The map of the metro area shows rail lines in easy walking distance to any part of it. Yet, compared to the streets adjacent to them, they’re mostly vacant. Why? The huge and heavy rail trains are well suited to hauling in foreign goods on container cars, but too costly or unavailable for light commuter cars to use. How come? For that matter, new “green” biomass shipments for a new energy economy is forever stymied for lack of cheap and efficient transportation. Can’t we get back some control of these rail systems before they ruin it all and pull up all the tracks?

I live 4 blocks from the Fridley Station and I work downtown. If I take the train, it takes me 25 minutes to get to my office. If I take the 824 bus (which picks me up right in front of my house), it takes exactly 11 minutes. Most of my neighbors who work downtown take the bus instead of the train.

So why did they build this multi-million dollar Fridley train station to begin with? No one around here even uses it. More wasteful tax dollars being spent for nothing.

Good point. A small portion of a commuter rail system is more costly than a fully-functioning and integrated system would be, per rider. It’s got to go all the places you’d want to go, easily, cheaply and safely. Business people would love to get another hour or two of computer work time instead of the traffic fight, but it has to go somewhere. By the way, why do must we buy railcars from others when we could contract to have them built by license at a place like the Ford plant here? It’s our money, let’s spend it on our workers and taxpayers.

“Northstar: Trains Won’t Be Ready Tuesday AM”

No, ‘CCO, you have it wrong. The trains are ready, it is the tracks that are not. Let’s put the onus of this break in service where it belongs!

By the way, does anyone remember what St. Paul looked like with all of the electric bus wires running overhead? It was ugly as sin. Far better it would be to have locally-produced and clean biofueled engines running commuter rails. Far less costly and better than burning coal in electric plants to power them. Minnesota jobs too! Somebody ought to light a fire under the “U” and get them online and affordable now, not in ten years.