Alignment and Stations

What does "community supported alignment" mean?

A community supported alignment means an alternative that:

• Best meets the Project Principles and Goals
• Is grounded in community feedback through collaboration with stakeholders
• Has support of Project corridor communities and decision-makers

Who has the final decision on the alignment?

• Hennepin County and Met Council will seek support from project advisory committees through the decision-making process. Ultimately, major project decisions are voted on by the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners and the Metropolitan Council. The final decision will be based on community input received through engagement activities and advisory committees.

What role do local municipalities have on stations and alignment?

• When there is a new LRT alignment or station within a community, the Met Council will seek Municipal Consent. The Municipal Consent process is written in State law, Minn. § Stat. 473.3994, requires a process of local review and approval of the physical design component, including the general dimensions and location of the light rail route and station locations. During this process, the public can also review the plans and provide comments directly to local governments or to the Metropolitan Council.
• The Met Council, Hennepin County, the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA), and the cities along the LRT route are required to hold public hearings and receive comments on the Municipal Consent Plans. Hennepin County and the cities are required to review and approve or disapprove the Plans based on specific technical comments. If the governing body seeks to disapprove the Municipal Consent Plans, it must describe specific amendments to the Plans that, if adopted by the Met Council, would cause the governing body to withdraw its disapproval.

How and when are station locations decided?

• The project team is working with the corridor cities and communities to identify and evaluate potential station study areas as options for station locations. Part of the public engagement process this summer will include gathering feedback on the potential station study areas.

How does the process narrow down and eventually choose the preferred routes?

• The project team develops, reviews, and refines route options and technical work based on input from the community, other government agencies, and public advisory groups like the community and business advisory committees. As the designs are refined through this process, the preferred route generally advances. The less desirable route becomes uncompetitive as measured against the project principles, project goals and objectives, community input and evaluation criteria.

Is the project team considering elevated track or tunnels on West Broadway?

• The project team is considering multiple options for fitting the light rail within the existing road space, including elevated track, but this is general considered as last choice options to solve specific problems such as significant property impacts that cannot be solved with street level options. A tunnel options would also likely be cost prohibitive and have detrimental and unavoidable construction impacts.

Are you considering BRT instead?

• No, this is a light rail project. LRT was selected for the Blue Line Extension and not BRT because:
  1. The ridership levels were high enough to justify the investment of building an LRT line.
  2. It is preferred by the community.
  3. The proposed service is an extension of the existing Blue Line LRT.
  4. LRT will bring significant opportunities for community and economic development along the alignment that would not likely be realized with a BRT design.

Where will park and rides be located?

• It is early in the project development process and no park and ride locations have been identified yet; however, it is likely new ridership would justify the need for park and rides at several locations including the existing Metro facility at 63^rd Avenue. As part of future planning, there will be a technical process, including ridership modeling to see where park and rides might be desired.

Why is Olson Memorial Hwy not being considered for LRT?

• In order to use Olson Memorial Highway, the route would also need a new north south connection because the BNSF railroad corridor is no longer viable. Emerson Avenue, Fremont Avenue, and Penn Avenue are all relatively narrow which would make building light rail very disruptive to the surrounding community and would likely require purchasing and demolishing a significant amount of commercial and residential property. In addition, those roads currently (or are planned to) accommodate METRO transit arterial BRT.

Funding

With ridership down and telecommuting seemingly here to stay, is this infrastructure investment financially justifiable?

• It is expected that a robust transit system, providing choice for people will continue to be needed into the future. We are already seeing transit demand increasing as more people return to work and new travel patterns emerge. The METRO system also accommodates workers and others traveling throughout the day with less traditional schedules. Light rail is a 100-year investment, and fast, reliable transit service will continue to be essential for thriving, equitable urban areas long into the future, even if transit ridership numbers take some time to return to pre-pandemic levels.

Has data regarding expected ridership been re-evaluated considering the pandemic? If so, how is ridership expected to change?

• The project team has not run a new ridership model since the pandemic. This will be done following the narrowing of possible route options. Based on the gradual return of transit usage in the region and the growing corridor area we expect that projected ridership will remain high.

How does funding work? What is the project cost/how do we keep project costs low?

• The previous project was a $1.53-billion-dollar project. It was funded over 50% by local sources, including Hennepin County, the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority and corridor cities. If the project had moved forward, it was expected it would receive a federal match for the remaining costs. The project costs will need to be recalculated for the new alignment; however, the plan moving forward is to use the same funding model with a combination of local and federal funding. Project costs are managed through “project controls” which is a series of processes aimed at reviewing costs at key design milestones to ensure the approach is consistent with keeping the project cost competitive in the New Starts program (the federal transit funding source for light rail). One example of a project control process is Value Engineering which brings in a group of outside experts to review the project design up to that point and offer critiques and/or suggestions for alternate ways to accomplish the same function in a more cost-effective way.

