Star Tribune from Minneapolis, Minnesota • Page B3

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013 STAR TRIBUNE METRO B3 WHEN? p.m. today St. Paul Almanac Literary Festival readings. Century College, White Bear Lake WHERE? University of Minnesota, Mpls. University of Minnesota Farmers Market.

200 SE. Church 11 a.m-2p.m. today WHO? Stephen Cornils, Minn. Compline Choir "When we're done, I leave feeling so restored and restful," on rehearsals with the choir that he helped found. El on the beat Star Tribune metro reporters open up their notebooks Front-end bike racks arrive on Red Line around the metro Southwest rail review dealt setback Finding a less costly and controversial route for freight traffic away from the LRT line hits another obstacle as a consultant backs away.

THE DRIVE TIM HARLOW Officials said the firm announced it was backing out when its employees attended a workshop Tuesday with Southwest planners. The firm "stated it has a conflict of interest and cannot undertake technical evaluation of the freight rail relocation options in St. Louis Park," Baenen said. But Baenen said the consultants also said recent work by Southwest planners designing possible reroutes was "good and comprehensive." No one from Transportation Technology Center Inc. could be reached for comment Tuesday.

The firm's decision comes days after Rybak, in a letter to Met Council chair Susan Haigh, pressed for an expansive review of rejected reroute options to include areas west of the Twin Cities as well as reconsidering configurations through St. Louis Park. Pat Doyle 612-673-4504 or elsewhere to make room for light-rail in the Kenilworth corridor of Minneapolis. The push for the fresh look was sparked by opposition to a Met Council option for rerouting freight traffic onto two-story berms in St. Louis Park to smooth out curves and reduce changes in elevation.

While that option satisfied the railroad, St. Louis Park officials and some homeowners complained that the berms would divide the community and bring it faster, longer trains. It also would cost $200 million. But keeping the freight in the Kenilworth corridor next to the future LRT would cost $160 million under one option that involves putting the light-rail in tunnels. This plan would address objections from some Minneapolis residents to the sight and noise that would come from having both types of rail traffic at ground level.

By PAT DOYLE patrick.doylestartribune.com Supporters of moving freight train traffic to make room for the metro's biggest light-rail line were dealt another setback Tuesday when a consultant with ties to the freight industry declined to help look for a new route. The decision could leave planners of the Southwest Corridor light-rail with costly and unpopular options for rerouting freight to St. Louis Park or for keeping it in a corridor of Minneapolis near the future LRT. Hennepin County officials had sought help from the consultant in a last-ditch effort to identify a better way to reroute the freight. But officials said the consulting firm told them it wouldn't participate in the effort because it has a conflict of inter est.

Transportation Technology Center of Pueblo, is a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads, which represents freight railroad interests. "We have not decided next steps yet," said Laura Baenen, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Council, the agency overseeing the light-rail project. Others were pressing for a new consultant. "I'm assuming we're going to engage somebody else to do the same analysis," said Peter Wagenius, a transportation policy aide to Minneapolis Mayor RT. Rybak.

Light-rail planners had invited the consulting firm to review rejected plans to reroute Twin Cities Western Railroad freight to St. Louis Park Metro Red Line buses are now equipped with front-end bike racks. The racks were installed last week after customers asked for them, said Robin Selvig, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, which operates the new bus rapid transit line along Cedar Avenue. The seven buses have interior bike racks, but customers said they are cumbersome to use. Passengers asked for the racks on the front of the bus that will allow them to load their bicycles onto a flat rack instead of having to hang them up on a vertical rack.

The new racks mounted on the front of the buses are similar to those that are in use on Metro Transit buses. For now, the interior racks will remain in use on Red Line buses, at least until a loading step is complete at the 147th Street Station. The step will allow riders access from the platform to the front of the bus, where they can store their two wheelers. The step is expected to be completed sometime this fall, Selvig said. The interior bike racks have not "been as successful as hoped," Selvig said, noting that they cause bicycles to stick out into the aisle, another problem with their use.

