The Canadian Pacific track that goes through Minneapolis, Edina, St. Louis Park, Bloomington, Savage, Burnsville, Lakeville and Northfield, has been dubbed the Dan Patch Corridor, a reference to the Dan Patch passenger line that existed along the same tracks in the first couple decades of the 20th century. The original line was named after Col. Marion Savage s famous race horse. The potential commuter rail route is in the early stages of a feasibility study that is being conducted by the Dakota County Office of Planning in conjunction with the 35W Solutions Alliance. The 35W group is made up of city and county officials from communities in the south metro along the 35W corridor. Unlike commuter rail lines planned for Elk River and Hastings, the Dan Patch line goes through densely populated areas.
Dense population contributes to the area s road congestion, some of the worst in the metro.
The feasibility study will have to weigh the need to reduce traffic congestion against the concerns of neighbors who don t want passenger trains rumbling through their backyards and concerns of taxpayers about cost. The local governments along the Dan Patch line are agreeing to participate in the feasibility study, but such cooperation should not be misinterpreted as support for the project. He added that some local governments are participating in the feasibility study just to make their citizens objections known early in the process. We re in a catch-22, he said. People want convenience, but don t want to pay the price.