Railing on about the bridge

Thank you Gov. Pawlenty. Thank you for taking a long, hard look into that dark LRT tunnel and seeing the light. And thank you for properly reacting to that light by signing on as a bi-partisan force in the construction of what for now we’ll call the I-35W Memorial Transit Bridge.

Of course, that word “transit” is all-important as it pertains to the new bridge: It allows for the “potential” inclusion of efficient high-volume people-conveyors powered by means other than internal combusting engines. Yes, our new I-35W Transit Bridge (our tax dollars will be involved) will include an “LRT-ready” corridor for clean and quiet modern light rail; the actual rails to be laid in the future. The near future, hopefully.

Whatever the governor’s reasoning was – altruistic or otherwise – for tepidly joining ranks with Mayors Rybak and Coleman, and LRT-friendly Sen. Steve Murphy, it can only mean good news for the future of metro transit.

On a less bright transit note, I have no choice but to join the thugs verbally flailing away at Lt. Gov. Molnau – at least as it relates to her secondary role as state transportation commissioner. I’m not for a minute suggesting that the commissioner bears any fault in the collapse of a heavily used but rickety vehicle bridge into the Mississippi, but I will suggest that the commissioner could very well be a weak and corroding link in the structure of our state transportation system.

Confession: I am speaking of the commissioner with a previously tainted perspective; a bias due to personal experience. Well, sort of personal.

It was early last year that I chanced to hear the commissioner fielding radio call-in questions about transportation issues on MPR. Being new to Minnesota, I took keen interest because I wanted to hear what kind of tough questioning she might get concerning what my wife and I perceived to be exceedingly dangerous cloverleaves around the I-494 loop. No one brought the issue up, so I picked up the phone and waited my turn.

“Now to Don in Eden Prairie.”

I explained that we had recently moved to the area from Chicago (always a mistake, I’m learning) and were alarmed by the number of “forced merges” in the area – you know, those hair-raising, high-speed, sharp-angled, close-proximity, entrance and exit ramps that we risk our lives on most every day. I asked the commissioner if there were any plans to correct these dangerous merges, and what the safety guidelines were regarding how close together highway entrance and exit ramps are placed. I stopped talking and waited for a reply.

I’ll never forget the tone of voice in Commissioner Molnau’s response: In that world-weary style of hers, she droned something to the effect: “So you’re from Chicago? And you have the nerve to complain about our traffic?” The implication was as clear as a glass of Riley Creek water (although not as potable): Who the hell was I to waste her time with such drivel? In that same disinterested tone she quickly added something about metro roadway infrastructure having been designed when there were fewer cars on the road. And that was that. It was time for Julie in Stillwater.

So, Minnesota’s top dog in transportation responded to pointed questions about Minnesota roadway safety by arbitrarily dismissing the questions – not to mention, the questioner – as non-issues. Like I said, fair or not, my very human feelings about Ms. Molnau were formed before the bridge tragedy by this single experience. And now I feel the devil’s powerful finger jabbing me in the back, encouraging me to intimate that this particular public servant – our current Transportation Commissioner – may have an “attitude” problem, and that she might not be the best person to be driving our transportation omnibus. Enough.

Imagine this: clean, easy to access electric-powered rail cars, like those on that nifty Hiawatha line, swiftly conveying thousands of suburban citizens to their downtown work stations; citizens who would otherwise be racing their oil-fired engines over our congested and deteriorating roads and bridges to get to work on time. From the quiet of their smooth-running electric trains, these citizens now have time to read the morning paper in its entirety, maybe send a text message or two, or better yet, catch an extra 20 winks before punching in. Wishful thinking? Not at all. All it takes is the combined commitment of our elected and appointed governmental servants. So let us all send our most potent LRT vibes to these good government servants, that each and every one of them might clearly understand the many reasons why the new “transit” bridge over I-35W requires more than “potential” for light rail: it needs light rail. Just as the entire metro area desperately needs light rail. And soon.

Don Darnell is a former Chicago actor, writer and broadcaster now living – and writing – out of Eden Prairie.