Exploring Design Options for Modern Streetcar along West 7th Street

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. Concerns have been raised 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 housing and commercial-retail space along the corridor. Ramsey County project lead Frank Alarcon worked with students in James Wheeler and Kristine Miller’s ARCH 3250/LA 3002: Community Design Studio to examine these and other stakeholder concerns, as well as opportunities made possible by the introduction of modern streetcar along West 7th Street, and identify potential design options or solutions. The student's final report is available.