And if you are going to criticize my posts you need to take the time to understand and address all the points I made. My main point was that for me riding the train to Twins, Vikings, and Wolves games is both cheaper and faster than driving my car. I wasn't addressing the experience of everyday commuters other than to say that many people are willing to pay to ride LRT who wouldn't ride a city bus for free. I am one of them.
It won't be cheaper or faster for me to ride the train to Gophers games because I found a place within a 20 minute walk where I can park for free and can make a quick exit from the campus without dealing with traffic congestion. But I am going to ride the train to the Gopher games anyway because I like the shared experience it offers fans. The pre-game anticipation and post-game celebration with other fans if the Gophers win is an important part of the whole experience of a Big 10 football game.
The final point I made in my original post is that the amount of time and cost for people to commute and park in the two downtowns or at the U is only going to get worse in the future because freeway capacity in the Twin Cities Metro Area is never going to keep up with population growth. LRT is not being planned for the current highway and street capacity and public transportation system but what will exist 20 or 30 years from now. Right now commuting times and parking costs are tolerable for most people who work downtown but that most likely will not be the case in 10 or 20 years. Downtown employees are going to need a viable public transportation system and LRT is going to be a much needed piece of that system.
