Metro Transit's way to deal with Northstar interruption: Not deal with it at all

OK, Northstar riders. NOW do you see how much Metro Transit really cares about your service?

The abject failure of Metro Transit to clearly deal with the aftermath of BNSF Railway's train derailment early Saturday shows this blogger just how little the agency is committed to transit alternatives in the North Metro.

An eastbound grain train derailed after the embankment next to the Rice Creek bridge washed away following Saturday's early-morning 3+ inch rainfall in Fridley. The fact of the matter is that although the Staples Subdivision (the main line of BNSF that was washed out) would not allow trains to operate east of Coon Creek, the mainline west of Coon Creek was totally unscathed. Northstar could have operated with a bus bridge from Coon Rapids (Riverdale) to Downtown Minneapolis' 5th Street Transit Center, one block east of the train's Target Field terminus. This is especially true on Monday, where the combination of the start of the workweek and the Twins' day-night doubleheader (two admissions) would have been a prime example for showing that Northstar could have all-day service.

Instead, a terse statement was issued from Metro Transit Saturday afternoon, saying that Northstar trains were cancelled thru Monday, including for Twins' games on Saturday, Sunday and the Monday doubleheader, and that passengers, including commuters on Monday, were on their own to fend for themselves to get to work, or wherever they were going.

This is definitely a way that Metro Transit shows how they feel about the North suburbs. If this had happened on a South Suburban rail line, you would bet that they would have a bus bridge set up and pronto! But we live in the North Suburbs, where bus routes are not coordinated properly, and when disruptions occur, 'you're on your own! We can't get to you! Good Luck!'

This is disgusting...