The Metropolitan Council has approved a comprehensive transportation funding package that will result in a total investment of more than a half billion dollars in roads, bridges, safer intersections, and cycling and pedestrian improvements in the seven-county metro region over the next five years. Federal and state law directs the Met Council to determine how to allocate federal transportation funding every two years, with state lawmakers providing some additional funding specifically to the metro region. “Our elected representatives set the policies and provide the funds to make major and substantive investments in our region’s future,” said Met Council Chair Charlie Zelle. “As a planning agency, the Met Council facilitates a regional discussion with local elected officials and transportation users about how to invest those funds.” Most of the funding comes from federal transportation programs passed by Congress. Approximately $19 million of the $283 million allocation is state funding and those investments leverage another $277 million in local matching funds for the projects, bringing the total investment to $561 million from 2025 to 2029. Transportation investments made across the Twin Cities metro region The funding supports a wide range of projects in 56 cities in all seven metro counties. This funding cycle has a special emphasis on biking and walking infrastructure, and safety. Across the seven counties, 45 miles of new trails and sidewalks will be added. Another 30 miles of existing roadway and transit projects will be upgraded to be more compatible with walking and biking; 500 intersections will be improved to become safer and more accessible to people with disabilities. All 10 of the school and neighborhood organizations who applied for funding through the Safe Routes to Schools program will receive funding. In addition to investments in biking and walking, a significant portion of funding is targeted for roads and bridges. Examples of funded projects include: An overpass on Highway 47 in Anoka County that will address one of the most dangerous railroad crossings in the state A Washington County carshare program The City of Burnsville will receive $10 million to support an ongoing effort to improve safety, relieve congestion, and improve freight passage on Highway 13 $7 million will be spent to modernize Highway 61 in Hastings Transit investments include: $25 million to Metro Transit for H Line bus rapid transit Minnesota Valley Transit Authority was awarded six projects for new routes, bus garage improvements, and transit station improvements Micro Transit scales up The Met Council is also taking a new form of transit out of the testing phase and into wider use. Metro Transit micro is an on-demand service that allows users in a targeted area to summon a smaller bus for a trip. It operates similarly to a ride share service like Uber or Lyft; riders use a smartphone app to schedule trips. However, the actual ride is often shared with multiple people going the same way. Over the last year Metro Transit micro has been operating as a pilot program in a five-square-mile area of North Minneapolis. Two grants totaling $8 million will set up new service areas in Minnetonka, adjacent to the Green Line Extension, which is on schedule to begin service in 2027; and along the G Line bus rapid transit route that will serve Rice and Robert Streets in Saint Paul. Construction on the G Line is expected to be complete in 2028. “This is really an exciting, innovative new service that will make transit easier to use,” said Zelle. “Most transit trips can get you to within a mile of most destinations in the Twin Cities, but this service helps make that final mile connection.” Local elected officials vital to funding decisions The funds are awarded in a competitive process run by the Met Council’s Transportation Advisory Board (TAB). The board is made up of local elected officials, community representatives, and regional transportation agencies such as MnDOT. The TAB is empowered to set priorities for spending and debates multiple scenarios for allocating funds in accordance with the federal and state programs being administered. In this cycle, the TAB chose to emphasize safety in its scoring. The actual project scoring is carried out by experts from across the region including planners, and highway engineers from cities, counties, and MnDOT. Finally, the TAB makes a recommendation which the Met Council can either vote up or down, without amendment. In the case of a “no” vote the TAB would have to revise and resubmit a recommendation. “This is a regional discussion and a regional decision. We absolutely rely on the recommendations from the people who serve on our Transportation Advisory Board,” said Zelle. “It’s also a highly competitive process, with a consistent scoring mechanism that ensures we’re making the best use of the transportation funding that comes to our region. I’m really proud of our process because it produces excellent outcomes.” See a complete list of project awards. Posted In: