Comments on: Target Field light rail station will be crowded

By: Target Field light rail station will be crowded | Freiburg Travel - Culture and Recreation

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:17:38 +0000

[...] You find the original post here netdensityblog.slott … | Brendon [...]

By: Amescua

Amescua — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:31:44 +0000

I wonder if there are going to be any special Northstar runs for Twins games? Seems like a good idea to me, if they can figure out the timing….

By: Brendon

Brendon — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:09:59 +0000

It’s a great problem to have, but also shows what I think is an under-commitment to good transit design in the urban core. Already all LRT stations are being expanded to handle 3-car trains, something which could have been done in the first place (and probably more cost-effectively).

I think the same stinginess is being applied at Target Field. The split 5th Avenue bridge is a prime example. It would have cost a couple of million more to flatten the whole bridge, which would have opened up the area to all kinds of innovative station designs that could have served more people more quickly. The way it sits now, passengers waiting to board will be directed into a narrow, awkward staging area to wait for the train in a queue before being directed to cross the tracks (probably by a traffic cop).

In contrast, the whole bridge area could have been transformed into a mini transit mall that probably would have made development prospects across the street from the field even more attractive, and thus encouraged greater transit use. I think the current design will turn a lot of people off to taking transit to the game, something that doesn’t serve the long term goals.

By: Chaz

Chaz — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:28:13 +0000

Actually a 3-car train will hold closer to 550 people. And in a 30% scenario, we’d have bi-directional travel, which improves the situation.

The tail tracks at the Ballpark Station will help the immediate situation- I think there is spaces for 2x 3-car trains or 4x 2-car trains, so these should be staged and ready at the end of games. This goes away with a SWLRT line (assuming 3A or 3C2, but let’s not go there).

Ultimately there will be equilibrium- the various modes will balance out to whatever meets capacity and semi-logical choice. If the situation is really bad, people will stay downtown longer.

For any of this to matter, the pitching rotation is going to have to improve. We could clear out a 50% share of 8,000 attendance games pretty easily.

By: Anders

Anders — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 05:08:57 +0000

I gotta say — what a great problem to face. This brings back some memories of my time in Freiburg, Germany. After each (SC Freiburg) soccer match, >50% of the crowd would stream down to the tram stop and fill up each vehicle. Then they’d bring in the next one. I don’t know how many trams they had on hand, but it was managed very well, all things considered.

By: Peter

Peter — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 03:38:11 +0000

I wonder if there are going to be any special Northstar runs for Twins games? Seems like a good idea to me, if they can figure out the timing.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:22:45 +0000

In San Francisco, the light rail vehicles are insanely packed before/after Giants games, so the problem is real. Like Target Field, AT&T Park is a beautiful new stadium in a rapidly-developing former industrial/warehouse area at the terminus of a light rail line and a commuter rail line. Even with extra shuttle LRT service on game days, it can be tough to meet all the demand!

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:47:48 +0000

When I toured, it was explained that the 40% number would only be reached once Southwest, Central, and possibly Bottineau were in play (Currently at the dome, the mode share for transit is about 15%). So you could theoretically have another station in the vicinity with Southwest and/or Bottineau – relieving some of the pressure on the Ballpark Station.