By Shannon Fiecke, Correspondent 

While stuck in traffic as he commutes from Northfield to Eden Prairie, Kevin Allin daydreams about trains. He imagines riding to work in a train along the Dan Patch Line instead of in a car.

But it’s been illegal for the government to speak about such possibilities for the past seven years, due to a law that bans discussion about putting passenger commuter rail service on the Dan Patch Line.

This week, that prohibition appeared to be lifting, as legislators are listening to concerns. On Tuesday and Thursday, transportation committees in both the House and Senate approved legislation that lifts the ban on planning and development for the Dan Patch Commuter Rail Line. The bill allows the Metropolitan Council to consider the rail line as it develops its 30-year transportation plan.

The measure has advanced to the Senate floor and is included in a transportation policy bill that was expected to be taken up by the full Senate Friday (March 14). In the House, a companion bill has been laid over for possible inclusion in a transportation policy bill.Judd Schetnan, government affairs director for the Met Council, testified Thursday that the legislation allows the Met Council to study, plan and reconsider the rail line as a possible transitway.

“We think we should at least be able to do that,” he told senators on the transportation committee.

History

The Dan Patch Line, which starts in Northfield and runs through Lakeville, Savage, Bloomington, Edina and St. Louis Park and ends in Minneapolis, was one of three routes chosen by the state in 1998 for possible commuter rail usage. The study showed the line could operate 14 trains and carry as many as 7,500 passengers on an eight-stop, 44-mile corridor.

But during discussions about the proposed commuter rail line, residents whose homes backed up to the little-used freight line expressed concerns. Some 1,600 properties (mainly in Bloomington and Edina) are within 100 feet of the track’s right of way.

Then in 2001, the Minnesota Legislature adopted specific legislation that put some hefty restrictions on the line. Specifically, the bill said capitol improvements could not be considered by the commissioner of transportation or the Met Council unless land was first acquired. There also could not be any further studies of the line.

The prohibition came about at a time when light rail and commuter rail were just ideas.Fast forward to present day, when the Hiawatha Light Rail Line is operating and the Northstar Commuter Rail Line is almost ready to open.

With this in mind, the Scott County Board said it wanted the Dan Patch Commuter Line studied when it forwarded suggestions to the Met Council for the council’s 2020 and 2030 regional transportation master plans, said Scott County Public Works Director Lezlie Vermillion.

Bipartisan support

Repealing the prohibition has bipartisan support of several local lawmakers, including two whose predecessors opposed the measure.

“It’s silly not to be able to talk about it,” said Rep. Michael Beard, R-Shakopee, who has co-authored legislation in the House along with five others, including Will Morgan, DFL-Burnsville, and David Bly, DFL-Northfield, both of whom also represent parts of Scott County.

Sen. Claire Robling, R-Jordan, said she fought off attempts to stop study of the line for two to three years before she was outnumbered. Robling is now carrying the bill to repeal that provision with DFL colleague Kevin Dahle of Northfield.

Robling said she expects opposition will be raised to the current legislation.Beard is particularly supportive of reopening consideration of the corridor because he knows of private interests in establishing passenger service on the line.

“It opens the door for private entities who may want to try their hand at innovative commuter rail,” said Beard, who said he would prefer private management vs. government control.

The northern end of the Dan Patch Line would stop near the Metrodome, where the Northstar Commuter Rail’s downtown station is located, Beard said.

Noting there is still a very big step between being allowed to study the corridor and commuter rail actually running, Schetnan thinks this measure has a “very good chance of passing.”

He stressed that if the Met Council someday selects the Dan Patch Line for commuter rail, it would still need the Legislature’s approval before any funds could be spent on design or before federal dollars could be sought for the rail system.

Allin, an electrical engineer who has spent his free time studying rail transportation, was prepared to testify about the line on Thursday, but the item had to be quickly crammed through the end of a Senate committee meeting. It passed unanimously.

“The public transportation needs of the Twin Cities requires a network and a commitment to several modes [of transportation] — good roads, buses, light rail and commuter rail,” Allin said.

There are eight commuter rail lines being considered by the Met Council as part of its 2030 transit master study. The map recently was shown to the Scott County Board, with specific notice made of a gap on the map, where the “unmentionable” line lies.

“We need to be able to study all of the corridors to pick the best one,” Allin said following Thursday’s hearing.

Even if the Dan Patch corridor is someday selected for passenger service, Allin knows he’ll be retired by then. Due to the line’s importance to the region, however, this train enthusiast will still keep dreaming.

“But if someone were to pay me to promote it, it would be illegal,” he said. “It’s an odd law.”

Shannon Fiecke can be reached at (952) 345-6679 or sfiecke@swpub.com.