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By Phil Krinkie
Remember “The Music Man”, the story of a fast talking, big promoter who promised the folks of a small Iowa town that he was going to get them band uniforms, musical instruments, and form a band? The main character, Harold Hill, gathers the citizens of River City in the High School gym and starts toexpound on his vision of a boy’s band until everyone is infected with the idea. Harold Hill’s scheme is to go from town to town and sell the townspeople on starting a band and then abscond with the money the citizens put up to purchase instruments and uniforms.
Here in River City, Minnesota (Anoka) a fast talking, big promoter 10 years ago came to the State Capitol, talking about how he could solve the transportation woes of Anoka County.
Just like in the play “The Music Man” there were big promises—the fast talking, big promoter spoke of speeding trains, lots of stations and thousands of passengers. The true story is that even after 10 years the people of Minnesota have little more than pictures of a train they’ve been promised.
Minnesota’s version of Harold Hill is Anoka County Commissioner Dan Erhart. When he came to the legislature 10 years ago, he told stories of a commuter rail line running from St. Cloud to Minneapolis. There were going to be 80 miles of track, 8 trains morning and night with 11 stations and all of this could be built for just $165 million of taxpayer dollars.
Last week Harold Hill (Commissioner Erhart) gathered a group of townspeople at the Anoka County Government Center to celebrate the Federal government’s promise to pay 50% of the cost for the Northstar Commuter Rail Line. One big difference is that the Northstar project isn’t going to cost $165 million. The current cost estimates have now skyrocketed to $320 million. That’s not all, instead of an 80 mile commuter line the train is only going to cover 40 miles, and instead of 11 stations there will only be five. Also left out are 3 trains, morning and night.
So will the townspeople of River City (Anoka) ever see the train they have been promised for ten years? The answer is YES, the Northstar Commuter Rail Line is now scheduled to start service in 2009.
However, here is where the change occurs from the story line in “The Music Man.” I doubt there will be any parade down Main Street for one simple reason. The citizens of Anoka may get a shiny new train, but there won’t be any relief in traffic congestion on Highway 10. That’s due to the fact that the train is projected to carry fewer than 3,000 people in the AM and PM rush hours. Yet traffic counts in most sections of Highway 10 are estimated to increase 3 to 4 times that number in the coming years.
But these facts don’t deter Harold Hill (Commissioner Erhart) from continuing to sing his same old tune. His priority for the 2008 legislative session is to seek additional taxpayer funding for the Northstar Line.
He and his supporters are making plans to return to the State Capitol to ask for another $10 million in state funds to add back a station in Fridley that was deleted in order to meet the Federal cost effectiveness standards.
So the citizens of River City (Anoka) may get the band instruments (shiny new train) that Harold Hill (Commissioner Erhart) promised. But remember in the play “The Music Man”—Mr. Hill was not a “professor” of music. Mr. Erhart is not a “transportation engineer”, so the only sound the townspeople of Anoka are likely to make is a cry for more road funding. |
