Potential commuter rail to Northfield sees new life

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More than 100 years after Dan Patch first captured the hearts of Minnesotans, the horse’s name could again become a household word.

Legislation introduced last month by District 35A Rep. Mike Beard of Shakopee could pave the way for a commuter rail line named for the record-setting race horse to become reality — or at least a topic of real conversation.

For the last nine years, state transportation planners haven’t been able to consider the possible line when looking at the future of rail in Minnesota, thanks to a 2002 law that forbid discussion and planning of the line proposed to run from Northfield to downtown Minneapolis.

According to Beard, the law was secretively tacked on to an existing piece of 2002 legislation following pressure from suburban Metro residents living along the proposed line.

“That’s NIMBYism to the extreme,” said Beard, chairman of the House Transportation Committee.
“Having a (gag) order is bad form,” he said. “It needs to be considered with everything else.”

But just because Beard wants the proposed line included in the conversation, that doesn’t mean he’s ready to support its funding.

Agreeing with Beard is Suzie Nakasian, a Northfield city councilor who for two years has headed a local grassroots group dedicated to improving transit options for Northfielders.

“It’s bad for democracy,” she said. “It’s not right to have a gag order.”

It’s not just about fairness, said Erica Zweifel, another council member who is also part of the grassroots transit group.

“To me it doesn’t make any sense to plan when there’s a big hole in the map,” she said of the state’s inability to consider all of Minnesota’s transit needs.

If the Legislature votes to remove the moratorium — and Beard believes it will — then Northfield can get back in the game, conversation-wise.

It’s a conversation former Northfield Rep. David Bly tried to jump start for years. But no matter what Bly did, his GOP counterparts squashed his efforts.

And while Bly understands the irony of a GOP-led legislature getting the moratorium removed, he’s just happy it may disappear.

Last year, before Bly was unseated, he changed his tactics, working to build a coalition supporting a transit corridor that included communities between Northfield and the Cities and a number of transportation options. It’s an idea borrowed from those living along the 40-mile long Northstar line from Big Lake to Minneapolis, which opened in late 2009.

But as Northstar advocates can attest, funding is key. In August, the Northstar Corridor Development Authority announced that plans for a second phase of the line from Big Lake to St. Cloud were put on hold.

“While we have remained committed to the original vision for Northstar Commuter Rail service … the current data cannot justify the costs of expanding Northstar at this time,” said Felix Schmiesing, Sherburne County Commissioner and NCDA member.

What goes around

Once a gag order is removed, both Bly and Nakasian hope to move forward with planning for the Dan Patch line that would run on existing tracks.

Area residents have already shown an interest in mass transit. Northfield Lines’ Metro Express bus service to the Cities, now in its second year, has exceeded ridership projections by 20 percent, according to Benjamin Bus president John Benjamin.

And with gas prices continuing to rise, both Zweifel and Nakasian believe a commuter rail line would be welcomed in Northfield with open arms.

State train ridership projections for 2030 shows anywhere from 111,000 to 160,000 riders would ride from Northfield to the Cities and back annually.

One hundred years ago, trains were the way to get from place to place, said Beard, the District 25 A representative, adding that commuter lines could come back in vogue, either due to oil shortages or a desire for sustainability.

“Things change,” he said. “Let’s lift the gag order and let people responsible for light rail plan and be able to work (the Dan Patch line) into the mix. We need a complete picture.”

—Suzanne Rook covers the city for the Northfield News. Reach her at 507-645-1113.