Saint Paul (Minn.). Dept. of Planning and Economic Development.

The St. Paul Downtown People Mover (DPM) system was proposed by the city of St. Paul and the Metropolitan Transit Commission in June, 1976. The city of St. Paul, through its Planning Commission and Planning and Economic Development Department, prepared a comprehensive plan, establishing a framework of goals and objectives for the system. The plan was drawn up in accordance with the Metropolitan Council's long range comprehensive transportation policy plan for the Twin Cities metropolitan area in conjunction with revitalization and redevelopment plans for the St. Paul central business district and designated fringe areas. The Metropolitan Transit Commission was to plan, engineer, construct, equip, and operate the system.

The DPM was to be essentially a monorail shuttle system. Specifications called for "aerial fixed guideways" and stations adjacent to the exteriors of buildings and over streets at the second and third floor levels. Underground guideways were planned for the Selby Tunnel and the Capitol Mall area. DPM vehicles were designed to be unmanned and fully automatic. The proposed system included 2.6 miles of guideways and ten stations.

By constructing the DPM, planners hoped to provide quality mass transit, to increase accessibility of the central business district, and to link the downtown with peripheral development areas and parking lots. In this way the DPM would emphasize pedestrian movement, link with the skyway system, and deter private auto travel, thus reducing air pollution in the central business district.

The planning stages were completed by early 1979. Since part of the $90 million proposed cost was to be financed by the state of Minnesota and the city of St. Paul, the DPM project had to be approved by the Minnesota legislature in order to be implemented. In a special session in May, 1979, the legislature eliminated the project from a proposed transportation bill. Despite the planners' enthusiasm for the DPM, many local citizens had criticized the project as "a waste of taxpayers' money" and a "white elephant."

Planners continued to pursue approval of the DPM project, and in 1980 the legislature passed the St. Paul People Mover Act (Laws 1980 c614). The law was passed with the understanding that the city would seek private rather than public financing. In the November, 1980, election the DPM system was rejected by St. Paul voters in a referendum. In 1981 the legislature repealed the St. Paul People Mover Act (Laws 1981 c302).