The Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA) published the Southwest Transitway Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on October 11, 2012. HCRRA, which served as the project sponsor and Responsible Governmental Unit during preparation of the Draft EIS, hosted three public hearings in November 2012 to receive comments on the document. The purpose of these hearings was to provide an opportunity for the public to comment on the content of the Draft EIS document; no action was taken at the hearings.
SWLRT Jan. 2014 community meetings: display boards
PDF
9.3 MB
SWLRT Jan. 2014 community meetings: introductory letter from Sue Haigh
PDF
218 kB
SWLRT proposed freight and water evaluation metrics (Jan. 2014)
PDF
95 kB
SWLRT community meeting table questions (Minneapolis, Jan. 4, 2014)
PDF
109 kB
SWLRT community meeting table questions (St. Louis Park, Jan. 9, 2014)
PDF
92 kB
SWLRT community meeting comment cards (Minneapolis, Jan. 7, 2014)
PDF
254 kB
SWLRT community meeting comment cards (St. Louis Park, Jan. 9, 2014)
PDF
198 kB
SWLRT community meeting evaluation (Minneapolis, Jan. 7, 2014)
PDF
480 kB
SWLRT community meeting evaluation (St. Louis Park, Jan. 9, 2014)
PDF
482 kB
SWLRT community meeting table discussion transcript (Jan. 7, 2014)
PDF
147 kB
SWLRT community meeting discussion transcript (St. Louis Park, Jan. 9, 2014)
PDF
231 kB
SWLRT responses to community meeting questions (Minneapolis, Jan. 7, 2014)
PDF
192 kB
SWLRT responses to community meeting questions (St. Louis Park, Jan. 9, 2014)
PDF
178 kB
SWLRT categorized community meeting comments (Minneapolis, Jan. 7, 2014)
PDF
381 kB
SWLRT categorized community meeting comments (St. Louis Park, Jan. 9, 2014)
PDF
422 kB
SWLRT Hennepin County route selection handout
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582 kB
In February 2014, the Metropolitan Council hosted public community meetings focused on the independent consultants' draft reports on freight rail location alternatives, water resources and landscaping/greenscaping in the Kenilworth area.
Municipal Consent Hearings (2014)
Municipal consent is process of local review and approval by communities affected by a transit project, and is required under Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. 473.3994). During municipal consent, the public is also invited to review preliminary design plans and provide comments directly to local governments or to the Metropolitan Council. The Southwest LRT Project received municipal consent approval twice: once in 2014, and again in 2015 for a revised project scope including design changes in several areas along the LRT route.
The Metropolitan Council released preliminary design plans for the Southwest LRT Project on April 22, 2014. The Metropolitan Council and the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA) held a joint public hearing on May 29, 2014. Minnetonka, Hopkins, Eden Prairie, and St. Louis Park held public hearings on municipal consent for Southwest LRT in May and June 2014.
The Metropolitan Council approved revisions to the project scope and budget affecting the Minneapolis portion of the Southwest LRT Project on July 9, 2014. The Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County Board of Commissioners and Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA) held a joint hearing on August 13, 2014 to consider revised preliminary design plans. Minneapolis held a public hearing on municipal consent for the revised plans on August 19, 2014. The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners granted municipal consent for the Southwest LRT Project at a special board meeting on August 29, 2014.
Station Design
The Southwest LRT Project developed several different station architecture concepts to fit into different settings. These open houses provided an opportunity for community residents to learn about station design and give feedback to project staff. A brief presentation on station design was given at the beginning of each open house.
Open houses were held on the following dates:
- Minneapolis: April 2 and April 8, 2015
- St. Louis Park: April 8, 2015
- Eden Prairie: April 9, 2015
- Hopkins and Minnetonka: April 14, 2015
Kenilworth Landscape Design
Plans for landscape design in the Kenilworth area of Minneapolis were created with input from the community and guidance from the Kenilworth Landscape Design Committee.
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: workshop presentation (June 13, 2015)
PDF
2.1 MB
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: workshop boards (June 13, 2015)
PDF
6.2 MB
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: design principles (June 13, 2015)
PDF
195 kB
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: historic features (June 13, 2015)
PDF
276 kB
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: bridge options (June 13, 2015)
PDF
846 kB
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: workshop presentation (Aug. 8, 2015)
PDF
12.6 MB
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: design concept overview (Aug. 8, 2015)
PDF
1.2 MB
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: concept roll plots (Aug. 8, 2015)
PDF
33 MB
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: bridge options (Aug. 8, 2015)
PDF
2.1 MB
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: seating nodes and landscape typologies (Aug. 8, 2015)
PDF
1.3 MB
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: draft 5-year vegetation plan (Oct. 26, 2015)
PDF
22 MB
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: draft 15-year vegetation plan (Oct. 26, 2015)
PDF
22 MB
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: draft 25-year vegetation plan (Oct. 26, 2015)
PDF
22 MB
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: meeting announcement (Nov. 18, 2015)
PDF
1.6 MB
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: presentation (Nov. 18, 2015)
PDF
9.7 MB
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: meeting display boards (Nov. 18, 2015)
PDF
12.1 MB
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: opening year design concept (Nov. 18, 2015)
PDF
2.3 MB
SWLRT Kenilworth landscape design: 25-year design concept (Nov. 18, 2015)
PDF
2.3 MB
Meeting materials from Kenilworth Landscape Design Committee meetings are listed below.
