Minneapolis approves Southwest LRT

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
image description

The Minneapolis City Council granted the Southwest light-rail transit project municipal consent, allowing the Metropolitan Council to seek approval from the federal government to enter Final Engineering. Hennepin County and the cities of Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Hopkins and St. Louis Park all provided municipal consent to the project previously.

 

“The Southwest LRT, which will serve one of the most jobs-rich corridors in the state, will be a key addition to our regional economy when it opens,” said Metropolitan Council Chair Susan Haigh. “The corridor is currently home to more than 210,000 jobs and projected to grow by another 60,000 jobs by 2030. This line will be a smart, cost-effective addition to our 21st century transit system. It will efficiently and quickly move people to and from work, home and school along what is today a very congested corridor, in addition to connecting people to St. Paul and Bloomington via our existing light rail lines.”

The Southwest LRT Project will operate from downtown Minneapolis through the communities of St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie, passing in close proximity to the city of Edina. The proposed alignment is primarily at-grade and includes 17 new stations and about 15.8-miles of double track.

 

Tags: