Minneapolis-St. Paul — Problems Streetcars Could Solve

January 2014

According to the StreetsMn site, there are five problems that streetcars in St. Paul could solve:

1. The Hill Problem - As a hilly city, streetcars could make trips, both leisure and work related, easier and more pleasant. Fewer people use bicycles in St. Paul than in flatter Minneapolis, but being able to transport a bike on an uphill streetcar would offer a benefit to residents.

2. The Equity Problem - Civic leaders and business people in St. Paul have felt Minneapolis has received an unfairly large share of transportation dollars. A streetcar line in St. Paul could offset some of the advantage Minneapolis enjoys from its light rail system.

3. The "Drunk Irishman" Problem - Former Governor Jesse Ventura once said on television that St. Paul's streets were laid out in such a confusing manner that they must have been designed by a "drunken Irishman." The logic of a streetcar network could offset that problem in a small way.

4. The Hockey Arena Problem - Streetcars can carry substantially more people than buses, so could help solve traffic jams after major events such as hockey games.

5. The Lonely Downtown problem - Downtown St. Paul enjoys many fine older buildings and a dense European feel, but tends to be cut off from its surrounding neighborhoods. Downtown walking is limited by a bluffs, a river, and several freeways. Streetcars could help tie the neighborhoods on the outside of these barriers to downtown.

.