Blue Line extension clears hurdle
The proposed METRO Blue Line extension has cleared a key hurdle.
The Federal Transit Administration has given the project approval to begin design work.
The 13-mile light rail project would extend service from downtown Minneapolis though Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, Crystal and Brooklyn Park.
Metropolitan Council Chair Sue Haigh said the federal support is "a big milestone" for the project.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
"And with that approval comes a belief by our federal partner that this is a competitive, viable project and that it's eligible for federal funding," she said.
She said the Blue Line will give riders more employment options.
"It is a cooridor that is served by many low-income people. And so it will provide them with better access both into Minneapolis and then up out to Brooklyn Park for jobs as well."
The Blue Line project will also require engineering and funding approvals from the federal government. If those agreements are reached, Haigh said the Federal Transit Authority will pay for 50 percent of the project's nearly $1 billion price tag.