Post by Logan on May 7, 2016 3:36:11 GMT -6
Minneapolis trails converge at railroad river bridge, but will they ever be able to cross?
As new and proposed recreational trails proliferate along the upper Mississippi riverfront in Minneapolis, pressure is building for a foot and bike crossing of the river at a lightly used rail bridge near 26th Avenue N.
One big problem: The bridge is privately owned by BNSF Railway (BNSF), and the railroad has safety concerns about trains sharing it with pedestrians and cyclists.
Park planners at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board have been told by a local real estate representative for the railroad that sharing the bridge won’t happen while it has active trains. The railroad makes about four deliveries weekly across the bridge to a riverside cement elevator.
“The railroad does things on railroad time and when it’s convenient for them,” said Park Board President Liz Wielinski, who represents the northeast Minneapolis end of the bridge. She’s interested but wary of assuming responsibility to maintain it.
Read more: www.startribune.com/minneapolis-trails-converge-at-railroad-river-bridge-but-will-they-ever-be-able-to-cross/378490706/
As new and proposed recreational trails proliferate along the upper Mississippi riverfront in Minneapolis, pressure is building for a foot and bike crossing of the river at a lightly used rail bridge near 26th Avenue N.
One big problem: The bridge is privately owned by BNSF Railway (BNSF), and the railroad has safety concerns about trains sharing it with pedestrians and cyclists.
Park planners at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board have been told by a local real estate representative for the railroad that sharing the bridge won’t happen while it has active trains. The railroad makes about four deliveries weekly across the bridge to a riverside cement elevator.
“The railroad does things on railroad time and when it’s convenient for them,” said Park Board President Liz Wielinski, who represents the northeast Minneapolis end of the bridge. She’s interested but wary of assuming responsibility to maintain it.
Read more: www.startribune.com/minneapolis-trails-converge-at-railroad-river-bridge-but-will-they-ever-be-able-to-cross/378490706/