Are St. Paul policies slowing the Green Line?

St. Paul city officials are bristling at criticism that their policies are slowing Green Line light rail trains.

MPR's Laura Yuen writes:

More than two months after service began, the trains are frequently stopping between stations at traffic signals, causing delays. And they're running about four minutes slower than the scheduled 48 minutes between Union Depot in St. Paul and Target Field in Minneapolis, according to Metro Transit.

A Star Tribune editorial Thursday blamed St. Paul for failing to give trains automatic right-of-way over car traffic at stoplight intersections. "The fault lies less with Metro Transit than with a city that has resisted giving trains priority at 38 intersections with stoplights, including 19 low-volume crossings, most of them along University Avenue," the editorial said. "That must change."

More: St. Paul leaders chafe at Green Line criticism

Disclosure: Minnesota Public Radio and the Metropolitan Council are negotiating ways to reduce noise and vibrations from the newly built light rail line outside MPR headquarters under a contract agreed to in 2009.

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