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COMMUNITY BRIEFS : Local authors bring new twist to fall boutique PAGE 2
Resolution’s final version withdraws Maplewood’s support for Purple Line BY DEBRA NEUTKENS STAFF WRITER
PAUL DOLS | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Protracted season of construction While local residents continue to use the Mark Sather multi-use trail, detour signs call attention to construction due to the Xcel Energy gas main upgrade along Lake Avenue between Highway 61 and Stewart Avenue in White Bear Lake. The recent sunshine and mild temperatures have been good for outdoor activities and also fall construction projects.
CONTRIBUTED
F & M Bank recently hosted a Women in Leadership luncheon in partnership with the Vadnais Heights Economic Development Corporation (VHEDC) at North Oaks Country Club. Over 80 local businesswomen heard a presentation by guest speaker Courtney Misener on the topic of boundaries and how to realistically set expectations
MAPLEWOOD — Wording for a final resolution took some haggling and at least two friendly amendments, but City Council unanimously agreed to withdraw its support for the Purple Line bus rapid transit (BRT) project as currently proposed by the Metropolitan Council. That doesn’t mean Maplewood wants out. The city is all for mass transit, just not the plan in place right now. The resolution also calls for time to evaluate other transit options and routes that work for everyone. “Our concern is the proposed plan in a post-pandemic world and changes to workplaces,” said Mayor Marylee Abrams. “What is the best transit for us over the next 20 years? The Purple Line is a $450 million public infrastructure project that will change the community. We need data on ridership. I haven’t seen any data at all.” The agenda item was set Oct. 24 after the mayor learned “by accident” late September that the Met Council was considering a route through the Birch Run Station shopping center. Abrams was told Met Council planned to take the privately-owned property by eminent domain for the Purple Line without discussing it with the city. “The process is flawed,” the mayor maintained. “We need data that supports the proposal and then we should all decide what transit is best. We can figure that out in an intelligent, data-driven way.” Both residents and nonresidents spoke during a public hearing in crowded council chambers regarding their thoughts on BRT and mass transit solutions. A particular
METROPOLITAN COUNCIL | CONTRIBUTED
Ramsey County Rail right of way is shown within the yellow dotted lines. The project assumes co-location with the Bruce Vento Regional Trail.
sore point was having to share the popular Bruce Vento Trail with buses. First to speak was a St. Paul woman who said she’d spotted 127 endangered rusty patch bumblebees along the trail. She wasn’t alone in worrying that the steady stream of buses will harm pollinator habitat. Others bemoaned losing miles of tree canopy when the trail is converted to a shared busway.
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