The fastest train doesn't stop at all

Pioneer Press Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:29:52 -0700
An argument for more light-rail stations along University Avenue

"Extra St. Paul stops along the proposed Central Corridor light-rail line will add $5.5 million per station and won't add ridership to justify the expense" was the lead sentence in reporter Tim Nelson's article about the Dec. 12 Central Corridor Management Committee meeting. Met Council staff reported that if the light-rail proposal included stations at Western, Victoria and Hamline, the "Cost Effectiveness Index" would weaken, and they implied that the Central Corridor light-rail proposal would be dead on arrival. ... At the heart of the differing recommendations is the pivotal question of what principles should be applied to major decisions about the scope of the project. The Met Council has proposed that the Cost-Effectiveness Index (CEI) should be the primary measure, along with safety and security. Advertisement The District Councils Collaborative, other community groups and some Central Corridor Management Committee members contend that use of the CEI as the primary measurement for local decision-making is too narrow. The CEI is a federal measure that relies on ridership forecasts generated by a regional transportation model. According to many transportation researchers, regional models are notorious for underestimating transit ridership. Designed to forecast vehicle trips, they do a poor job of estimating transit, walking and bicycle trips. Federal Transportation Administration staff, Met Council Chair Peter Bell and Central Corridor project staff have all recognized problems with the regional model. Given these shortcomings, it is not unreasonable for us to question the Met Council's reasoning against additional stations.

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