Ken Fletcher Papers

Collection

Identifier: M/A 0281

Staff Only

Description of Contents

The collection consists of a binder containing two distinct sections. The first section contains a report prepared by Fletcher in 1976 (with a foreword added in 1981) for the Hiawatha Avenue Citizens Advisory Committee advocating for a light rail line along Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis. Fletcher's proposal includes a suggested route map, mockups of stations and crossings, financial estimates and comparisons to light rail projects then underway in other cities. Fletcher's proposal also suggests that potential for light rail development exists along the University Avenue corridor and the Southwest Corridor.

The second section contains correspondence and clippings from between 1974 and 1987 regarding Fletcher's work advocating for light rail development in the Twin Cities. Included is a listing of the various groups, panels and programs Fletcher took part in during that time.

Dates

Creation: 1976 - 1987

Creator

Fletcher, Kenneth P. (Person)

Access

The collection is available for use in Special Collections at Minneapolis Central Library during the department's open hours.

Biography

Ken Fletcher is an amateur transit enthusiast and architectural model designer. In 1976, Fletcher prepared a proposal for the Hiawatha Avenue Citizens Advisory Committee suggesting a light rail line be developed between Downtown Minneapolis and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport via Hiawatha Avenue. While his efforts and light rail advocacy were not immediately successful, 25 years later in 2001 work finally began on a light rail line running along Hiawatha Avenue. The Hiawatha Line (later renamed the Blue Line), which opened in 2004, strongly resembles Fletcher's original plan in many respects.