METRO Blue Line Extension

Project partners announce new direction for METRO Blue Line Extension 

 

In August 2020, after years of unsuccessful discussions regarding colocation of light rail transit and freight rail, Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council felt like it was the time to work with agency and community partners to explore opportunities to advance this critical project without using freight railway right of way.

The communities this project will serve, Brooklyn Park, Robbinsdale, Crystal, Golden Valley and Minneapolis, are the most diverse in the metro area and have the highest rates of transit-dependent households. People in these communities continue to be harmed by historic patterns of systemic racism that are compounded by a lack of transit and transportation infrastructure. Now, in the face of multiple crises disproportionately impacting communities of color, transformational investment is more urgent than ever.

We are optimistic that moving this project in a new direction presents an exciting opportunity to revisit and improve the METRO Blue Line Extension project to serve even more people and destinations, while maintaining as much of the existing alignment as possible.

Previous Alignment Map

Project partners are exploring opportunities to advance the METRO Blue Line Extension light rail project without the use of the freight railroad corridor.

Next Steps

Identifying a community supported alternative route for environmental review and approval.

• Inform and involve stakeholders around new project direction
• Contract with organizations to support engagement
• Work with stakeholders to co-create a community informed project engagement framework for 2021