Original photo provided by the MVTA

During the middle of the week I found another flier from Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) (PDF) stuck to my windshield about the changes that will be happening as part of the construction of the new and expensive Apple Valley Transit Station which will only add shitty routes to the Mall of America.

While I’m glad that we were notified of the changes to the parking lot, after it sat more or less empty while its planners waited on funding that still hasn’t come, I’m disappointed in this notification method–yet again. After the last time they stuck paper fliers to the windshields of cars instead of using a large sign or having the drivers pass them out that they would have learned. Nope, nothing like wasting trees and creating litter. Thanks MVTA, we appreciate the transit hikes so that you can fund wasteful bullshit like that.

If you’re interested a bunch of people involved in unnecessarily wasting taxpayer dollars will be on hand, during the day when everyone else is working to pay for the tax increases that only partially fund that fucking building, for the groundbreaking ceremony. The article linked notes that the project is supposed to be completed in December 2009 and “will feature level boarding platforms for easy access onto the buses, heated passenger skyways and elevators, and enough parking for 750 vehicles.” Aside from the ample parking and handicapped accessible elevators, absolutely none of the planned is necessary except to make Will Branning look like some sort of fucking hero. I’m glad he’s getting his moment in the spotlight at everyone’s expense.

Branning said that the most important day will be when BRT buses begin to run between Lakeville and the Mall of America. Well, that’ll be great and all but I want to see the fucking buses run at convenient times including all day and night on the weekends when mass transit is just as useful as the rest of the fucking time. Unfortunately whatever service they will have will be extremely limited and pointless. Will, you should have taken the fucking money your poured into this and the other BRT transit stops along the way to fund more routes at all times of the week well into the future. Unfortunately you didn’t think of that because you wouldn’t get to put your name on something important like a fucking building.

For those of you that don’t want to read the flier in PDF above, work will begin on April 15th where parking at the old Watson’s site. Everyone will be parking further to the east and entering a little bit further down 155th. They have no plans on using an asphalt surface and everyone will have the pleasure of washing their cars more frequently as the gravel and dust will be lovely. Thanks again for that Will.

We have covered this topic numerous times before but if you feel you have anything to add this time around, I say go for it as I’d love to hear what you have to say!

Related posts:

1. Dakota County Wasting Tons of Money on Transit Station
2. Watson’s Forced to Move for Transit Parking: Apple Valley, MN
3. Apple Valley Cedar Ave Bus Rapid Transit Display
4. $21 Million Transit Station is Art? No, it’s Expensive
5. MVTA’s New Buses: Your Tax Dollars at Work