The University of Minnesota reluctantly accepted to cram a light rail line down an already congested Washington Avenue. St Paul business owners fear for the livelihoods as 1000+ parking spaces are eliminated. Heck, they are just worried about staying in business during the construction process and if they make it, the reward, higher property taxes. The folks that now use the bus realize that they will be burdened with a longer walk to the train stop. The bus would stop every few blocks or so, which means longer walks on hot, humid, rainy, cold, and snowy days because there will be limited stops. That will hurt the merchants on University Avenue too because you can't get off as easily with a transfer to shop. MPR doesn't want it down their street either.

And now, the folks in Lowertown are not very hip on the idea of maintenance facility in their hood.

http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/40038402.html?elr=KArksUUUU

Is there anyone near the corridor that actually wants the thing? Or should it just be built because it's the right thing to do? I mean, it is a temple that must be built to honor one of the gods of liberalism: LIGHT RAIL

Here is a great article from Nataniel Minor of the Twin Cities Daily Planet, he really makes the case of why this is such a miserable project.

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2009/02/20/central-corridor-outreach-good-will-do-they-have-any-power.html
 
So I ask, just who is for this Central Corridor project? Must not be the folks that will actually have to live with it. 

Fresch