The Metropolitan Council, a regional planning and policymaking body for the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, is pushing ahead with a second suburban light rail transit extension while struggling to complete another one which is nine years behind schedule. The Council's actions, like those of other agencies pursuing light rail, show a disregard for taxpayers and other stakeholders. As Minnesota's Legislative Auditor has reported, the Council originally obtained federal support for its Southwest Green Line Light Rail extension in 2011 based on an estimated cost of $1.25 billion and a revenue service date of 2018. The most recent available estimates (from two years ago) call for service to begin in 2027 and an overall project cost of $2.74 billion. The pre-pandemic daily ridership estimate for the extension was a modest 28,900 daily rides. It remains to be seen whether those anticipated riders show up. Ridership on the current Green Line service which connects downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul is around 25,000, well below 2019 levels.
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Table of Contents
- The Metropolitan Council a regional planning and policymaking body for 1
- As Minnesotaʼs Legislative Auditor has reported the Council originally 1
- The pre-pandemic daily ridership estimate for the extension was a modest 1
- 28900 daily rides. It remains to be seen whether those anticipated riders 1
- Yet despite its struggles with the Green Line extension the Met Council is 1
- Center. The project is listed as one of those in line for a Federal Transit 1
- Administration Capital Investment Grant as shown on the agencyʼs 1
- The Blue Line extension has been in the grant pipeline for several years but 2
- Council about allowing light rail trains to share its existing freight rail 2
- David Robins who led opposition to the Blue Line extension in 2023 before 2
- The Met Council members are not elected but rather appointed by 2
- Twin Cities area such as wastewater treatment parks planning 2
- It makes little sense to trust the largest public works project in 2
- Minnesota history to the Met Council. 2
- The 695 signers of Robinsʼs anti-Blue Line extension petition at change 2
- .org cited a variety of reasons for their opposition including potential 2
- Another concern with the Blue Line is the potential for gentrification. If 2
- Rather than worry about the spread of crime and the risks of gentrification 2
