Met Council to vote today on light rail route

ST. PAUL (AP) - The Central Corridor light rail line faces a crucial vote Wednesday.

All the local governments involved are on board for the proposed route for the roughly $900 million light-rail line between St. Paul and Minneapolis.

But the University of Minnesota still opposes routing it through the Minneapolis campus along Washington Avenue. It's insisting on a detour along the northern edge of campus through Dinkytown.

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After giving the university a one-week reprieve last week, Metropolitan Council Chairman Peter Bell says a vote of a key advisory panel will be taken around 1 p.m. Later in the afternoon, the full Met Council will vote.

Bell has scheduled a personal pitch beforehand to leaders of the Board of Regents. He says he's not optimistic that he'll sway them.

One issue being raised by the university's opposition is whether the Dinkytown route would hurt the project's chances for federal funding.

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