Exploring Business Attitudes toward the Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar Line

Abstract

This project was completed as part of the 2018-2019 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with Ramsey County. The Riverview Corridor is a proposed modern streetcar line along a 12-mile route that will connect the Union Depot in downtown Saint Paul and the Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport and the Mall of America, as well as the neighborhoods in between. Business owners along W. 7th Street have raised concerns about the streetcar’s impact on on-street parking, disruption to businesses during construction, pedestrian/bike safety, aesthetics, noise, and long-term impacts on the affordability of commercial-retail space along the corridor. Ramsey County project lead Frank Alarcon worked with a graduate to conduct focus groups and interviews with affected business owners to acquire a deeper understanding of their issues and concerns early in the planning process, and inform an upcoming Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and future planning for construction and operation of the modern streetcar line. The student's final report is available.