New NorthStar Station in MN

[prech786]

Twin Cites MetroTransit and the City of Anoka, MN recently completed a $10M update of the Anoka NorthStar Commuter Rail Station. Basically they replaced a plain surface parking lot with a 3-level Parking Ramp and a track overpass/Skyway. The city kicked in enough extra financing to make it, IMO, a very attractive brick-faced structure. To my eye it has architectural details resembling historic Railroad Stations.

This matches the theme of Anoka’s nearby historic 1880’s brick Main Street and other recently constructed structures in the city, which were built with similar brick facades. Given the distance to the SPUD from this Twin Cities NW area on-and-off (mostly off) rumors have hinted at the consideration of an Empire Builder stop in the NW Twin Cites area. The ramp parking is free and there are special long-term slots available for people using the NorthStar & LRT to go to the MSP airport.

Note the mention of "High Speed Trains" on the scrolling message sign over the platform in one picture. This is on the notorious BNSF/Amtrak High Line route.(LOL)

 

[Green Maned Lion]

To paraphrase Joni Mitchell: They paved paradise and put in a park and ride!

That station should be in downtown Anoka.

 

[fairviewroad]

To paraphrase Joni Mitchell: They paved paradise and put in a park and ride!

That station should be in downtown Anoka.

Um, you mean the part of town where the train tracks don't go?

Are you seriously suggesting that hundreds of millions, if not more, be spent on rerouting the main line tracks

through downtown Anoka?

 

[jebr]

This matches the theme of Anoka’s nearby historic 1880’s brick Main Street and other recently constructed structures in the city, which were built with similar brick facades. Given the distance to the SPUD from this Twin Cities NW area on-and-off (mostly off) rumors have hinted at the consideration of an Empire Builder stop in the NW Twin Cites area. The ramp parking is free and there are special long-term slots available for people using the NorthStar & LRT to go to the MSP airport.


Note the mention of "High Speed Trains" on the scrolling message sign over the platform in one picture. This is on the notorious BNSF/Amtrak High Line route.(LOL)

I would be somewhat surprised if Anoka was chosen as a "second" stop in the MSP metro area, if only because the ramp was built partially due to running out of parking space. If they look at it from that perspective, I would see Fridley as the logical place to put it (as that station always has plenty of parking when I've been there, even in the middle of the day when it should be full from people at work.

And the "high speed trains" are probably referring to the fact that freights have a 60ish-MPH speed limit and will go through there at that speed...which is plenty fast compared to someone on the platform.

To paraphrase Joni Mitchell: They paved paradise and put in a park and ride!

That station should be in downtown Anoka.

Um, you mean the part of town where the train tracks don't go?

Are you seriously suggesting that hundreds of millions, if not more, be spent on rerouting the main line tracks

through downtown Anoka?

Heck, if you're criticizing a station on the line, criticize Elk River. The line runs right through downtown, but instead they put the station a mile south of town. Big Lake did the same, but at least there they'd have to deal with single track line to get in, and that was part of the holdup to getting the line to St. Cloud. (I think the idea behind it was to catch it after the 169/10 merge, but even that's a weak excuse since I see some city streets that would work fine to drive on from both roads.)

And if we're going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the Northstar, we might as well spend it getting it up to St. Cloud. Anoka can (and I think is already) be served by a bus connection.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

To paraphrase Joni Mitchell: They paved paradise and put in a park and ride!

That station should be in downtown Anoka.

Um, you mean the part of town where the train tracks don't go?

Are you seriously suggesting that hundreds of millions, if not more, be spent on rerouting the main line tracks

through downtown Anoka?

Absolutely. They spend that much for drivers at the drop of a hat. They should spend it on non drivers, which make up 20% of the adult population.

 

[jebr]

To paraphrase Joni Mitchell: They paved paradise and put in a park and ride!

That station should be in downtown Anoka.

Um, you mean the part of town where the train tracks don't go?

Are you seriously suggesting that hundreds of millions, if not more, be spent on rerouting the main line tracks

through downtown Anoka?

Absolutely. They spend that much for drivers at the drop of a hat. They should spend it on non drivers, which make up 20% of the adult population.

It would be an incredibly stupid use of money at this point. There's already bus service connecting the train line to downtown, the train runs only a few times a day, and there are much higher priorities for the State, in my opinion (additional frequencies to Chicago, extending the Northstar to St. Cloud, adding additional frequencies to the Northstar, adding other commuter rail lines, adding rail service to Duluth, etc.) Moving a line with six trips a day each direction (three on weeekends) to downtown Anoka, at presumably quite a high cost, where there's already bus connections, is so far down on my list that it's barely a footnote.

 

[fairviewroad]

To paraphrase Joni Mitchell: They paved paradise and put in a park and ride!

That station should be in downtown Anoka.

Um, you mean the part of town where the train tracks don't go?

Are you seriously suggesting that hundreds of millions, if not more, be spent on rerouting the main line tracks

through downtown Anoka?

Absolutely. They spend that much for drivers at the drop of a hat. They should spend it on non drivers, which make up 20% of the adult population.

It would be an incredibly stupid use of money at this point. There's already bus service connecting the train line to downtown, the train runs only a few times a day, and there are much higher priorities for the State, in my opinion (additional frequencies to Chicago, extending the Northstar to St. Cloud, adding additional frequencies to the Northstar, adding other commuter rail lines, adding rail service to Duluth, etc.) Moving a line with six trips a day each direction (three on weeekends) to downtown Anoka, at presumably quite a high cost, where there's already bus connections, is so far down on my list that it's barely a footnote.

I'm pretty sure that poster is simply trolling us at this point. It's the only way to explain the naivete of his proposal.

 

[MikefromCrete]

It's just GML sharing his immense knowledge of everything with us. I think he was just yanking your chain.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I know what a troll is. I am not being one. I totally object to park and rides when the relevant downtown is unserved. You don't have to agree with me. I am a transit advocate who places substantial emphasis on those who are not permitted to drive a car.

You can disagree with me- that's fine as reasonable minds can differ. I don't mind you making fun of me for having the temerity to defend second class citizens. They made fun of Martin Luther King and Rosa Park when they did the same thing. You don't have to like me, either.

But do not, I repeat DO NOT, dare to suggest that I am not sincere or serious on this point. I am serious in my advocacy for non-drivers.