Copyright 1999 Star Tribune
Star Tribune
(Minneapolis, MN)
April 20, 1999, Tuesday, Metro Edition
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 1B
LENGTH: 468 words
HEADLINE:
Senate approves money for first leg of light rail;
$60
million move is at odds with House
BYLINE: Robert
Whereatt; Staff Writer
BODY:
The Senate on Monday
approved a transportation-funding bill that would commit the state to building
the first leg of a light-rail system, potentially one of the costliest public
works projects in state history.
The
$3.3 billion funding bill includes $60 million
for the Hiawatha light-rail line, the initial leg of a proposed light-rail
system in the Twin Cities metro area.
"I understand it's a huge commitment
of funds," said Sen. Dean Johnson, R-Willmar, a light-rail
supporter. But, he said, "it is time to take a risk."
However, Senate Minority Leader Dick Day,
R-Owatonna, said the Hiawatha line from downtown Minneapolis to the
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and on to the Mall of America in
Bloomington was the wrong leg to build and would cost too much at the expense of
highway improvements.
"This rail system is going
to suck up all our dollars," said Day, contending that the Hiawatha line alone
could cost as much as $500 million.
His attempt to delete the $60 million
failed on a 21-44 vote.
Gov. Jesse Ventura
supports the light-rail money. The House didn't include such money in its
transportation-funding bill. That means the issue could play heavily in the
horse trading on unrelated bills in the final four weeks of the legislative
session.
Supporters have said the
$60 million in state money should be able to attract
$250 million in federal money, which would go toward the
estimated cost of the line, $446 million in 1997 dollars.
Additional legs of the system, which
could merge with a commuter rail program using existing freight railroad lines,
could amount to more than $1 billion. No one has estimated a
more specific cost because of such variables as where future legs of the system
would run, said Sen. Carol Flynn, DFL-Minneapolis, chairwoman of the Senate
Transportation Committee.
She said
the Hiawatha leg is not an irretrievable commitment to a larger system. "If it
doesn't meet our expectations, we won't be building any more," she said.
The Senate also adopted a provision in the
funding bill Monday that would shut off green and red lights on ramp meters for
two weeks in October and another two weeks in June 2000.
The state then would evaluate the impact, if
any, on freeway congestion.
Day, who sought the
ramp meter "holiday," said there are 400 meters on the metro freeway system now
"and we're going to go to 510."
He said
the meters don't relieve congestion and contribute to
accidents. His amendment for four weeks without meters was
approved on a 35-24 vote.
The Senate also voted
to strip from the bill a $1.50 service fee increase charged by
deputy registrars with each license tab sale.
LOAD-DATE: April 20, 1999
