In addition to my ideas on a fantasy regional highway system (which, if you consider MnDOT's perpetual funding woes, my suggestions on what's really NEEDED could themselves be a "fantasy"), I've pondered for some months on what a fantasy transit system might look like...further promoted in part by posts/comments and maps posted on both the Skyscraperpage forums and the Minnescraper forums.  The system I've devised certainly could have been (and still could be) implemented if money (or lack thereof) wasn't a factor.  I've left out major bus routes for the time being, given that they would add major complexity to hashing out a fantasy system.  I will say that buses would be partially realigned to follow major population/commercial corridors (as some do today), feed the transit stations (also as some do today), but I would still retain express bus service on some routes not easily served by rail.

Version 3.1 incorporates some changes from the earlier 3.0 version (also linked below), including the high-speed rail component, changes to several LRT lines, and adding a streetcar line in Hopkins.  A summary of changes is listed here.

This Twin Cities fantasy rail transit system is broken up into five parts:  high-speed rail, intercity rail, commuter rail, light rail, and streetcars.

In addition, I have also devised fantasy systems for a few of the smaller cities in Minnesota, namely Duluth, Rochester, and St Cloud (future addition).

I also have a page fleshing out my Fantasy High Speed Rail System, covering the U.S. and Canada.

I also have a webpage showing scans of past transit planning maps, including the extensive LRT system that was proposed around 1990.

With the passage of the 2008 Transportation Funding bill by the Minnesota Legislature, Twin Cities area transit will see a significant boost in funding, primarily for transit corridors.  I've created a transit implementation idea page with my thoughts on what could be pursued through 2030 with that funding.

Earlier Versions:

• Version 1.0.  This was a 3-line LRT system idea that I created back in 2000.
• Version 2.0.  This fleshed-out fantasy LRT system was devised back in 2005, and forms the basis behind my current fantasy system.
• Version 3.0.  A revised version of my fantasy transit system, including streetcars and commuter rail, from early 2009.

Maps

• Medium-resolution PNG showing commuter rail, light rail, and streetcar lines of my fantasy Twin Cities system.
• High-resolution PDF showing commuter rail, light rail, and streetcar lines of my fantasy Twin Cities system (warning:  file is about 2.5MB).

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Page last modified 22 October, 2009