The news release below went out this morning. I sent it to both my media list
(about 275 e-mails), to all State House members, and to the 40 State Senators
who do not require the use of an e-mail form.
Since the Kenilworth trail is in Minneapolis, this is of course a Minneapolis
issue.
I still plan to put together a summary of the history of Southwest Light Rail
(about 275 e-mails), to all State House members, and to the 40 State Senators
who do not require the use of an e-mail form.
Since the Kenilworth trail is in Minneapolis, this is of course a Minneapolis
issue.
I still plan to put together a summary of the history of Southwest Light Rail
-- running behind on that.
BREAKING NEWS: Lawsuit challenging Met Councilâs Southwest Light Rail process
has two upcoming Federal Court Hearings: Motion to Dismiss, and Motion for
Summary Judgment; Lawsuit could stop, delay, or change Met Councilâs plan
Contact: Bob âAgainâ Carney Jr: <email obscured>; cell phone: (612)
812-4867
This is a âstraight newsâ report from âcandidate-journalistâ Bob âAgainâ Carney
Jr., writing in his âjournalistâ capacity; Carney recommends other journalists
contact Lakes And Parks Alliance directly for more information, at:
<email obscured>; their web site is: www.lakesandparks.com --
Disclosure: Carney is a registered Lobbyist, representing âWe the Peopleâ, an
informal association; Carney does not represent or speak for Lakes and Parks
Alliance.
Minneapolis, 2/23/15 â Two Federal Court hearings are scheduled for a lawsuit
filed September 8, 2014 by Lakes and Parks Alliance (âLPAâ), a citizen group
that sued the Metropolitan Council, Chair Susan Haigh, and the Federal
Transportation Authority (âFTAâ), challenging current plans for the proposed
Southwest Light Rail project. Haigh is no longer a defendant. LPA is
represented by top legal talent, including former Hennepin County Attorney
Thomas Johnson, a Principal with Grey, Plant Mooty, and Lewis Remele, CEO of
Bassford Remele, PA.
On February 25th at 10:00 AM Federal District Court Judge John Tunheim will
hear the Metropolitan Council and FTAâs motion to dismiss the case. On March
9th at 3:00 PM, Judge Tunheim will hear the LPAâs motion for summary judgment.
Both hearings are open to the public, and are at the Federal Court Building,
Chamber 13E, 300 South Fourth Street, Minneapolis. LPA has stated it has moved
for summary judgment because all facts are a matter of public record and are
not in dispute, consequently the case could be resolved immediately by the
Judge, by applying the law to the facts.
According to LPA Board Member and former Minneapolis Park Board member George
Puzakâs September 8, 2014 statement, the LPA lawsuit is asking for two things:
âFirst, a declaration by the Court that by failing to complete an Environmental
Impact Statement, the Met Council has broken both state and federal laws; andâ
âSecond, a declaration that the approvals obtained from Minneapolis and the
other municipalities be declared null and void.â
Over recent months serious environmental concerns have emerged concerning the
proposed Kenilworth route. Due to the increase in oil and ethanol shipped by
freight, which will continue through Kenilworth and is not subject to State
regulation, serious transportation safety issues have also emerged. Among
other dangers, a chemical train derailment, or an attack, could result in
burning, highly volatile Bakken crude pouring into one or both ends of tunnels
with up to two light rail trains inside.
The Courtâs docket for this case, File No. 0:14-cv-03391-JRT-SER, now shows 62
document numbers.
Regardless of its outcome, the LPA lawsuit has significantly increased
uncertainty about whether the Southwest Light Rail project will be built at
all, and if it is what the final route might be. If the Motion to Dismiss is
denied, there may be no decision from the District Court, let alone any appeal
result, until beyond the 2015 Legislative Session.
LPA is advocating reconsideration of an earlier alternative route, called â3Câ,
or the âMidtown/Nicolletâ route, that would not go through Kenilworth, and
consequently would not pose the environmental and freight rail dangers
associated with Kenilworth. Unlike the Kenilworth route, the Midtown/Nicollet
route would serve densely populated areas, including Uptown, and would serve
Minneapolis neighborhoods with a high incidence of poverty. The
Midtown/Nicollet route would also serve the Minneapolis Convention Center.
Should the proposed Bottineau Light Rail line not go forward it may also be
possible to run the current Blue Line on the same tracks to the Convention
Center Station, connecting it either permanently, or only for major
Conventions, to both the Airport and the Mall of America.
When the Kenilworth route was selected, Minneapolis was assured that current
freight rail in the Kenilworth corridor would come out. That has now been
found to be impossible. Proponents of the Midtown/Nicollet route were also
told earlier that needed tunneling was too expensive. Subsequently, the budget
has gone up $300 million due to route changes in Eden Prairie alone, and all
proposed Kenilworth alternatives involve tunneling. The FTA has recently
upgraded the overall project rating a notch. However, the Republican
controlled State House has indicated strong opposition to spending any more
money on Light Rail, and the Federal funding percentage appears to be dropping
permanently. Under the circumstances, cancelling the Southwest Light Rail
project entirely, or switching to the Midtown/Nicollet route, are emerging as
two of the most realistic options. Should the Southwest project be cancelled,
bus based alternatives would of course come to the front for consideration.
