Hennepin County and the four cities on the route of the proposed METRO Blue Line Extension are being asked to review the preliminary design plans of the light rail transit project.
On July 24, the Metropolitan Council voted to send the proposed project plans to the cities of Minneapolis, Crystal, Robbinsdale, and Brooklyn Park, which are all on the 13.4-mile route that will run from Target Field to Brooklyn Park. The cities will review preliminary designs for the tracks, stations, and structures that serve their neighborhoods.
For light rail transit projects, state law requires the Met Council to send preliminary design plans to the cities on the route. They are required to review and approve the physical design components of the project in a process often referred to as municipal consent. If the city does not approve, they must submit an amendment or amendments to the plan with the changes they would like to see.
Each city will hold a public meeting before October 10, 2024, to discuss the plans, and then vote on them. The Met Council reviews and analyzes any proposed changes. That may involve working with the city to develop a compromise design.
“This process gives people an opportunity to participate in the line through their elected officials,” said Met Council Chair Charlie Zelle. “This is a big investment that will serve our region for the next 100 years.”
Project staff consult with city public works staff on design plans
To understand and address local concerns, the Blue Line Extension project office and city public works officials have worked together on Issues Resolution Teams since August of 2020, reviewing design work to address a wide range of issues like traffic flow, safety, trail connections, and utility locations.
“No matter how well we design a project, we need each city to let us know how it will fit into their neighborhoods and serve their communities,” said Zelle. “We’ve held weekly meetings for the past four years to ensure our designs are on the mark. But it’s up to each city council to approve preliminary design plans or recommend changes.”
Learn more about the design review process, including information about upcoming meetings of city councils.
Comment on the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement
The Blue Line Extension is also taking comments on the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement through Aug. 6, 2024. This is a comprehensive document that identifies and discusses the potential impacts and benefits of the project. The comment period is intended to encourage people to offer feedback about how impacts like noise and community impacts can be mitigated, and benefits enhanced.
Access the complete document and learn how to comment here.
About the Blue Line Extension project
The proposed METRO Blue Line Extension would provide transit improvements in the highly traveled northwest area of the Twin Cities metro region and a one-seat ride to destinations in five cities from Brooklyn Park to Bloomington. The project provides an opportunity to invest in historically underserved BIPOC communities. As much as 50% of the ridership on the Blue Line Extension is expected to come from households that do not own a car.
When the new section of the METRO Blue Line begins service in 2030 it will add an estimated 13,000 new trips a day, bringing total ridership on the completed METRO Blue Line route to nearly 30,000 daily trips.
Learn more about the Blue Line Extension.