Okay, technically it leads to the new Vikings stadium, but Nick Magrino doubts its benefits justify $6 million of public spending. A proportion of the Metropolitan Council is inclined to agree.
Nick Magrino argues that the $6 million pedestrian bridge connecting a light rail station to the Vikings stadium just isn't worth it. Normal operating procedures (without the bridge) might involve temporary road closures, but would require fans to cross the street. Magrino asks, "is preventing thousands of Vikings fans from touching a Minneapolis street worth the cost of this pedestrian bridge?"
Not only is the project's very necessity in question; it is also one of the more expensive such bridges conceived.
From the article: "Alternatively, 1,000 bus shelters could be purchased, or perhaps 100 heated bus shelters. Or, if we were averse to spending money on buses for fear our constituents would not use them, we could put $6 million towards converting Downtown East Station to a center island station, so that people transferring betwixt the Blue and Green Lines would not need to walk across the tracks."
FULL STORY: This unnecessary pedestrian bridge is going to cost $6 million of public money
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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