20 Years Ago LRT Attracts Car Drivers: George K. Isaacs At a February, 1984 League luncheon, electrical engineer and LRT advocate George K. Isaacs argued that light rail transit (LRT) would "attract riders who formerly drove cars." Outlining what he saw as distinct advantages of LRT, Isaacs pointed out that since the cars are electric, they are quieter and less polluting than buses. He also argued that the LRT works best under conditions when everything else works worst, such as heavy snowfall. The Hiawatha light-rail line, the first phase of light rail in the Twin Cities, servicing between downtown Minneapolis and Fort Snelling was scheduled to open April 3 of this year. Unfortunately, due to uncertain labor situations at Metro Transit, the opening of Minnesota's new LRT line will be indefinitely delayed, although the 12-mile alignment to the Mall Of America will open by the end of the year. LRT is one of the many options that the League's Transportation Study Committee is currently studying. |
30 Years Ago Facing Urban Growth in the Twin Cities The March 26, 1974 issue of Citizens League News reported on the Metropolitan Council's Physical Development Committee, a group intended to work on a development framework for the Twin Cities area. Reflecting many of the issues raised the the League's 1973 "Growth Without Sprawl" report, the Met Council committee focused on the issues of uncontrolled sprawl, the effects of groundwater pollution due to septic tank failure, and on data regarding new housing construction in outlying areas. Physical Development Committee chairman, Robert Hoffman told League members at a League breakfast that the Council's studies suggested that "there is enough land in areas with urban services already provided to accommodate projected growth in the region through the year 2000." He said that in order to focus this growth on vacant, serviced land while maintaining urban densities no greater than in suburban areas such as Edina, some system of incentives needed to be created. The Council was looking into financial incentives to municipalities which would "encourage the use of existing capital facilities before new capital facilities are built." Such a policy, Hoffman said, "could save residents of the metropolitan area several billion dollars over the next twenty years when compared to the public and private costs of uncontrolled sprawl." According to the Minnesota Department of Highways, the number of housing units in nine of the fringe area townships grew over fifty percent from 1970-1974. The fastest growing townships were Ramsey and Grow Township, both growing by more than 1,000 units. The League's "Growth Without Sprawl" report recommended a new strategy to control urban sprawl which focused on "residential development and which work[ed] first and primarily on the small-scale decisions of individuals which influence the location and timing of residential construction." |