Displacement and Investments

How is the BLRT team working in conjunction with local economic development plans for corridor cities?

• The project team works closely with the planning and economic development staff from corridor cities to understand and support existing, proposed, and possible land use plans along the alignment.

How will you prevent displacement?

• To minimize displacement and address gentrification, the project team is forming an Anti-Displacement Working Group. This group will consist of project partner staff, subject matter experts in housing, finances, non-profit programs, and community representatives. The group will be led by a community-based individual or organization. The group’s goal will be to recommend implementable policies and programs to address displacement. Learn more at www.hennepin.us/blrt-anti-displacement.

Who will benefit from this light rail project? Is there data to show the benefits of light rail?

• Many groups are expected to benefit from the project, some directly and others indirectly. Direct beneficiaries would include transit riders who find the Blue Line a better, cheaper and/or faster form of transportation than currently available options. Public and private economic investment is also likely to occur before, during, and after construction of the project. These economic investments will directly or indirectly benefit residents and businesses with new housing, commercial, and retail offerings. According to University of Minnesota data/research, property values generally increase around light rail which can also benefit those property owners. By implementing specific polices and strategies, we can ensure these investments, increasing value, new housing and commercial development is affordable and supports community visions and priorities.

Can you give examples of the investment that followed similar projects? Did these investments benefit the community, and if so, how?

• Along both the Blue Line (Hiawatha) and the Green Line (Central Corridor) billions of dollars of public and private investment were made during and after the LRT lines opened. Housing development is open and /or under construction adjacent to most of the LRT station areas along University Avenue. In many cases these investments benefited the community by replacing vacant or underutilized parcels and building new housing opportunities for the community.

Environmental concerns

What are the impacts to traffic if a lane is removed to accommodate LRT?

• In some areas the existing right-of-way can accommodate the LRT guideway without expanding the road or removing travel lanes. In other areas, the project team will be looking at converting some travel lanes to LRT guideway. Lane widths, location, and number of turn lanes and other design elements will be used to maintain sufficient traffic flow. Additionally, signal timing and turning movements at signalized intersections will be analyzed and adjusted to minimize delay.

How will businesses/residences be impacted? Will eminent domain be used?

• Impacts to property along the alignment will vary. In some cases, partial property acquisition may be necessary to accommodate the design of LRT and/or construction activities. In all cases, partners would work closely with individual property owners. Impacts to property values after LRT is constructed will vary based on the direct impacts to access, proximity to stations and local zoning changes.
  1. Green Link along Lyndale – access would be maintained.
  2. W. Broadway in Brooklyn Park – plan is to reconstruct all of W. Broadway. Plans for that area are complete and right-of-way acquisition has already occurred.
  3. Co. Rd. 81 – the design is still in progress, eminent domain may be used as a tool to support transit development

What is the noise level of the train? How far does it carry?

• As a fully electric vehicle the LRT trains are quiet. Most of the noise generated by the LRT system comes from the bells on the trains as they operate through intersections and at stations. In most cases noise from the LRT system blends in with background traffic noise.
• A formal noise analysis will be required as part of the environmental review process required by the Federal Transit Administration. The noise analysis will determine noise impacts and recommend mitigation measures to properties along the LRT route.

What is the next step for the environmental review process?

• After project sponsors present a community supported alignment to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), they will give us guidance on the environmental review process necessary to advance the project. We are projecting that we will be conducting the environmental review in 2022.

How will this project avoid having a negative visual impact? Will replacing greenery be part of this project? If so, what will it look like?

• The project team will work with partners including downtown businesses, chambers of commerce, neighborhoods and other community groups to develop a streetscaping plan to accommodate the LRT. This may include streetscape elements like landscaping, lighting, street furniture, etc. to blend LRT into the community.

Operation

What is the expected frequency of the trains? Will it vary depending on time of day? (non-rush hours vs. rush hours)

• The proposed service frequency is expected to follow that of the existing Blue Line which is currently service every 10 or 15 minutes during most of the day. The service frequency decreases in early morning or late-night hours.

What are the proposed hours of operation? Will light rail run at night?

• The proposed hours of operation are expected to follow those of the existing Blue Line which is currently 4:00 AM to 1:00 AM. This does include nighttime operation but no service between 1:00 and 4:00 AM.

