Arvonne Fraser: An indispensable avenue

Duane Braley, Star Tribune

Washington Avenue is heavily used by motorists and pedestrians at the University of Minnesota. With light rail planned, something must give.

To make room for light rail, the Met Council would reroute traffic from Washington Avenue near the University of Minnesota. Not a good idea. Let's look before we leap.

By ARVONNE FRASER

Last update: March 4, 2008 - 6:50 PM

The Metropolitan Council says we taxpayers can't afford a tunnel under the University of Minnesota for the Central Corridor light-rail line. Instead, to make room for the line, it proposes creating traffic-gridlock corridors in the heart of Minneapolis. It would close Washington Avenue to the 2,500 cars and trucks -- and perhaps 1,500 buses -- using that avenue daily, redirecting them onto neighborhood streets.

There is a better way. A northern route for line could use Bridge No. 9, formerly a freight train bridge, and the Dinkytown trench. This would be saner, safer and possibly more economical. The university has agreed to fund the study of a northern route. As noted in Star Tribune editorial Feb. 27, this "deserves a full exploration."

The Marcy-Holmes neighborhood, which abuts the university's East Bank campus, strongly supports the northern route. If Washington Avenue is closed to trucks, buses and cars, the Como, Prospect Park, Seward and Cedar-Riverside neighborhoods also will be affected. Traffic to and from the busy St. Paul Midway area to most places surrounding downtown Minneapolis is heavy. We are the drive-through neighborhoods for many commuters; one-third of projected Central Corridor riders will be university-bound.

We are currently short of bridges across the Mississippi River. Marcy-Holmes is at the northern end of the fallen Interstate 35W bridge. Under the Met Council's proposed light-rail route, the Washington Avenue bridge will be closed for retrofitting. Our neighborhoods already have had a taste of what traffic is like when a bridge is closed. Traffic backs up on freeway exit ramps, on city streets, and on the Franklin, 10th, 3rd and Hennepin Avenue bridges in Minneapolis. Pedestrians and bikers beware.

The Met Council ought to take a hard look at Washington Avenue traffic. The street is narrow from its intersection with University Avenue to the river, resulting in rush hour all day. Add thousands of pedestrians and bikes to the mix. Has the council consulted homeland security? Has it considered the possibility of a crazy or distraught gunman -- as on other campuses -- on the loose? Or a major fire on campus or nearby? How will emergency vehicles get to where they are needed?

Also, imagine game day or a big event at the U stadium now under construction. Traffic is already stop-and-go during sporting events on campus. With a new stadium and with Washington Avenue closed, the remaining streets would be jammed. Traffic would back up for miles. Pedestrians and bikers would be endangered. With light rail on a northern route, this wouldn't happen.

Our neighborhood welcomes the Central Corridor line. We realize its advantages. We also know that haste and decisions based on short-term cost savings cause mistakes.

Some of us take the Hiawatha Line to and from the airport or to jobs in south Minneapolis. But our closest stop, the Cedar-Riverside station, is hidden, at neither Cedar nor Riverside. It has no parking or bus-linked service. It is also a considerable walk from the university's West Bank campus. If more conveniently located, it would be used more and would be an easier link to the Central Corridor line.

Although the new line may reduce traffic, this metro area is growing, and the university is one of our finest institutions. It attracts and serves more than just students and faculty. We in university neighborhoods understand that trucks, buses and people without light-rail service must use our streets. But we don't want our neighborhoods becoming clogged traffic corridors, unsafe for pedestrians and bikes.

The line should be built right, even if that causes a slight delay. The northern route is the best for everybody.

Arvonne Fraser is president of the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association in Minneapolis.

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