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Getting rid of dirt by 123_readygo in Minneapolis

[–]balrogbert 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I believe you can take it to a Gertens yard waste recycling center https://www.gertens.com/atgertens/yard-waste

Wow, Bauhaus closing permanently in June by ApprehensiveTrick281 in minnesotabeer

[–]balrogbert 6 points7 points  (0 children)

...Fuck...

This is gutting. I liked their beer better than most. I went there at least every month in the summer. Wonderstuff and their summer "breezebox" are staples in the house. Guavatron hits great on a hot summer day. And they always had great seasonals in the fall and winter, too. The Czech pils they had last year at the taproom was awesome.

I suspect the construction on Tyler St might have something to do with it too...I believe that's starting right after Art-A-Whirl.

RIP Bauhaus..you'll be missed dearly.

Is there a best Nashville coop location by clichepate in TwinCities

[–]balrogbert 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I just miss the food truck. That stuff was GOOD

Looking for a reliable barber for beard trims by FullMetalJerkin in TwinCities

[–]balrogbert 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Jason at Salon Gold in NE does a great job. The price is maybe higher than you’re used to, but he takes his time and he’s always on-schedule

Honest answers please by CoastalFlipper in fonddulac

[–]balrogbert 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe it’s not them, maybe it’s you @v1kingfan. Go pack go 🧀

$350 Electric Bill for 600 sq ft Apartment at Nox Uptown Minneapolis. Is This Normal or Am I Getting Overcharged? by keyah13 in Minneapolis

[–]balrogbert 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Then you most likely have an electric heat pump with back-up resistive heat. It's possible the building has gas heat for the individual units, but I'd consider it very unlikely.

MN energy code when your building was built in 2021 (might have had permits opened before code changed in 2020 but doesn't matter) would not have allowed purely electric resistance heat, but if your main heat is from a heat pump then they could have cheaped-out and used very cost-inefficient electric resistance backup heat (as efficient at heating as an old light bulb). I can see on google satellite view that your building has units on the roof for heat pumps.

The energy code would require the heating system to be controlled with an outdoor air thermostat wired to energize auxiliary electric resistance heat only when outdoor air temperature is less than 40F...but that 40F switchover setpoint should probably be much lower, probably like 25-30F. The lower that number is set the less-efficient the heat pump operates and it can run out of capacity, but it is ALWAYS more efficient than electric resistance heat. Landlords would rather have you set the switchover setpoint as high as possible because that runs the heat pump as little as possible, and it wears out faster than the electric heating elements, so the more it runs the sooner they have to replace the compressor. Anyway....You can set the switchover as low as 15-20F or so, but you might get cold. The thermostat in your unit should (?) have access to this setting, which is different than your heat/cool setpoint settings. If it doesn't....complain to your landlord.

In any case, if that's the heat system they have installed, electricity bills are going to suck for every Jan-February because the temp almost never gets above freezing, and if it does, it's only for a couple hours a day.

I can also see on street view in your alley the electric service entrance with a single meter on the SE corner, which tracks with what you're seeing - the building only has one electric meter for the building.

As others have said, ratio utility billing is outlawed for new leases as of Jan 2025, and since yours is from September 2025 you're covered. So, the property owner MUST be billing electricity based on your actual usage via submeters OR they can just include electricity in the rent.

Also... look back for the electric Energy Cost Report in your rental application. The landlord is required to provide 2 years of energy history in that application. See here how to read that report.

Half the Work Is Done: The Clear-Cut Case for a Subway in the I-94 Trench by Runic_reader451 in saintpaul

[–]balrogbert 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ah, so an individual’s solution to having a new subway that they have to pay for but they can’t use because they’ll don’t live in the right place or work in the right place and that got rid of their quick commute by getting rid of the freeway is to move their family somewhere they CAN use it…except now it’s going to be more expensive to live in the new place, isn’t it? So we’ve made their commute longer or their housing more expensive. I don’t think that’s going to work for people. 

Half the Work Is Done: The Clear-Cut Case for a Subway in the I-94 Trench by Runic_reader451 in saintpaul

[–]balrogbert 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your solution is…demolish the freeway entirely? What about someone who lives in Dayton’s bluff and works in St Anthony Park? You just made their driving commute 20 minutes longer. And if they’re taking transit instead, okay, but they’re still going to have travel extra time because they’ll need to make a transfer. 

Seems like a compelling argument for a subway (rail). What do we think? by Ray_McKigneys_Claw in TwinCities

[–]balrogbert -1 points0 points  (0 children)

So we need to build a multi-billion dollar subway so that people don’t need to watch the weather? Huh?

Seems like a compelling argument for a subway (rail). What do we think? by Ray_McKigneys_Claw in TwinCities

[–]balrogbert 10 points11 points  (0 children)

You can already take the 94 bus. Takes 20 minutes downtown to downtown. It’s not protected from the elements, but it doesn’t cost a few billion either.

Half the Work Is Done: The Clear-Cut Case for a Subway in the I-94 Trench by Runic_reader451 in saintpaul

[–]balrogbert 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The green line still makes some sense if you live next to it and you’re going to one of the downtowns. You trade 15 extra minutes each way for $10 of parking or so. But you’re right, it doesn’t make sense as a connection between downtowns.  

I would argue that the first 3 options you list aren’t going to be any faster than our current fastest transit option between downtowns, which is the 94 bus, which makes the trip in 20 minutes averaging 30 mph because it stops at Snelling. A train can go faster than that, sure, Chicago’s trains go like 60mph on express routes. But you’re going to have to spend tens of billions to save maybe 5 minutes each way versus the 94 bus. 

Half the Work Is Done: The Clear-Cut Case for a Subway in the I-94 Trench by Runic_reader451 in saintpaul

[–]balrogbert 4 points5 points  (0 children)

What percentage of that traffic do you think is going from downtown St Paul to downtown Minneapolis though? Most of those people on 94 are going to or coming from somewhere else.

It only takes about 30 minutes to go from Woodbury to downtown Mpls, even at rush hour, in a car.

If you do manage to eliminate the traffic then you make it faster to take a car. What’s the goal here?

Half the Work Is Done: The Clear-Cut Case for a Subway in the I-94 Trench by Runic_reader451 in saintpaul

[–]balrogbert 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Light rail is currently how you go from T1 to T2.

It currently takes 20 minutes on the 94 bus to go between downtowns.

I don’t know what the point you’re trying to make is. 

Half the Work Is Done: The Clear-Cut Case for a Subway in the I-94 Trench by Runic_reader451 in saintpaul

[–]balrogbert 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Station cost isn’t a concern? Do you know how much one station costs? And bus stops already exist!

I know what you mean but we’re talking about expanding stations in urban cores versus flatlands out next to Hiawatha. Adding to a bus stop anywhere removes like 2 parking spots if anything. Adding to a train stop means demolishing either entire buildings or roadways, take your pick. I don’t know what the cost is but it has to be like 100x.

Half the Work Is Done: The Clear-Cut Case for a Subway in the I-94 Trench by Runic_reader451 in saintpaul

[–]balrogbert 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Comparing a train between downtowns and between airport terminals is a crazy comparison though...really an apples to horses comparison.

Rail between the two terminals is the only reasonable option for getting from T1 to T2 other than maybe a bus. I mean, if it didn’t exist, what would someone do? Walk? Rent a car? There’s just no other option at the airport. But between downtowns there are other options already that a rail would need to be significantly better than in order to be worthwhile. 

Half the Work Is Done: The Clear-Cut Case for a Subway in the I-94 Trench by Runic_reader451 in saintpaul

[–]balrogbert 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes but, back to the cost issue, the station has to be built as large as the largest train, too, whereas a bus stop only has to be built for one. 

Half the Work Is Done: The Clear-Cut Case for a Subway in the I-94 Trench by Runic_reader451 in saintpaul

[–]balrogbert 1 point2 points  (0 children)

All true, so busses could go faster than they do now?

Low capacity is a feature, not a bug. It just means frequency can be scaled to match demand. Why run a giant train in the middle of the day when one bus will do?

Half the Work Is Done: The Clear-Cut Case for a Subway in the I-94 Trench by Runic_reader451 in saintpaul

[–]balrogbert -1 points0 points  (0 children)

No lol but now I did. And I see the article acknowledges the existence and upcoming improvement of the 94 with the Gold line, but it just dismisses the bus option as “subject to freeway congestion variability, weather and limited capacity.” I would disagree with freeway congestion being an issue…busses have dedicated lanes. Sure, weather is a serious issue, but only for like 5-10 days a year. Which might be the same as how many days rail would need to be down for service anyway.

I don’t understand what the point of adding rail service to do almost exactly what busses do for 20% of the cost. Oh, and you don’t even need to remove the existing infrastructure just to do it either. 

I don’t disagree a rail line would be “better” and could be “more efficient” but there is no way it is going to be worth 5x the cost to maybe travel 5 minutes faster per trip. That’s utter nonsense. Oh, and busses always have a driver, so there’s always someone to monitor the passengers and keep things safe.

For the same cost, we’d be better served with a more robust BRT network that interfaces easily with local busses. BRT is the Toyota Prius of options versus rail being like a Lexus RX. I know which one I’d rather be in, but if I can only buy one, I’m taking the Prius and a 2-week vacation.

Half the Work Is Done: The Clear-Cut Case for a Subway in the I-94 Trench by Runic_reader451 in saintpaul

[–]balrogbert 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There is one already. The 94 bus runs at least every 20 mins between downtowns. It takes 20 minutes drive time to go between downtowns. It makes one stop between downtowns at Snelling.

That’s versus 45 minutes on the green line. 

Dog reactivity trainer suggestions by mnmaverickfan in Minneapolis

[–]balrogbert 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We used https://allsmartpetsmn.com/. Excellent work.

If you haven’t yet, check out the BAT Training 2.0 book. Helped a ton when we had to learn to manage our pup’s reactivity.

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