Advisory body of elected officials, community reps endorse proposed route for further stud

The Blue Line Extension Corridor Management Committee signaled their support for advancing the analysis of the staff-recommended light rail track route and general station locations for the Blue Line Extension LRT Project.

The advisory body of elected officials and nonelected community representatives passed a resolution Sept. 14 in support of the Metropolitan Council and Hennepin County continuing to advance the track route and stations through the federal environmental review process.

The route will be further studied through preparation of a document known as the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. This further analysis will bring a more detailed understanding of the potential opportunities and impacts of the route through additional engineering, design, community engagement and environmental evaluation.

"This is a big milestone for the project. Now that we have a better idea of where our tracks could go to best serve the community and general station locations to study, we will be able to develop enough detail to answer questions about how the project will benefit residents and businesses. We will also be able to address how to avoid or address impacts during construction and from train operations,” Project Director Christine Beckwith said.

Continued commitment to community prosperity

The resolution includes a strong continued commitment by project partners and stakeholders to continue working together to advance robust strategies for building community prosperity and avoiding displacement. The goal is to maximize benefits of this generational investment to current corridor residents, businesses, and organizations.

The proposed track route and stations

First introduced at the August Corridor Management Committee meeting, the proposed track route extends the existing METRO Blue Line 13.4 miles northwest from Target Field Station connecting north Minneapolis, Robbinsdale, Crystal and Brooklyn Park and serving surrounding communities. From north to south, the general route and 12 station locations are:

Brooklyn Park

  • West Broadway Avenue to County Road 81, with stations at:
    • Oak Grove Parkway
    • 93rd Avenue North
    • 85th Avenue North
    • Brooklyn Boulevard
    • 63rd Avenue North

Crystal

  • County Road 81 with a station at:
    • Bass Lake Road

Robbinsdale

  • County Road 81 with stations near:
    • 40th Avenue North
    • Lowry Avenue

Minneapolis

  • West Broadway Avenue in north Minneapolis with a station at:
    • Penn Avenue
  • 21st Avenue North between North James Avenue and Washington Avenue North, with stations near:
    • James Avenue North
    • Lyndale Avenue North
  • Washington Avenue to 10thAvenue North with a station near:
    • Plymouth Avenue
  • Oak Lake Avenue to 7thStreet North, connecting to:
    • Target Field Station in downtown Minneapolis

What the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement will study

The Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement will identify potential project impacts associated with the proposed route. These include business and transportation impacts, impacts to historic properties, land use changes and parks, visual impacts, safety, impacts to soils, water and geological resources, noise, and vibration.

Project staff are preparing the document for submittal to the Federal Transit Administration and will continue to evaluate location and number of stations, considering the project principles and federal rating criteria.


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