As the Green Line opens, resident opinions vary

Some excited for new transportation option, while others worry it won’t be used

By Tesha M. Christensen

As the Green Line opens, local opinions about the new lightrail line vary widely.

Hamline Midway Coalition – District 11 Communications Coordinator Kyle Mianulli is looking forward to riding the Green Line to and from the Midway every day, both for work and pleasure.

 “There is so much vibrancy already here, and it will be interesting to see how this new mode of access will further energize the area,” Mianulli said.

Hamline Midway Coalition Transportation Committee member Stephen Mitrioni is excited to finally see “how this thing is going to work in real life.”

Mitrioni added, “I am also looking forward to it being a huge success and putting all the naysayers to shame.”

 “I don’t know if it will be good or bad for the city,” stated Ryan Wilson, who has owned the UPS Store at University and Hamline for 15 years. “I try to be optimistic, but at the end of the day, this really took a toll on us.”

However, when he looks ahead, Wilson hopes the Green Line is successful. “We want to see this thing succeed now that its here.”

GREATER TRANSPORTATION DIVERSITY

 “University Ave has the potential to be a truly great avenue, and the Green Line is a centerpiece for that transformation,” remarked Hamline-Midway resident Lars D. Christianson, who is a sociology professor at Augsburg University.

According to Mitrioni, the Green Line is one piece of the puzzle. “The best systems are designed with an ‘all of the above’ approach,” he observed. “People will have multiple options to walk, bike, bus, train and yes, even drive your car if you desire.”

He believes that the opening of the lightrail line will be positive for the neighborhood. “The first two years were disruptive, but did not make things too difficult. The neighborhood has done just fine,” Mitrioni said. 

CONCERNS

Chocolat Celeste owner Mary Leonard is concerned that there won’t be enough passengers on the train because of the length of time it will take to travel between the two cities. Wilson also questions whether someone will sit on a train for 60 minutes when he/she could hop in their car and make the trip in 15 to 20 minutes.

The lack of gates at each intersection is also concerning to Leonard. Wilson questions how snow removal will go.

 “There is going to be some adjustment to the flow of traffic with the system,” remarked Mitrioni.

IMPACT ON BUSINESSES

The three years of construction have been tough on the businesses along University Ave.

 “Small businesses have closed and failed because of the lack of customers and access,” said Leonard. Traffic along University decreased from 40,000 cars a day to 10,000.

Mitrioni pointed out that despite the worst economic downturn since the recession, businesses have moved into the neighborhood. “My end of town seems to be being dominated by non-profits,” he said. “Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill and various human service organizations seem to be drawn to my end of University. Density is definitely increasing, as it should.”

The old Snelling Bus Barn Site at the corner of University and Snelling will soon be redeveloped, and the Project for Pride in Living mixed-use affordable housing development will break ground in June.  

However, Wilson questions whether this development is being spurred by the lightrail, and suggests that it was already on its way.

Wilson recalled that initially, the construction was to be done in three one-year sections, with no one area torn up for more than one year. But some businesses, like his, were in the middle of a construction zone for two years. He lost 2,227 customers between 2010 and 2011.

He equates the process to taking your third grader out of school for three years and then putting him back into third grade.

Based on the initial projects from the Met Council, Wilson didn’t think it was going to be as bad as it was, and he feels like he was mislead by people who didn’t have a financial stake in the neighborhood. “There’s no accountability,” remarked Wilson. “I’d like to see someone take responsibility.”

He added, “It had a real financial impact on myself and my family. We paid a real price for this.”

Chocolat Celeste lost $500,000 in sales, and Leonard watched her business be cut in half. Because of the construction, she proactively moved her business from University and Highway 280 to 652 Transfer Rd. and reconstructed her kitchen in October 2010.

Neither Leonard nor Wilson think that the $20,000 forgivable loans offered to businesses along University were sufficient.

Wilson proposes that a fund be set up to help businesses, and wants to see more marketing done to promote businesses on University.

IS THERE ENOUGH PARKING?

In response to the proposal to convert one lane of traffic into bike lanes and parking, Wilson questions it is being done to force cars off the road in an effort to make lightrail more profitable.

Leonard suggests that parking ramps be built to address the need for more parking.

 “Businesses and homeowners should stop expecting the city to provide parking free of charge and the city should stop acting like every project should be driven by parking needs,” said Mitrioni. “The city should just make a declaration: parking your car is your own problem, not ours.”

 “The best remedy, in my opinion, is for people to stop relying so heavily on personal vehicles to get around town,” said Mianulli.

BENEFITS

Leonard believes the Green Line will bring in tourism money, and was a selling point for the SuperBowl in 2018.

“Trains on dedicated rail, like the Green Line, are able to be more consistent and predictable, in terms of service, than buses. I look forward to that consistency and predictability,” said Christianson. Trains are easier to board than buses, especially for those with bikes or wheelchairs. Because there isn’t an exchange of money with a driver, service is faster. And this is a mode of transportation that emits less CO2 per user than cars or buses.

Mianulli predicts that the Green Line will spur an exciting new chapter of prosperity and success, changing the perception of the Midway as merely a thoroughfare between two downtowns to a rich and vibrant destination of its own. “There is a strong sense of environmental responsibility amongst many of the neighbors that live here,” he noted, “and having this slick new form of transportation available will, I think, allow people to make more environmentally conscious choices when it comes to getting around town.”