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.

The Green Line Extension is bringing more housing to communities that provide people flexible housing options and more affordable housing. In 2022, developers built 3,300 new residences along the Green Line Extension transitway and since 2014, over 8,120 new residences have been added. 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. Nearly 25% of residences added since 2014 are affordable housing, expanding housing options and access for our community members.

Businesses have the opportunity to grow.

Over $931 million in commercial development has already brought businesses to the Green Line Extension transitway, helping local businesses thrive and providing more options for shopping, eating, lodging, and more. An additional $50 million in planned development will continue to build on this and further enrich our already vibrant communities.

Communities invest in amenities and connections where we build transit.
$44 million is planned for schools, churches, and other community spaces and amenities along the Green Line Extension. That investment will connect residents to more parks, green spaces, walking and biking paths, public facilities, and more.

We're creating jobs.

Industrial development brings jobs. $20 million in planned industrial development will bring more job options for communities on the Green Line Extension and boost local economies. This is already happening, with just over $69 million already invested in industrial development along the transitway.

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 from the 2023 development trends report. 2024 data will be available soon. Market forces will impact when developments open. For more information, view the full development trends report or contact the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) office at [email protected].