Just in time for the DFL’s latest attempt to fan tax-hiking hysteria about tranportation (by way of ginning up bogus support for a potemkin “Transit” system), comes word that…
…yesterday the Minnesota Department of Transportation issued a press release with this headline: “Twin Cities-area congestion decreases for third year in a row.” MnDOT says additional lanes on stretches of Hwys. 100, 394 and 494, as well as on I-94 just east of St. Paul, have helped reduce the number of “congested miles” from 277 to 267. (A congested mile is defined as a mile of traffic moving slower than 45 miles per hour.) The next round of construction (Crosstown, anyone?) means that “there could be a rise in congestion rates” between now and when the projects are completed, Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau says. But the hope is that the long-term gain will be worth the pain.
The source – the Strib’s “Roadguy” blog – is asking for reader feedback about congestion around the metro.
I’m blessedly removed from the issue; after almost a decade and a half of commuting from Saint Paul to places like Eden Prairie, Chanhassen, Minnetonka and Maple Grove, I’m actually bussing downtown – almost literally a door-to-door commute of 20 minutes these days.
Still, it seemed to me that either the process of blasting my way out to the western ‘burbs and back was getting easier in the past few years, or I was getting more patient.
Well this is a pretty easy one to spin DFL style with some selective editing:
“…yesterday the Minnesota Department of Transportation issued a press release with this headline: “Twin Cities-area congestion decreases for third year in a row.” ”
(snip)
SEE! LIGHT RAIL WAS THE ANSWER WE ALL TOLD YOU IT WAS!! THE D.O.T. SAYS SO. WE MUST DEDICATE BILLIONS MORE TO LIGHT RAIL!!!
“The next round of construction (Crosstown, anyone?) means that “there could be a rise in congestion rates” between now and when the projects are completed, Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau says. ”
(snip)
THE REPUBLICANS HAVE ADMITTED IT – MORE ROADS EQUALS MORE CONGESTION! CAROL MOLNAU SAYS SO!! LIGHT RAIL!!! LIGHT RAIL!!!
The improved Wakota Bridge, even in its present half-finished state, accounts for at least 10 miles of improved congestion.
As a native Minnesotan,with all the furry and furor it has always appeared that all MNDOT can do and has ever done is to come close to maybe catching up. They never seem to be able to spend the money to leap ahead.
I live in Scott County (after living 40+ years in southern Hennepin County). I was always amazed that the powers that be decided to have the intersection of two freeways (Hwy 169 and 494) controlled by stoplights. And that on the new 169 south of 494, there were three stoplight intersections! And finally a few years ago, two of these were eliminated by exit/entrance ramps. As I came north on 13 to 101 to go to 169, many times the traffic was backed up down 13! And I thought how many man hours were wasted by waiting in congestion every day? And that this was designed congestion with those stoplights all the way up 169 to 494. What on earth was MNDOT thinking? All those wasted hundred of thousands of hours over a decade? Not enough money to do it right but now the need to spend an inordinate amount of money to finally do it over?
Granted, Molnau and company are trying to catch up from the Perpich-Carlson-Ventura ignoring the problem. And they’re trying to overcome really bad design (Crosstown was a disaster when it opened). But, take the opportunity to leap ahead. And no wasted money on North Star Rail! Not a penny on that bacon boondoggle in the making.