Today is the sixteenth anniversary of the opening of the Metro Transit Blue Line – the beginning (or re-beginning) of light rail transit in the Twin Cities.
So on this anniversary, let us remember the people who gave their lives – unwillingly and probably unwittingliy – to further Big Minnesota Left’s obsession with feeling like a Big City.
The Blue Line has claimed 15 lives – eight pedestrians, three bikers, a man in a wheelchair, and three people in cars. There was also a stabbing death this past winter on the Blue Line, and two more murders at stations along the line. That’s an average of just one death per year.
The Green Line has taken eight victims in only five years – the first just six weeks after the train started operating, mostly pedestrians trying to navigate the badly-designed street-level crossings. The most recent was less than a year ago. j
The Northstar line has five fatalities so far, the latest just last winter.
That’s 29 dead, so far. 29 lives sacrificed so that the Met Council, the various governments, and other people who love to play with the dials and levers of government can feel like they’re “running” a big city with all the trimmings.
Let’s take a moment today to remember these innocent victims of government megalomania.
When it is for the greater good of the progressive causes, then any number of deaths is justified. But if one, just one singular death can be avoided to stonewall and filibuster opposition causes, well…
Ah, memories… I mean, I’m not a user…oh, wait, that’s not true. We *did* use light rail transit. Once. One stop. So we could park (cheaper – not much) at the long term parking lot at the Humphrey air terminal. When we came home and tried to get to our car, we were informed that an accident had occurred up-line someplace and that going from one stop to the next would be taking an hour or so. In February.
I also remember hearing that Jesse V (strongly) favored the light rail because he thought there would be fewer cars on the roads getting in his way. Then the system gets built and he leaves. What a nut.
Back when I was more of a libertarian and read Reason, they used to run article after article about how light rail was about as bad as stadiums when it came to wasting money. I think there were exceptions if the metro area in question had a sufficient population density, but that density could not be achieved in this metro area. The result is that hereabouts it’s only an issue of how much money is lost, a whole lot or a little lot.
There is no argument against light rail that is more effective than busing.
Buses are cheaper, they can be put in the system or taken out as needed, and their routes can be altered to meet changing demand as neighborhoods evolve.
They do not contribute to road crowding because every person on the bus is one fewer car on the road.
It really is that simple.
MP, the bus argument was simply hand-waved away. It was known and raised and ignored.
I’m taking a knee, but sorry to say I do not know what cultural icon to appropriate for this occasion.
MP;
You forgot one critical point about buses. Riders HAVE to pay their fares.
The bus on the Big Island is free. At any rate, all city mass transit is heavily subsidized. You could issue free-ride bus cards to the poor, and you would still save money over light rail. There is nothing that light rail promises that can not be delivered at lower cost & with other significant advantages by buses.
Anyone willing to take a bet light rail proponents would site accident/death rate due to buses to argue against them?
Bus deaths caused by by bus driver errors can be mitigated by training or changes in driving procedures & policies. Not so for “platform murders.”
I would do anything rather than take a public bus. But if we are going to have mass transit, let’s make it efficient, shall we?
Nothing more efficient than a tube, ol’ chap! Or better yet, force everyone to live in a monolithic apartment block within walking distance to your mandated place of employment. For any other transportation needs, you can use a bicycle – but watch out for speeding black cars surrounded by bodyguards in black SUV’s of the elite who know what’s good you. And you’ll like it, or else!
Blogger Warren Meyer (Coyoteblog) of Phoenix calculated the money spent on light rail in Phoenix could have bought each rider a Prius and a year’s worth of gas.
Interesting question, JPA. I Googled “how many people have been killed by metro busses in Twin Cities” but got no answer. Maybe there aren’t any?
JD – I know there have been a couple people killed on Metro buses…
Minnesota became a “shall issue” (carry permits) around the same time the blue line got going. People told me blood would run in the streets. Or did they say the train tracks?
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The light rail system on Oahu will cost at least ten billion before it is complete. That’s about $10,000 for every resident of Oahu. The entire process of building it is corrupt from top to bottom, from the purchase of the hardware to carve outs for unions and other special interests.
They tried to pass light rail for years, and the first time they got 51%, they immediately committed to multibillion dollar contracts so the vote could not be reversed.
Oahu is subject to earthquakes and tsunamis. In the event of either, the system will completely shutdown (for “safety”), stranding thousands of people in an tsunami zone.
At least it’s paid for by the people on Oahu & not the people on the other islands, right?
Not so fast! The people on Oahu cut down revenue sharing with the other islands to pay for light rail, and then authorized the other islands to charge a local sales tax to make up for the last revenue from the state. Which they did.
MP;
Yup! Corruption and short sighted plans are the hallmarks of every light rail project. Look at CA’s train to nowhere. Metro Transit has not budgeted for replacement of the train cars or I’ve been told, long term large maintenance projects. But, you’ll be happy to know that Metro Transit will increase train service starting Monday. Whoopee!
The Honolulu system has stations w/o restrooms. This is because restrooms are expensive to build and maintain. Everyone knows that they will be added at some point, and this will increase both the build costs and the maintenance costs, it’s just a lie used to reduce the initial cost estimates.
For all light rail projects, the promoters argue that ridership will be very high (to justify the initial cost), then argue that ridership will be very low (to low ball the maintenance costs).
You know, if we’re doing transit memorial day, we need to include those who died in epidemics fed in part by infections on transit. I’m guessing that this number is tens of thousands nationwide.
You know, if we’re doing transit memorial day, we need to include those who died in epidemics fed in part by infections on transit
I actually wrote this piece – mostly – last fall, long before Covid, when the idea of the anniversary first occurred to me.
I thought about adding the Covid death toll – but we don’t know it yet.
It’ll be part of next years’ observance. Trust me.