Here in MN about 10 years ago we went through the same thing on the state level with light rail. Once it was finished it surpassed all projections in terms of use and profitability.

The state Republicans fought against it the entire time, but it has turned out to be a huge success. It's even being expanded now.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Hiawatha Line (to be called the Blue Line in the future) is a 12.3 mi (19.8 km) light rail corridor in Hennepin County, Minnesota that extends from downtown Minneapolis to the southern suburb of Bloomington. It was formerly known as the Hiawatha Line named after Hiawatha Avenue. Major connections on the line include the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, the Mall of America, the Metrodome and Target Field in downtown Minneapolis.

Blue Line is operated by Metro Transit, which is also the primary operator of buses in the Twin Cities. The line accounts for about 12% of Metro Transit's total ridership. Less than two years after opening, the line had already exceeded its 2020 weekday ridership goal of 24,800.^[2] The line carried 10.2 million riders in 2008, a year marked by unusually high fuel prices, reaching 35,500 daily boardings in the third quarter.^[1]

Contents 1 Line color 2 Stations and expansions 2.1 Construction of Target Field Station 2.2 New station constructed in Bloomington 2.3 2009 expansion of existing stations 3 Service 4 Vehicles 5 History 6 Funding and delays 7 Signal problems 8 See also 9 References 10 External links

[edit] Line color

In July 2011, the Metropolitan Council officially approved renaming the Hiawatha Line as the Blue Line. This will be part of a broader color scheme for identifying Twin Cities transit lines, including the under-construction LRT line to St. Paul-the Green Line, along with two under-construction BRT lines, the Orange Line (35W BRT) and the Red Line (Cedar Avenue BRT).^[3]

[edit] Stations and expansions

Each of the 19 stations along the route is designed in a unique architectural style reflective of the station's surrounding community. This is not an entirely new idea for the region, as many of the higher-traffic bus stops around the city have distinctive designs. Due to the unique makeup of Minneapolis's population, ticket-dispensing machines present instructions in four languages: English, Spanish, Somali, and Hmong. Travel time is roughly two minutes between most stations. The airport used to operate a bus shuttle between the two terminals, but the light-rail line has supplanted that service. No fare is required to ride between the two airport stations.

[edit] Construction of Target Field Station

In November 2008, track welding was completed to extend the line several blocks northwest to reach the site of the Target Field Station. The station opened on November 14, 2009, and is adjacent to Target Field, the Minnesota Twins' new ballpark. The two-level station has light rail platforms on the upper level for use by Hiawatha and Central Corridor light rail trains, and platforms next to the BNSF mainline tracks passing beneath the station to serve the Northstar Commuter Rail line. In addition, some routing options for the future Green Line southwest extension LRT line would connect directly to the end of the Blue Line to share service with the station.^[4]

[edit] New station constructed in Bloomington

Federal money was secured for construction of the new American Boulevard Station in Bloomington between the Humphrey Terminal Station and Bloomington Central Station. This station was included in the line's original plans, but was supplanted by the decision to have a station directly at the Mall of America. Because much of the necessary underground infrastructure for the station was installed when the line was constructed, the station was built without interrupting regular service. The station opened December 12, 2009.^[5]

[edit] 2009 expansion of existing stations

During the summer of 2009, work began on lengthening the station platforms. This permitted the use of three-car trains, instead of the two-car trains that were the previous maximum. This allowed the line to meet the continually growing demand without adding additional trains to the schedule or adding more drivers. The expansions were completed in 2010

-- Edited by PowerStroker on Monday 7th of November 2011 09:55:11 PM

That's pretty funny Stoma...

Sorry PowerStroker, but I am tired of all the bullshit... This train to nowhere is just that. I am tired of all the politicians looking at special interest pipe dreams.

Why not take all this extra money Obama plans to give away to big labor, and his cronies and just use it to make a heathcare plan for ALL Americans? One where ALL Americans have at least some bare bones emergency insurance where the hospital is not holding the bag, along with regular checkups?

I think when the race is on Romney is going to clean up house with BIG improvements to health care that Obama could not even deliver with a super-majority! Obama really missed the mark with that sham of a health care law, it reminds me of Stoma's half-assed post where as just any old piece of shit was rattled off just to claim that point. I am almost positive that's why he is holding off until "after" the election for the law to take effect.

You dont find it odd that Greece, and Italy all have their head people steping down? They are stepping down over MONEY issues. It's showing to the world that a country can go bankrupt!

I don't think your 15 MPH light rail cost this nation $100 billion dollars. At the rate the price keeps increasing this could end up costing a half trillion dollars! Take the strangle hold off big business and let them fucking pay for it! Make the government spend on things that help NOW not in 2033! If a President cant get something like this done in one term they should never be afforded the opportunity to approve it! The next president needs to focus on results! None of this bullshit hope and change.

The Stimulus bill Obama said "We must pass now" (You know his early campaign front) was so much money that if devided by the amount of Americans equally would give EVERY American $35,000.00! But no, Obama wants to pick and choose, he knows how to spend our money better than us! FUCK THAT! And fuck this fatty ass kickback train to nowhwere!

Stoma is a lot like the Obama Adminstration...

WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY.

If you hang out in here much longer I am going to have to claim you as a dependent! Hell Stoma, your momma should be paying me child support!