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I V‘*' * ■'Ip I -,M.- . V. <br />r <br />Highway 12 Expansion <br />wbst can be done??? <br />n <br />t) <br />built without redirecting <br />i) <br />A tunnel can be <br />existing traffic* <br />A tunnel will leave western Hennepin county the nice place it <br />is todayt while providing access to downtown Nlnneapolis that <br />the people in Western Minnesota desire. <br />A tunnel route can be agreed to by all of the cities sentioned <br />and each can once again becoee a good neighbor to the other. <br />(I would suggest that the tunnel go directly under the <br />Burlington Northern tracks. You could design the tunnel to go <br />all the way fron Long Lake on the east end to Just west of <br />Delano on the west end or you could Just go under Long Lake <br />then Maple Plain while upgrading the existing highway 12 the <br />rest of the way). <br />A tunnel can feed additional traffic through the area, thereby <br />increasing retail sales for those businesses (boutique <br />connunlties) on the surface. <br />(OK. Valerie. You nafce your own list) <br />Tunnel Financing <br />I'll be honest with you. coning up with a good solid financial Justification for <br />a tunnel is tough. As I review the list above, 1 see sore eootional item on the <br />list than factual. (But hey. this is an enotional issue. If it were factual <br />there would be an obvious solution that MnDot could follow.) <br />The "Par Side" Appeoaob to the tunnel: <br />Onl rtf**^U’Th?ngiT*that*MnSt"^!ul?d^^ ‘differently about a <br />tunnel. Now when you think of a tunnel, the first thing we need to do is Ot out <br />)f our Binds th# other tunnels «e have ever driven ine This tunnel can t be like <br />the Lincoln tunnel in New York. ... h .u. . i <br />This tunnel could have its own personality. Thlt tUBBti CiHIlfl ^ <br />rt«>aisnsd to becoee a tourist attraction. That's right, this tunnel coum <br />be planned and constructed to be a noney naker. It could have undergrou^ <br />restaurants, attractions and other itens so people free all over the wld <br />want to cone to Minnesota and want to drive through the thing. It could <br />be the **Mall of Anerica” of tunnels. Special lighting, special dHving <br />!anes. special scenery that you can only see if you drive through ttm <br />'vunnel. It has to be better than the tunnel und«r the English Channel. <br />It could be an underground State Park.** <br />In addition, the tunnel should be tolled. You see Valerie, the tunnel <br />becones the ’sane lane" during rush hour, but not for free. So in <br />.addition to the revenue fron visitors (e.g.. park fees) there nust be <br />tolls. (Just lilte bridges ....resenber the concept?) <br />I also believe the planning coasissions, city councils and busi^MS or <br />each coanunity should be polled for revenue naking ideas. The addiUonal <br />cost of the tunnel could be aade up in a natter of a few years. The net <br />.ost to the Federal/Minnesota tax payer is nothing, (^e thm tunnel la <br />paid for the tolls can be reduced to only pay for ongoing aaintenance. <br />The aore coaaarvative approach to a <br />(or <br />»r.^, » <br />i <br />V‘.I <br />! <br />* <br />1 <br />!