In his eight years as chairman of the Metropolitan Council, Peter Bell oversaw a dramatic expansion of transit in the Twin Cities and growing acceptance by the public of the regional planning agency.
With Gov. Tim Pawlenty's term expiring and Gov.-elect Mark Dayton poised to name Bell's replacement, he reflected Tuesday on his time at the council, which also plays a major role in planning housing, parks and wastewater treatment in the seven-county metro area.
Q. The Northstar Commuter line extension to St. Cloud is on hold amid lagging ridership. With a projected $6.2 billion state budget deficit and the rise of Republican lawmakers critical of rail transit, is there any reason to believe the line will be extended in the next few years?
A. "I don't think it will. I think most people, if they were candid, would say, 'It's just not in the cards in the next five to 10 years.' ... It's going to be at least five to 10 years before it gets looked at again."
Q. Some GOP leaders have opposed rail transit but left open the possibility of additional funding for expanding special bus rapid transit (BRT). What do you think of that idea?
A. "I think that is a direction they may go in. ... If the House and Senate Republicans said, 'Look, we want to do four major BRT systems, all at one time' ... I think that's a starting place for a discussion."
Q. How big a problem will sprawl be in the metro area?
A. "There's a delicate balance we have to strike. It's true that sprawl increases [government] cost. It's a problem for the environment. We have to be mindful of those things. But we also have to be mindful of the rights of people to kind of live where they damn well please."
Q. What are the chances of small cities and suburbs consolidating, much as school districts did, to deliver services more efficiently?
A. "I hope so. That's the kind of policy discussion we need to have. I would hope we would look at creating some real incentives for that. ... Consolidation is one way of driving efficiency. The tension for local communities is control and autonomy."
Q. What do you see as your biggest challenge, achievement and disappointment?
A. "The biggest challenge always is getting adequate resources to ... build, maintain and operate our mass transit system. ... There are a lot of claims on the public purse."
Q. While the chairmanship is called a part-time job, it's demanding. Should the chair be paid more than $58,000 a year?
A. Bell said the job should be treated as full-time and compensated accordingly. "I think it should be paid just like any of the other commissioners. It's a Cabinet-level position."
Biggest success: Bell cited the Central Corridor light-rail project linking Minneapolis and St. Paul, scheduled to open in 2014, as the biggest success during his tenure. "That project will go forward, it will go forward on time and on budget. ... It will be a significant enhancement."
Biggest disappointment: Bell said it was the lengthy dispute with the University of Minnesota over the light-rail route. "That dragged on longer than I would have wanted."
Pat Doyle • 651-222-1210
