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 (AP) - Minnesota transportation officials should
know by this fall whether $156 million in federal money for the
Northstar commuter rail line will come through.

      U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said Tuesday that
Minnesota should be confident that the money will materialize.

      She got an up-close look at the early phase of construction
during a visit to downtown Minneapolis. What she saw "makes us
confident we will get over the finish line this fall," she said.

      She added, "We're not going to let a project that is designed
to get commuters moving get stuck in some kind of bureaucratic
backup."

Northstar planners briefed Peters on the project while standing
on a bridge that was slated to be partially torn down later
Tuesday. In its place, there will be tracks connecting the 11-mile
Hiawatha light-rail line with the Northstar hub, meaning riders
will eventually be able to take trains from beyond the northern
suburbs to the Mall of America and the Minneapolis-St. Paul
International airport.

      The $320 million Northstar project will run 40 miles between
Minneapolis and Big Lake. 

Gov. Tim Pawlenty acknowledged the state
was going out on a limb by beginning construction without the
federal commitment, but he said it shows that state and local
leaders feel good about their chances.

      "It's a bit of a risk," Pawlenty said. "But we're pretty
confident we're going to get this full-funding agreement. If you
wait until everything is guaranteed, you don't do anything."

Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin said local
governments -- Anoka, Sherburne and Hennepin counties -- are the ones
bearing the risk because their dollars are being tapped first. He
said the state money won't be released until federal dollars are
authorized.

The Northstar line is in competition with about a dozen other
rail projects currently under consideration.

      If all goes well, Northstar trains will begin running in
November 2009. The 40-mile rail line will have stations in Big
Lake, Elk River, Anoka, Coon Rapids and Minneapolis. There has been
talk about eventually extending that line to St. Cloud as project
boosters originally wanted.

      Legislative Democrats said Pawlenty's vetoes of recent
transportation packages have caused the state to fall behind on
mass transit.

      "Cutting ribbons on projects like this is nice, but the
governor needs to look forward to get our state moving on transit
and not continue to repeat his mistakes," Sen. Scott Dibble,
DFL-Minneapolis, said in a news release.

      Minnesota could soon be chasing more federal money for another
rail project.

      Next year, state lawmakers will consider whether to put state
dollars toward a light rail line linking Minneapolis and St. Paul
through the so-called Central Corridor.

      The pricetag currently sits at $932 million and the hope is that
half of it will come from the federal government.

      A borrowing bill Pawlenty vetoed this spring contained $40
million for the Central Corridor project. 

Metropolitan Council
Chairman Peter Bell said he expects to press a state funding
request next year that is much larger; he said the federal request
will come years down the road.

Gallery

Northstar commuter rail line project clears federal hurdle

Northstar commuter rail reaches major milestone

Business and Economic News

Politics and Government News

Brian Bakst, Associated Press

Author

U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said in Minnesota Tuesday she's confident that $156 million in federal money for the Northstar commuter rail line will come through.

Feds will decide on funding for Northstar line by this fall

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