Northern Lights Express Dilemma: do you support it?... by Twin Cities Homes for Sale
I have lived in Minnesota since 1987 and have really enjoyed it. Twin Cities are a great area, clean, with lots of parks and wildlife preserves. We have a diverse economy, excellent schools, arts and entertainment, and sports facilities. Minnesotans pay a lot of money in taxes to have great infrastructure here, but how much more are we willing to give?
Northern Lights Express rail from Minneapolis to Duluth has been in the works for a while. The idea is great: to provide a two hour high-speed rail service between the two cities, create over 13,000 new jobs, generate new developments, and provide an environmentally friendly alternative to a car commute.
However, the problem is estimated cost of the project. Estimates started at $360,000,000. One could say: not bad for 155 miles of high speed rail system. But, then… How do you go from $360 million to $615 million, to almost 1 billion, yes BILLION in about a year?!
MnDOT project manager, Dave Christianson, said to Star Tribune: “we've come up with what many might call a worst-case scenario, and after identifying some of the shortcomings in the system, the state rail plan will stick with $990 million as the high range of the cost."
MnDOT says that the federal government will cover 80% of the total cost. But, what will happen when this funding won’t come? Is it smart to commit to a project of this magnitude in today’s economy?
So, what do you do if you have to get to Duluth from the Twin Cities? Most people drive. It’ll cost of roughly $42 for a round trip (assuming mileage at 20 per gallon of gas) and it will take about 2 and a half hours to get there. Cost of a round trip plane ticket is $400-$450 (rather pricey!), but you’ll get there faster and won’t have to deal with traffic. $990,000,000,000 (a lot of zeros!) dollars would go very far subsidizing airplane tickets for those who need to fly this route. So far Minnesota hasn’t been successful at creating a profitable project. The Light Rail system has yet to make money.
So, will you support this project?
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Contact Marzena M. Melby, GRI, CDPE, Broker/Partner, Counselor Realty, Inc., Licensed REALTOR® in the state of Minnesota at If you prefer, contact me by email, by clicking on "email me"; link of this page under my profile.
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Northern Lights Express Dilemma: do you support it?... by Twin Cities Homes for Sale
Copyright © 2009 By Marzena M. Melby, All Rights Reserved
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