Not all riders want the interior bike racks removed, so Selvig said a bike committee will look at what is appropriate. Selvig also said the interior racks could be retrofitted to make them less obtrusive and easier to use. Buses on the Red Line, also known as the Cedar Avenue bus rapid transit line, began operating in June. The buses shuttle riders between the Mall of America and four stations south of the Minnesota River in Eagan and Apple Valley. Follow news about traffic and commuting at The Drive on startribune.com.

Got traffic or transportation questions, or story ideas? E-mail drivestartribune. com, tweet stribdtive or call Tim Harlow at 612-673-7768. Cheating students back, but scandal lingers at Harvard CAMPUS CONFIDENTIAL MAURA LERNER Read more of this blog at startribune. comlocalftlogs. A year-old cheating scandal is still casting a shadow over Harvard Yard.

This fall, students who were suspended for a year are returning to Harvard University, but the bitterness and finger-pointing haven't faded away, the New York Times reports. Last summer, school officials revealed that as many as half the students in a large lecture class identified as Introduction to Congress may have cheated on a take-home final exam in May, 2012. About 70 students were suspended, and the soul-searching began. But perhaps the most startling revelation is that the course itself had a reputation for being easy. So why would students at one of the nation's most elite schools cheat? The Times reports that students complained that the "grading got tougher and the exam questions became harder and more confusing." Photos by Time to pick a college Tuesday was the first of two days of the annual Minnesota National College Fair at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

The show features booths from about 350 colleges and universities and attracts an estimated 20,000. In photo at right, Irondale High School students Hajra Elliot, left, and Ornella Ngotcho talked with representatives of the University of St. Thomas. The free fair, which continues Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon, also offers workshops on financial aid, essay writing and more.

GLEN STUBBE gstubbestartribune.com have argued that while paperwork may be monotonous, it is necessary for accountability. Past attempts to address workload haven't gone far. In 2003, a task force was convened, but its recommendations weren't adopted by legislators. Education Department staff members on Tuesday presented the task force with data that showed the average, statewide student-to-teacher ratio in special education was 14.3 for 2011-12, just a fraction more than five years ago. Over the past five years, the state's special education population has increased by 10 percent, while other states' populations have decreased.

The task force also will review inconsistencies in state special education rules and laws. It is expected to issue a report to legislators by mid-February. Kim McGuire-612-673-4469 Special education caseloads get a task force's attention and caseload. Nevertheless, many of the task force members who worked in special education programs said paperwork was one of the major obstacles. Paperwork is frequently cited by special education teachers who have left the profession.

And that's a significant number of teachers. More than 800 of the state's 8,900 licensed special education teachers quit during the most recent school year the state tracked. Meanwhile, it granted just 417 new licenses for special ed teachers, the fewest in at least five years. The Minnesota Department of Education has introduced several initiatives aimed at reducing special education paperwork. Officials admit, however, that most of those efforts haven't trickled down to the average classroom teacher.

Some teachers say paperwork forces them to work 70-hour weeks. Advocates for disabled students More students need services, but a By KIM McGUIRE kim.mcguirestartribune.com A newly appointed state task force is tackling a problem that has plagued Minnesota's special education teachers for years too many students, too much paperwork, and inconsistent state rules and laws. The panel of special education directors, parents and disability advocates convened Tuesday to begin looking at how many special education students should be assigned to teachers. While there are limits on how many students with moderate to severe disabilities can be assigned to a teacher, none exists for students who spend most of their time in a general education classroom And too many students often means too much paperwork, some task force shortage of teachers persists. members said.

"Most of the teachers I know don't want to tear their hair out because of the kids," said Todd Travis, director of the Midwest Special Education Cooperative in Morris, Minn. "It's the paperwork" The push to limit teachers' caseloads comes when Minnesota's special education population is increasing but teachers for them are too few. Complicating matters further, special education hasn't received full state and federal funding for decades, prompting many schools to struggle to pay to educate students with disabilities. It was unclear Tuesday just how much time the task force would spend looking at paperwork problems confronting special education teachers. In fact, the group had questions about how to even define things like paperwork.