Municipal Consent
Local input creates a better project
State law requires light rail transit projects to send preliminary design plans to cities and counties on the route. These cities and counties are then required to review the major physical design components (e.g. track and station locations) of the project in a process called municipal consent set out in Minnesota Statutes Sec. 473.3994.
Municipal consent consists of:
Preliminary designs approved
In September and October 2024 the cities of Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Robbinsdale, Minneapolis and Hennepin County voted to approve Preliminary Design Plans for the Blue Line Extension.
Of the 38 elected officials responsible for voting on these plans, 33 voted to approve the plans. See the links below for each agency’s resolution of support:
Preliminary design feedback and response
The Metropolitan Council, the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA), Hennepin County, and the cities along the METRO Blue Line Extension route received comments on preliminary design plans at public hearings during the municipal consent process.
Project staff committed to several key changes that will be reflected in 60% of design plans, including:
- Project staff committed to several key changes that will be reflected in 60% of design plans, including:
- Constructing a 13th station in Minneapolis at the corner of Washington and West Broadway avenues
- Moving the Downtown Robbinsdale station north of the 40th Avenue intersection
Cities also highlighted priorities for future collaboration in their approval resolutions, including:
- Continued analysis and refinement of the Lowry Avenue station
- Pedestrian and bicycle amenities, connections, and safety
- Specific anti-displacement measures and commitments
- Public utility coordination
- Operations and maintenance agreements
Public comment collection
Throughout the municipal consent process, the project team collected community feedback from corridor cities. Read a summary of comments from each city here.