Southwest LRT advisory committee recommends ending project at Southwest Station

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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Metropolitan Council

The Corridor Management Committee, which advises the Twin Cities Metropolitan Council on all issues related to the design and construction of the Southwest Light-Rail project, has made recommendations that reduces the scope and cost of the project.

The committee recommended ending the line at Southwest Station, defer construction of Town Center Station and eliminate Mitchell Road Station to save nearly $250 million. The new project estimate would be $1.744 billion.

The Metropolitan Council says the recommendation preserves a majority of project elements and a projected average weekday ridership of 34,000 in 2040, resulting in a cost-effective and federally competitive project that retains the benefits of the original project.

In April, an analysis of the project showed costs were $341 million above the original budget. The committee’s recommendation still leaves the project nearly $100 million over budget.

Saying they view the project as a shared investment, committee members said they would make their best efforts to obtain commitments from their respective jurisdictions for funding the local share of costs above the previously approved cost estimate of $1.653 billion. They agreed to do this by July 31, consistent with federal and state obligations.

“I hope this sends a strong message to the public and to the legislature that we’re really serious about this project. It’s important to the region and we need to fund transit not just for this project, but system wide for expanding and enhancing the transit system here in the Twin Cities,” Metropolitan Council Chair Adam Duininck said.

To help cover the increase from the previously approved $1.653 billion cost estimate to the new recommended $1.744 billion estimate, Hennepin County leaders say they will consider a funding package worth about $38 million. Of that amount, $30 million would be a contribution of land, which is already part of the project. It is expected to leverage an additional $30 million in Federal Transit Administration contributions.

The Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Hopkins and St. Louis Park members of the Corridor Management Committee agreed to seek other sources to close the funding gap.

Metropolitan Council will meet July 8 to vote on the revised project scope and budget.

 

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