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Community members react to Blue Line Extension update
Community members are reacting to the Metro Transit Blue Line Extension. FOX 9's Soyoung Kim has more.
(FOX 9) - Metropolitan Council and Hennepin County officials held the first community meeting since the higher budget for the Blue Line Light Rail Extension project was announced.
There are mixed reactions to the project and the ballooning price tag.
Ongoing debate
The backstory:
A proposed 13-mile Blue Line extension would connect downtown Minneapolis to communities up to Brooklyn Park.
The council said the 2024 estimate closer to $3.2 billion was based on a design that was only 30% finished, but the new estimate comes with the design now 90% complete.
This possibility has been discussed and debated for years. The Metropolitan Council says roughly $290 million has been spent on planning and design so far.
What we know:
The Metropolitan Council announced the Blue Line extension is now estimated to cost $3.58 billion.
The estimate also includes a contingency fund set at 32% of the total to cover "ongoing economic volatility and uncertainty."
Dig deeper:
The Met Council released a technical study, required by the Minnesota Legislature, comparing bus rapid transit (BRT) and light rail options. The study found a BRT line could be built and operated for less money and would offer more flexibility, but a light rail line could provide a "one-seat ride" with no transfers.
One BRT option where the line uses mostly existing streets and shares lanes with other traffic is estimated to cost roughly $120 million.
Minnesota House Transportation co-chair Jon Koznick says he would like to explore some of these other ways to invest in the communities impacted.
"I think we can provide the residents in the corridor better transit options sooner and for less money and I think that’s the route that we should go," said Rep. Koznick, R-Lakeville.
What they're saying:
Community members and local leaders who were at the engagement meeting held at the Crystal Community Center Thursday had mixed perspectives on whether the higher price tag for the light rail extension would be worth it.
"They decided to reroute it through the North Loop right near my home. It will be right outside my condo building. So, there are 30 homeowners who will be living 26 feet away from the tracks and the trains. So, we’re very engaged and very concerned about our 100-year-old historic building," said Matt Bruns, who lives in Minneapolis.
"I wish the Twin Cities had more mass transit. I’m excited for the project. It’s one of the reasons my wife and I moved to Crystal was we knew that there was a light rail line coming through at some point," said David Cummings, Ward 4 Crystal City council member.
The other side:
The Met Council sent FOX 9 a statement regarding the latest updates.
"The increase in budget is a combination of project scope changes and additional contingency. The completion of this Risk Assessment is a significant milestone and means that as soon as the remaining local contributions are identified, the project is eligible to apply for a Full Funding Grant Agreement. The Metropolitan Council is working with Hennepin County to advance the project. We will remain transparent with partners and communities throughout this process."
Hennepin County sent FOX 9 a statement.
"Completing the Blue Line Extension will connect tens of thousands of residents who rely on transit to get to work, go to school, and access healthcare. It will drive economic investment and new housing construction that will decrease property taxes for residents. It will create thousands of good paying jobs for Minnesotans.
This study clearly shows light rail is the right choice for this corridor. Bus alternatives have been evaluated many times throughout this project’s history, and each time technical analysis and community input confirms that light rail is the right choice."
What's next:
The Met Council says that if a federal funding agreement is applied for and approved in the next six months, construction could begin in late 2027, with service starting in 2033.
Funding would need to come from both federal and local sources.