I know it would be a great idea. It would be wonderful to get on the train in Golden Valley and take it to Minneapolis for a Twins game, the Mall of America or the airport. I would think folks using or visiting the Courage Center from out of town would enjoy the ability to get on the train at the airport and not have to spend $65 for cab fair. It makes the most sense to put the light rail in the same right of way as the existing railroad, there would be less disruption then cutting a new route through neighborhoods in North Minneapolis. Let's build it!

This proposal for LRT is an expensive project that will bisect the city, cause increased noise and lead to an irreversible change to Golden Valley. Transit oriented development increases congestion through much higher density housing. This project is an expensive non-solution to a non-existent problem. It restricts the free movement of people and limits their ability to tailor their travel conveniently.

We have an aging population that is already struggling with mobility. Why is it desirable to make it more difficult for them to age in place by limiting their travel modes to ones that are less convenient, harder to navigate and don't provide door to door service?

The voting choice does not contain anything I am for. I love light rail, would love to have it accessible to me in Golden Valley without driving. The "Locally approved Route" is bogus. Who locally approved it? The least expensive route is from Maple Grove. There are other places in GV to put the light rail than G1. Why are they never looked at? The reason GV responded negatively is that we feel like we are being "railroaded" (sorry, couldn't avoid the pun).

Thanks for your comment, Elaine. Are you saying that you'd like another Golden Valley alternative?

The current route options (D-1 and D-2) are both bad. Why do the outer suburbs need to ride through existing urban area into downtown, why not shuttle them in along 394 or 55? Golden Valley residents are not going to park-and-ride into downtown. And people with a choice are not going to move into homes with large lots (like in Golden Valley), with high property taxes, only to deal with noise and nuisance. The homes closest to the light rail will lose value (its just common sense), and the character of the neighborhood will change. Please visit saveminneapolisparks.wordpress.com to learn more. It doesn't have to be this way-let's find a better route.

The Di alignment is much less expensive than the D2 alignment through N. Mpls with no stops through busy intersections. It also provides Golden Valley residents the opportunity to utilize it with a stop located either at Golden Valley Road or at Plymouth Road. I would use this as a great alternative to being stuck in rush hour traffic for an hour-and-a-half daily on I-94. This is an opportunity to get on board!! Sorry for the pun also.

It is my understanding that we pay an excise tax gas tax toward mass transit, although the Feds need to approve it, our taxes will increase and our property values will go down. Which option is more expensive.

I don't believe that either route, D1 or D2, is a good solution. Important values to both Golden Valley (natural areas) and North Minneapolis (cohesive community) are violated by one or the other. I have asked why Option 3 was taken off the table, and I haven't gotten a good answer. I do not own a car, and I use public transit. But I am not in favor of pursuing the study of the D1. The wildlife cooridor will be destroyed, and I live right on it, so I know that my property values will go down. Property values only go up in the areas adjacent to transit stations where amenities are present. Those along the line see values go down, because they get the downsides without the upsides.

If we feel that there is intense pressure from the Met Council and Hennepin County now, what will it be like once they have spent $30-$100,000,000 on the study? "Gee, we spent so much money, and this isn't a great alternative, but it's the best we've got. Green space has to go in service to regional integration." If the GV city council chooses not to go forward, that might force the county back to the drawing board to examine routes that were taken off the table. That, or the Minneapolis city council would have to work harder to find a route acceptable to North Minneapolis. I don't want to see Golden Valley and North Minneapolis pitted against one another, but that's the dynamic limitation to these two options has created. There should be a better solution for both communities.

I was hoping for the D2 alignment as a resident of North Minneapolis, we need the development that light rail would attract. We also need better transpotation alternatives for residents living here who could potentially find jobs along the ail line. With Park is a valuable natural asset that should not be disturbed by the rail line running through it on a regular basis. I think it would destroy it's natural beauty and tranquility.

Debra, if there is widespread support for D2, it would be good to hear about it. I understood that people were fearful that Penn is just too narrow, that the housing loss too significant, and the potential for dividing the community too great.