I’m not saying it was a good idea but who ever said it would be self sustaining? The other light rail lines, buses, and roads are not self sustaining either. Northstar is the most expensive per passenger.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Brent Siebenaler wrote:</div>
Sure is a good thing road construction projects are never delayed nor over budget.Any examples that are comparable to this, or previous rail projects?
Site won’t allow links to be posted….look up the project in Duluth right now that is $100 million over budget.
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