The Wake

A light rail line aiming to relieve an overstressed metropolitan traffic region should have been met with open arms. After numerous setbacks and a long construction process, it is still unknown, however, whether the Twin Cities will have a viable form of public transportation.

With things already running behind schedule, the Hiawatha Light Rail Line’s grand opening was pushed back three months from its target date of April 3, mainly because of issues surrounding a 46-day transit worker strike. Ridership exceeded expectations during the first two months, partially due to events along the line such as Twins games. The surrounding businesses also received a significant boost after its opening.

The light rail also came with problems. Residents living near light rail stations have complained about rail users taking up all of the parking on adjacent streets. Although there have been no major issues with worsening traffic near the line, the situation certainly hasn’t improved.

The true test of success for the Hiawatha Line will be when service is available from both terminals of Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. This will be a welcome addition for travelers who have been paying expensive cab fares and will definitely add riders. Also, full service to the Mall of America with a large parking lot expansion for riders is set to be finished in December.

This is all good progress, but the traffic relief and benefits that one light rail line will provide to the metro area as a whole will be minimal. The building of more lines will rest largely on the success of the Hiawatha Line, which has already experienced its share of setbacks.

With the time it took to construct only one line, it appears that the construction of a system of lines will be a long and tedious process. Further development will mean even more problems in dealing with building in a way that will best serve the Twin Cities public, while also reducing traffic. This process could likely have been accelerated if the preliminary plan was more comprehensive than building only a single line.

The next year will most likely provide us with some indication of things to come regarding a much-needed light rail system. As of right now, it appears that users of public transit and other motorists are going to have to be content with doing something that they’ve been doing for years: waiting.