SWLRT KSALC Agenda (May 19, 2015)
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92 kB
SWLRT KSALC Materials (May 19, 2015)
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2 MB
SWLRT KSALC Agenda (June 25, 2015)
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85 kB
SWLRT KSALC Materials (June 25, 2015)
PDF
4 MB
SWLRT KSALC Agenda (July 16, 2015)
PDF
89 kB
SWLRT KSALC Materials (July 16, 2015)
PDF
6.3 MB
SWLRT KSALC Agenda (August 24, 2015)
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80 kB
SWLRT KSALC Presentation (August 24, 2015)
PDF
2.7 MB
SWLRT KSALC Agenda (Oct. 26, 2015)
PDF
85 kB
SWLRT KSALC Agenda (Jan. 20, 2016)
PDF
89 kB
Supplemental Draft EIS Hearings
The Metropolitan Council published the Southwest LRT Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on May 22, 2015 and held three public hearings to receive comments on the document in June 2015. An open house was held in conjunction with each public hearing. The purpose of these hearings was to provide an opportunity for the public to comment on the content of the Supplemental Draft EIS document; no action was taken at the hearings.
Hearing Dates and Locations
- Hopkins Center for the Arts, June 16, 2015
- Eden Prairie City Center, June 17, 2015
- Dunwoody College of Technology (Minneapolis), June 18, 2015
Municipal Consent Hearings (2015)
Municipal consent is process of local review and approval by communities affected by a transit project, and is required under Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. 473.3994). During municipal consent, the public is also invited to review preliminary design plans and provide comments directly to local governments or to the Metropolitan Council. The Southwest LRT Project received municipal consent approval twice: once in 2014, and again in 2015 for a revised project scope including design changes in several areas along the LRT route.
In July 2015, the Metropolitan Council approved a revised scope for the Southwest LRT project, reducing the estimated cost of the project by approximately $250 million. The revised project scope included design changes in several areas along the proposed LRT route. In light of these changes, the Council released revised preliminary design plans on July 23, 2015 and sought municipal consent from Hennepin County and the five cities along the proposed LRT route.
The Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County Board of Commissioners and the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA) held a joint public hearing on the physical design component of the revised preliminary design plans on August 27, 2015. Cities along the proposed Southwest LRT route held public hearings in September 2015. The Council accepted public comments on the revised plans from July 23 through September 11, 2015. Comments were also accepted by Hennepin County and the cities along the alignment.
Community Town Hall Meeting on the Supplemental Environmental Assessment and Amended Draft Section 4(f) Evaluation
The Metropolitan Council hosted a community town hall meeting on the Southwest LRT Supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA) and Amended Draft Section 4(f) Evaluation on March 22, 2018 at Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis. This event provided an opportunity to learn about the impacts of changes in the design of the Southwest LRT Project since the completion of the Final Environmental Impact Statement in 2016, including the proposed construction of a freight rail corridor protection barrier in Minneapolis, and to give feedback.
The community town hall meeting materials are available as PDF documents:
Community Open Houses
Come to a community open house to learn about 2019 construction activities and what to expect. Metropolitan Council project staff will be on hand to answer questions. View open house flyer (PDF). Construction Information (PDF)
Open house: 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Presentation: 6:00 pm
ST. LOUIS PARK
Tuesday, July 16
St. Louis Park City Hall, Council Chambers 5005 Minnetonka Boulevard
Display Boards (PDF)
EDEN PRAIRIE
Thursday, July 18
Eden Prairie City Center, Heritage Room 8080 Mitchell Road
Display Boards (PDF)
MINNETONKA
Monday, July 22
Eagle Ridge Academy Cafeteria, 11111 Bren Road West
Display Boards (PDF)
HOPKINS
Thursday, July 25
Hopkins Depot, Railroad Room 9451 Excelsior Boulevard
Display Boards (PDF)
MINNEAPOLIS
Tuesday, July 23
Bryn Mawr Elementary School, Cafeteria 252 Upton Avenue South
Display Boards (PDF)
The City of Minneapolis hsoted a meeting about rail safety during Southwest LRT Construction. Residents received information from the Southwest LRT Project office, and the City's Fire and Emergency Management Division. There was a question and answer session with attendees after the presentation. This was a legislatively mandated meeting. The meeting call-in number and agenda can be found below. For questions regarding the meeting and agenda please contact Loren Olson, Government Relations Representative, at
loren.olson@minneapolismn.gov.
Answers to questions submitted by the community can be found
here
Wednesday, September 30
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
+1 612-276-6670 United States, Minneapolis (Toll)
Conference ID: 128 965 574#
Agenda
Presentations (7:00-7:50)
Welcome
Railroad Safety Protocols
Mark Wegner, President & CEO, Twin Cities Western Railroad Company
Emergency Response
John Fruetel, Fire Chief, Minneapolis Fire Department
Emergency Preparedness
Barret Lane, Director, Minneapolis Office of Emergency Management
Construction Safety
Jim Alexander, Project Director, Southwest LRT Project Office
Questions and Answer Period (7:50-8:30)