Molly Weyrens, St. Cloud, St. Francis Xavier
Amy Leither, Cold Spring, Peace Lutheran Church
Northstar Campaign GRIP/ISAIAH leaders have engaged key local and state elected leaders through a variety of actions this past year in an effort to have the Northstar rail extended to St. Cloud as a part of the (likely) $6- to 7-billion-dollar transportation bill likely to pass this session. The St. Cloud Times recently ran a poll, and of 534 respondents, 446 said an extension was worth the investment while 19 preferred adding lanes to I-94. This poll reflects the experience of our campaign. Overwhelmingly, there is a change in the minds of Greater Minnesotans, people are excited about public transportation, people want to give up the hassle of driving. We have also experienced swift movement from Rep. Jim Knoblach, St. Cloud, (chair of Ways and Means Committee) and his whole-hearted attention. Gov. Dayton has announced support.
Knoblach has been researching the cost. Since BNSF laid a second set of rail between Big Lake and Becker, costs have decreased. Current link buses need replacing within four years. This cost is roughly the same as the necessary upgrades to the rail. We already lease tracks from BNSF for current operations. We want to extend those services.
St. Cloud to the Metro area is the most-traveled corridor in the state. Adding lanes to I-94 can cost from $3.4-$12.4 million per mile, in the metro area averaging more than $50 million/mile. Road travel assumes access to a car or ability to drive. This isn’t the case for many.
On Tuesday, March 8, the legislative session begins. Sen. Tom Bakk (DFL) and Speaker of the House Rep. Kurt Daudt (R) agree top priority is transportation.
On Thursday, March 10, GRIP/ISAIAH leaders will meet elected leaders at the Capitol, delivering thousands of petitions and letters from supporting organizations and businesses. If you would like to add your voice to our campaign, email GRIP organizer Anne Buckvold at abuckvold@isaiahmn.org and share a couple lines about why you want Northstar extended. Be sure to include your name and city and/or sign our online petition for session updates. Click on: www.tinyurl.com/finishnorthstar.
