St. Louis Park nears critical freight rail decision

A big rail decision expected by the end of May in St. Louis Park will determine the city's position on extra freight trains that may come its way to accommodate a light-rail line between Minneapolis and the southwest suburbs.

To move freight tracks out of the route chosen for the light rail line, St. Louis Park has been asked to accept four to five more freight trains a day on the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway (MN&S). That line now carries two trains a day through St. Louis Park.

The city has spent $55,000 for the advice of a railroad consultant and has listened extensively to residents. A series of study sessions for the City Council, starting Monday, is expected to lead to adoption of a freight policy by the end of May. The 6:30 p.m. meeting at City Hall is open to the public.

Planning for the Southwest Light Rail assumes that the freight trains that run now on Twin Cities & Western (TC&W) railroad through the south Minneapolis neighborhood of Kenilworth would be moved to the MN&S tracks in St. Louis Park. The estimated cost of the re-route is $76.7 million.

The sway of the city's position is unclear. Hennepin County and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, which both favor the re-route, and the affected railroads have the final say over where railroads run.

'Huge issue' for citizens

But St. Louis Park will try to shape the decision to the city's benefit, Mayor Jeff Jacobs said.

People who live near the switching yard where trains would be coupled and uncoupled are also concerned, Jacobs said. "There's nothing like having two boxcars crash together at 4 o'clock in the morning."

Other residents are concerned about the effects of more frequent and longer trains on street traffic and safety at St. Louis Park High School, which is next to the MN&S tracks, Jacobs said.

"And some people are concerned about light rail transit and what impact does this discussion have on light rail."

Side by side in Kenilworth?

If the city pushes to keep freight trains where they are now in the Kenilworth corridor, it would work against the city's interest in getting light rail built as soon as possible, said Dave McKenzie, the SEH Inc. railroad consultant hired by the city.

Also, freight trains running next to light rail would negatively affect the planned light rail stations at Beltline Boulevard and Wooddale Avenue in St. Louis Park, McKenzie said.

Freight tracks would create a barrier for pedestrians and bikes trying to reach the rail station from the north side of the corridor. Freight trains could tie up traffic on Woodale and Beltline, McKenzie said.

Mixing freight and light rail also tends to create a more industrial setting that may be less attractive to new development, he said.

But more freight trains on the MN&S tracks will affect homes, businesses and schools. "Within 50 feet of the center line of the MN&S tracks there are 85 single-family lots and two single-family homes," McKenzie said. "Along the Kenilworth route there are none that close today."

How to minimize the effects

Hennepin County had three consultants study various aspects of the proposed freight rail move. McKenzie sorted through those reports and helped lay out the pros and cons of the options, said Kevin Locke, St. Louis Park community development director.

McKenzie also addressed a key question for St. Louis Park: Is there enough space to run both freight rail and light rail through Kenilworth, thus sparing the city from the re-route?

McKenzie said it might be possible, depending on the amount of right of way needed, but it would come quite close to the Cedar Lake Shores town houses.

"In his judgment it would be too close," Locke said. That means some or all of the town houses would have to be purchased, adding significantly to light rail costs, he said.

"In the end the railroads are going to have a lot to say about what the spacing actually is," based on such practical issues as getting maintenance crews to tracks, Locke said.