<end>
bobagain, East Lake Harriet Farmstead
"candidate-journalist", "writer-wing republican", registered Lobbyist for "We
the People", an informal association, more on this later
BREAKING NEWS: Lawsuit challenging Met Councilâs Southwest Light Rail process
has two upcoming Federal Court Hearings: Motion to Dismiss, and Motion for
Summary Judgment; Lawsuit could stop, delay, or change Met Councilâs plan
Contact: Bob âAgainâ Carney Jr: <email obscured>; cell phone: (612)
812-4867
This is a âstraight newsâ report from âcandidate-journalistâ Bob âAgainâ Carney
Jr., writing in his âjournalistâ capacity; Carney recommends other journalists
contact Lakes And Parks Alliance directly for more information, at:
<email obscured>; their web site is: www.lakesandparks.com --
Disclosure: Carney is a registered Lobbyist, representing âWe the Peopleâ, an
informal association; Carney does not represent or speak for Lakes and Parks
Alliance.
Minneapolis, 2/23/15 â Two Federal Court hearings are scheduled for a lawsuit
filed September 8, 2014 by Lakes and Parks Alliance (âLPAâ), a citizen group
that sued the Metropolitan Council, Chair Susan Haigh, and the Federal
Transportation Authority (âFTAâ), challenging current plans for the proposed
Southwest Light Rail project. Haigh is no longer a defendant. LPA is
represented by top legal talent, including former Hennepin County Attorney
Thomas Johnson, a Principal with Grey, Plant Mooty, and Lewis Remele, CEO of
Bassford Remele, PA.
On February 25th at 10:00 AM Federal District Court Judge John Tunheim will
hear the Metropolitan Council and FTAâs motion to dismiss the case. On March
9th at 3:00 PM, Judge Tunheim will hear the LPAâs motion for summary judgment.
Both hearings are open to the public, and are at the Federal Court Building,
Chamber 13E, 300 South Fourth Street, Minneapolis. LPA has stated it has moved
for summary judgment because all facts are a matter of public record and are
not in dispute, consequently the case could be resolved immediately by the
Judge, by applying the law to the facts.
According to LPA Board Member and former Minneapolis Park Board member George
Puzakâs September 8, 2014 statement, the LPA lawsuit is asking for two things:
âFirst, a declaration by the Court that by failing to complete an Environmental
Impact Statement, the Met Council has broken both state and federal laws; andâ
âSecond, a declaration that the approvals obtained from Minneapolis and the
other municipalities be declared null and void.â
Over recent months serious environmental concerns have emerged concerning the
proposed Kenilworth route. Due to the increase in oil and ethanol shipped by
freight, which will continue through Kenilworth and is not subject to State
regulation, serious transportation safety issues have also emerged. Among
other dangers, a chemical train derailment, or an attack, could result in
burning, highly volatile Bakken crude pouring into one or both ends of tunnels
with up to two light rail trains inside.
The Courtâs docket for this case, File No. 0:14-cv-03391-JRT-SER, now shows 62
document numbers.
Regardless of its outcome, the LPA lawsuit has significantly increased
uncertainty about whether the Southwest Light Rail project will be built at
all, and if it is what the final route might be. If the Motion to Dismiss is
denied, there may be no decision from the District Court, let alone any appeal
result, until beyond the 2015 Legislative Session.
LPA is advocating reconsideration of an earlier alternative route, called â3Câ,
or the âMidtown/Nicolletâ route, that would not go through Kenilworth, and
consequently would not pose the environmental and freight rail dangers
associated with Kenilworth. Unlike the Kenilworth route, the Midtown/Nicollet
route would serve densely populated areas, including Uptown, and would serve
Minneapolis neighborhoods with a high incidence of poverty. The
Midtown/Nicollet route would also serve the Minneapolis Convention Center.
Should the proposed Bottineau Light Rail line not go forward it may also be
possible to run the current Blue Line on the same tracks to the Convention
Center Station, connecting it either permanently, or only for major
Conventions, to both the Airport and the Mall of America.
When the Kenilworth route was selected, Minneapolis was assured that current
freight rail in the Kenilworth corridor would come out. That has now been
found to be impossible. Proponents of the Midtown/Nicollet route were also
told earlier that needed tunneling was too expensive. Subsequently, the budget
has gone up $300 million due to route changes in Eden Prairie alone, and all
proposed Kenilworth alternatives involve tunneling. The FTA has recently
upgraded the overall project rating a notch. However, the Republican
controlled State House has indicated strong opposition to spending any more
money on Light Rail, and the Federal funding percentage appears to be dropping
permanently. Under the circumstances, cancelling the Southwest Light Rail
project entirely, or switching to the Midtown/Nicollet route, are emerging as
two of the most realistic options. Should the Southwest project be cancelled,
bus based alternatives would of course come to the front for consideration.
<end>
bobagain, East Lake Harriet Farmstead
"candidate-journalist", "writer-wing republican", registered Lobbyist for "We
the People", an informal association, more on this later