The Green Line is now open, connecting downtown Minneapolis with downtown St. Paul, as well as routing though the University of Minnesota campus.
There have been lots of news stories about the opening of the new light rail line, the investment made with federal, state, and local money; the private investments made; and the investments yet to come. Was it worth it? Will it be successful? At what costs? Is it faster? Will people actually ride it?
The author rides the Green Line on opening day.
I have personally experienced the angst of small business owners along the Green Line construction zone and I know better than to believe that everyone is a winner in this now that the train is actually running. Some residents and some businesses are going to be priced out of their once affordable locales along St. Paul’s University Avenue. Some newer, shinier ones are going to replace them. Some are uniting and branding themselves to hold onto and promote the uniqueness of their neighborhood.
But what I also know is that this project is changing my city. And I now have choices that I didn’t have last year.
- I now can go shopping without my car – whether across the street or with my brand new “old lady shopping cart.” And I can seriously think about getting rid of my 2000 model-year car and just start using nearby carshare cars.
- I can connect easily to buses that take me to visit friends in St. Paul neighborhoods that the people of St. Paul so strongly identify ourselves by – such as Como Park or Cathedral Hill.
- I can hop on our bikeshare bikes, cruise east to our downtown farmers market or jump on the Green Line and go west to the University Avenue farmers market to shop and stop in for the best Pho in town while I am there.
It’s safe to say the Green Line is spurring lots of other exciting amenities by local businesses:
- The new, long-awaited full-serve grocery store opened its doors just across the corner from my condo in downtown St Paul.
- A temporary park began taking shape in the empty lot facing my building – created by St Paul’s artist in residence.
- Right below me, in my very own building, St Paul’s newest tap room invited the whole neighborhood in for a taste of its efforts of four years of kitchen-table planning – including a ribbon cutting and bagpipe fanfare by our mayor.
- And existing street-level businesses – one long-standing veteran of downtown and three “midterm investors” – all put out tables, umbrellas and planters, making the streetscape appealing for everyone.
With my station – the 10th Street Station – just two blocks away, I suddenly find myself in the coolest part of town – with the potential of more to come. St. Paul is planning a bike loop to encircle and connect downtown and other bike trails.
While I know many will stick with their cars and while it is taking longer to get from one end of the line to the other than promised (it is supposed to take 46 minutes), I know it will improve. While some people will never stop complaining about the expense and never ride the light rail and others will only jump on to come to a hockey game in St. Paul or a baseball game in Minneapolis, it will make it easier for a lot of people to get to where they want to go.
While the Green Line isn’t necessarily changing the world, it is changing our city, and us along with it.
Green Line platform photo by Michael Hicks.