What is the logistics of BLRT operations? How will BLRT connect with existing service?

• As the project develops, connections from LRT to local bus routes will be reviewed to maximize connections.
• The route would operate much like the existing Blue Line does today.

Accessibility

1. Can you address accessibility for those using wheelchairs, walkers or with limited mobility?
   • The Blue Line Extension LRT project is proposing to utilize federal transportation dollars for construction. As such we are required to meet federal ADA guidelines in project design and construction. Both the Met Council and Hennepin County are committed to building a project to accommodate all users. All project elements will be designed with accessibility as a principle. Met Council has and will continue to work with the Transportation Accessibility Advisory Committee on design review and input.

Previous FAQs from March 2021

What happened to the prior alignment?

• After several years of unsuccessful discussions with the freight railroad, it was time to move the project forward without using freight rail property.
• One of the Project Principles approved by the CMC in December was to maintain as much of the existing alignment as possible. To that end, the current route along West Broadway in Brooklyn Park is likely to be preserved as it does not require use of BNSF Railway right-of-way. The section of the corridor in Brooklyn Park, Crystal and Robbinsdale that previously used the BNSF Railway right-of-way is proposed to shift to Bottineau Boulevard (County Road 81). The section of the corridor from Robbinsdale to the Target Field Station in Minneapolis is where the greatest deviation from the prior alignment exists, and where multiple routes are under consideration.

Why could an agreement not be reached with BNSF or eminent domain used?

• The BNSF Railway is a private company with property rights that supersede state eminent domain authority. Significant effort and resources, including offering to purchase the corridor, were taken at the local, regional, state, and federal level to advance required approvals by BNSF Railway. After several years of unsuccessful discussions, it was time to move the project forward without using freight rail property.

Travel patterns have changed a lot with the pandemic, do we still need this type of transit investment?

• In 2020 Metro Transit saw a 53% decline in ridership. The pace of the vaccine may determine the pace of ridership return in 2021.
• Transit remains important and will continue to be needed at both a local and regional level to improve accessibility for business needs and the traveling public, while improving equity and achieving environmental goals.

Why did you pick these routes?

• The Metropolitan Council and Hennepin County are committed to identifying routes that equitably serve people and provide access to important destinations.
• These routes were identified because they have characteristics that would make them good candidates for a light rail alignment including overall width and surrounding land uses.

Are these all the route options?

• These are the project team recommended routes for consideration, but the project is seeking suggestions, comments, and input regarding these options.

Are we supposed to vote on our favorite path and how do I do that?

• The final route [called the Locally Preferred Alternative] will be determined by the Advisory Committee Decision-Making Process which relies heavily on public input. Please feel free to visit BlueLineExt.org to view our interactive map, provide comments, take a survey, or connect with project staff.

When will the preferred route be decided?

• The goal by the end of the year is to have a community-supported route to advance to environmental review and design.

Who decides?

• The Met Council in partnership with Hennepin County through the Advisory Committee Decision-Making Process, which includes the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), Business Advisor (BAC), and Corridor Management Committee (CMC).

How does my input influence the process?

• Your input will be sought multiple times through the process. At this stage we are looking for validation on what’s resonating with the community and any opportunities that can be incorporated into the technical process.

Why were roads like Penn Avenue, Freemont Avenue or Emerson Avenue not represented as possible routes?

• These roadway corridors are relatively narrow which would make implementation of light rail more disruptive to the surrounding community. In addition, these corridors already accommodate valuable METRO transit services through the planned D-Line and existing C-line arterial BRT.

Why was Highway 100 not considered as a possible route?

• Although the Highway 100 corridor is relatively wide, it does not have the appropriate land use context for light rail. It also deviates rather far from the original alignment intent.

Why was Lyndale Avenue not considered as a route to get all the way to the Lowry Route?

• North of West Broadway Ave, Lyndale Ave transitions to a two-lane roadway without much room to accommodate light rail, with houses that closely front the roadway. This would make implementation of light rail more disruptive to the surrounding neighborhood.

With this new direction for the project, when do we expect the light rail would actually start operating?

• No projected opening date has yet been forecasted. There will be a minimum of 5 to 7 years before opening day.
• The process to modify the route will require multiple years of environmental review and design, followed by construction.

Is there a chance that the project could fail again?

• There is a high probability of success, however, these complex projects carry significant risk.

How might the various route options effect existing homes and businesses?

• One of the Project Principles is to minimize residential, commercial, and environmental impacts. The project’s intent is to work within existing available public rights of way as much as possible to avoid direct impacts to homes and businesses.