Green rail lines with icons of people in a meeting and person sitting by a tree. Text says: "Connecting Communities"

METRO GREEN LINE EXTENSION

The METRO Green Line Extension is strengthening our communities and will make our region more connected

The METRO Green Line Extension will connect to the current 11-mile Green Line and add 14.5 miles of people, communities, businesses, jobs, and more to the existing line. The Metropolitan Council is working closely with the cities of Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, and Edina to connect and enhance our communities along the Green Line Extension. The Green Line Extension has already brought value to our region and will continue to strengthen and connect our communities.

History of the METRO Green Line Extension

The METRO Green Line Extension began construction in 2019, but the project has been in process since the late 1980s, when Hennepin County identified the transitway as a future light rail corridor. Studies regarding potential routes for the line began in the early 2000s.

The METRO Green Line Extension is already adding value to our communities, bringing growth and enriching the lives of our community members, even in this pre-service phase. When the Green Line Extension is operational, it will connect thousands of metro residents to bustling communities, more job opportunities, green spaces, and more.

What is happening on the Green Line Extension?

We're connecting communities.

Since the project began, billions of dollars have been invested in building homes, workplaces, business and communities along the future Green Line Extension route. The Green Line Extension will connect Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie. St. Paul will also be connected to these communities through the current METRO Green Line.

With only one connecting transit ride, residents on the Green Line Extension can reach Bloomington, Richfield, Burnsville, Roseville, Brooklyn Center, Maplewood, Landfall, Oakdale, and Woodbury. Each of these communities will be more connected to homes, jobs, green spaces, and communities when the Green Line Extension starts providing service.

Homes are being built.

Through 2023, communities have permitted 9,300 residential units along the Green Line Extension, worth more than $1.8 billion. This is just the beginning.

Housing can be expensive, and community members feel the strain of unaffordable housing. The Green Line Extension helps address this issue. About 23% of residences added since 2014 are affordable housing, expanding housing options and access for our community members.

Businesses have the opportunity to grow.

More than $960 million in permitted commercial development has already brought businesses near the Green Line Extension transitway, helping local businesses thrive and providing more options for shopping, eating, lodging, and more.

Communities invest in amenities and connections where we build transit.

From 2014 through 2023, communities have permitted more than $240 million for schools, churches, and other community spaces and amenities along the Green Line. That investment will connect residents to more parks, green spaces, walking and biking paths, public facilities, and more.

We're creating jobs.

Industrial development along the Green Line will bring jobs to the area, with nearly $70 million invested in industrial facilities, factories, and more.

The Metropolitan Council’s Green Line Extension project is already enriching communities. Both the current Green and Blue lines, despite being in operation for over a decade, are still attracting homes, businesses, jobs, and more to the areas they serve. The Green Line Extension is an investment in our communities that will help them thrive for decades to come. Learn more about the Green Line Extension project.

Notes: Information based on data for the 2024 development trends report, which will be published soon. Market forces will impact when developments open. For more information, view the reports released by the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) office, or contact them at [email protected].