Blue Line Extension Preliminary Design Plans Approved
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
A rendering of what the station area in Robbinsdale could look like. This and other designs are 30 percent complete.
Image and caption courtesy of Met Council
MINNEAPOLIS - The Metropolitan Council announced the cities of Minneapolis, Robbinsdale, Cry. star, and Hennepin County have approved Preliminary Design Plans for the Blue Line Extension.
According to the release, 33 of the 38 elected officials voted to approve in September. Metropolitan Council Chair Charlie Zelle said, “We are pleased our city and county partners have confirmed we’re on the right track and ready to move forward together. . . This is an important investment in our regional transit vision that will improve people’s lives and make our communities prosperous for generations to come.”
The municipal consent allows cities to review early drafts of the design plans. These plans include designs for station locations, track placement, and major structures “with just about 30% of the design work completed.”
Project staff have committed to “several key changes.” These include constructing a 13th station in Minneapolis located at the corner of Washington and West Broadway avenues at the same time as the rest of the project. Previously, this station was to be built at a future date. Additionally, the Downtown Robbinsdale station was moved to the north side of 40th Avenue on Bottineau Boulevard as opposed to being planned for the south side of the intersection.
“The Blue Line Extension is a historic investment in communities that have been historically underinvested in,” said Hennepin County Board Chair Irene Fernando. “This project is about our future and the type of community we want to build together. It’s important that we get it right. There’s still a lot of work to do.
The 60% design plans are scheduled to be published for feedback sometime next year. Some resolutions priorities as the project moves forward include:
- “Continued analysis and refinement of the Lowry Avenue station
- “Pedestrian and bicycle amenities, connections, and safety
- “Specific anti-displacement measures and commitments
- “Public utility coordination
- “Operations and maintenance agreements”
