Metropolitan Council Chair Susan Haigh issued the following statement on the conclusion of the Southwest LRT municipal consent process. The Minneapolis City Council vote on August 29, 2014 granting the project municipal consent allows the Metropolitan Council to seek approval from the federal government to enter Final Engineering. Hennepin County and the Cities of Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Hopkins and St. Louis Park all provided municipal consent to the project prior to the Minneapolis City Council action.
“The Southwest light rail line, which will serve one of the most jobs-rich corridors in the state, will be a key addition to our regional economy when it opens,” said Council Chair Susan Haigh. “The corridor is currently home to more than 210,000 jobs, and projected to grow by another 60,000 jobs by 2030. This line will be a smart, cost-effective addition to our 21st century transit system. It will efficiently and quickly move people to and from work, home and school along what is today a very congested corridor, in addition to connecting people to St. Paul and Bloomington via our existing light rail lines."
Read the full statement by Council Chair Haigh, as well as a letter from Chair Haigh to Governor Dayton following the vote.