aTorridGustOfSun

I love the idea of having trains connecting the airport, MOA (even though I don't like MOA itself), Minneapolis and eventually Saint Paul. Yet my favorite piece of transportation in the Twin Cities is certainly the now overlooked but oft-used skyway system. I used to work in office inside Galtier Plaza in Saint Paul, and it was bliss not having to bear harsh winds and inclement weather to run across town. Not to mention, it makes the city feel more interconnected with people walking through the buildings. On a nice day in the summer I tested skyway vs. no skyway, by walking to Marshall Field's Marketplace for lunch. It took nearly double the time to walk on the sidewalks and dodge traffic to get to Field's. The skyway was a quick trip back. Though it was a summer day, so it was nice to get outside. But the convenience factor of the skyways can't be denied. Plus, where else can you have such interesting events like the mountain bike race which will be taking place in the skyways of Saint Paul this weekend?

I read about plans for expanding the light rail into downtown St Paul and reopening the Union Depot as a train station! There was also talk about Amtrak relocating its station there and having it be a "transit hub" for the Twin Cities. I absolutely love living in the Northern Suburbs, except for the fact that when it comes to any sort of rail transit to the downtowns, we'll be the last for sure. I guess it really won't matter to me though, as I plan on moving to DT St Paul this summer.

I would have to disagree. I think that it is great that St Paul is getting people to live close to downtown -- it will result in an upswing. Many retail developments that were built in the 1980s (such as Galtier Plaza) may have a second shot now that there is more critical mass downtown. As far as the city not having any room to grow, I still see plenty of spaces where new buildings could be constructed (and onlder ones desructed), especially along Jackson Street.