Anoka County Bristles at Paying Half of Counties' Tab for Northstar

Anoka County wants to reduce how much it pays for Northstar Commuter Rail service, according to the Star Tribune.

The three stations in Anoka County (four once in 2012) accounted for less than half of 2011 rides, but Anoka pays almost half the counties' contribution. Together, four counties cover 17 percent of the line's cost.

Anoka County Commissioner Matt Look told the Star Tribune:

"I think the people who benefit from the train should pay for the train. Big Lake's numbers are excellent and Fridley's numbers are dismal. But why would someone from Fridley jump on a train when Minneapolis is five minutes away by car?"

The story reported Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Stenglein responding:

"Anoka County needs to do more economic development so they can turn their county into a destination where people want to go. ... That's the whole idea of this train. Instead of crying about it, build aroud it."

In the , Fridley Station remains the , with about 10.5 percent of the line's trips. But Fridley has tried to reshape the station area by and creating a transit-oriented development (TOD) zone. (The city and Anoka County are also .)

One factor that depressed Northstar ridership in 2011: the July freight-train derailment in Fridley on the tracks that the commuter line shares with Burlington Northern Santa Fe, which shut the Northstar down for several days—a first.