first email blog

There's always a learning curve with all this stuff, so I might as well try it out now.

 

On my way back from having my car worked on this weekend in Clear Water, MN, I stopped at the Big Lake station at the end of the Northstar commuter rail line. Compared with the Hiawatha LRT stations, it is very simple and suburban with a huge parking lot attached to it. Although I will probably not have the use for it personally (living and working in the city), I am a huge proponent of it as a means to diversify transportation options, relieve our highways, and give people an opportunity to use their commuting time more creatively.

 

While I was there, I made some notes about design decisions I would like to see implemented, especially on publicly funded projects:

 

*    They used down lighting lights in the parking area, so the light is shining down onto the ground, not into the sky (as many of our "historic" looking lamps do in the city).

*    The amount of asphalt is quite significant, especially since I didn't see any storm water retention areas. I would like to see more native and drought tolerant landscaping with storm water retention and permeable surfaces used. (Maximum impervious parking surfaces vs. minimum parking spaces as in current code--a topic for another entry).

*    The use of solar power is quite appropriate in these remote, treeless areas where we have covered & heated spaces; they can offset much of the electricity use for the site.

*    Awnings should be installed to cover the space over the entrance to the trains (also place for solar PV panels); this would make the boarding process more comfortable in our varying weather

*    Lastly, implement heated sidewalks for snow melt and to heat the enclosed waiting rooms; the infrared overhead heaters do very little to heat where we are most cold: feet, legs, and hands), and heat the top of the structure more than our lower extremities.