Lawmakers debate Northstar s future after 96% ridership plunge
(FOX 9)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota lawmakers are debating whether to deactivate the Northstar Line commuter rail or heavily subsidize it in the hopes that its customer base rebounds after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ridership on the Minneapolis to Big Lake line has plunged 96 percent during the pandemic as downtown office towers emptied, workers set up home offices, and sporting events were played with few or no fans in attendance. In 2019, the line averaged more than 60,000 riders per month. Over the past year, Northstar has averaged about 2,000 monthly riders.
Lawmakers debate Northstar s future after 96% ridership plunge
In the United States, few places have recently faced more tortuous battles to uproot the legacy of racism and historic inequality than the state of Minnesota. Despite its ranking as one of the best places to live in the country, its racial disparities are among the worst in the nation.
Coming on the heels of a guilty verdict in the George Floyd murder case and the proposal by the administration of US President Joe Biden to invest $2.3 trillion in infrastructure, including in communities with a history of racial discrimination, a new project in the historically Black neighbourhood of Rondo in Saint Paul aspires to narrow the gap.
dgau@marshallindependent.com
Photo courtesy of David Sturrock
The earth work for a new stretch of four-lane road on Highway 212 in Carver County is already underway. The project will help ease traffic congestion and prevent crashes on an important freight route through southern Minnesota.
DAHLGREN TOWNSHIP Â There’s a good chance that many southwest Minnesota residents have traveled along the roughly 5 miles of highway between the cities of Cologne and Carver. As part of the U.S. Highway 212 corridor, the road is traveled every day by thousands of semi trucks and vehicles from 74 of Minnesota’s 87 counties.
And now, Carver County is set to start construction to expand portions of Highway 212 to four lanes.