Southwest LRT Project
Alternatives for improved transit in the Southwest Corridor have been under study since the mid-1980s. In November 2009, the Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority (HCRRA) recommended construction of a 14-mile light-rail transit (LRT) line between Eden Prairie and downtown Minneapolis. It would connect near Target Field with the Hiawatha and Central LRT lines, as well as the Northstar commuter rail line. As currently proposed, the $1.25 billion line would have 17 new stations.
On May 26, 2010, the Council selected the "locally preferred alternative" of light rail along the recommended Kenilworth-Opus-Golden Triangle alignment. At the same time, the Council amended the 2030 Transportation Policy Plan (TPP) to include rail along the corridor, making the project eligible for federal funding. See a June 2010 newsletter article: Southwest Corridor will be light rail, Council decides.
On Sept. 2, 2011, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) gave the go-ahead to enter Preliminary Engineering (PE). The Council and project partners will finalize plans for station placement and design, refine the estimates of project costs, benefits and impacts, finalize management plans, and identify and fully commit local funding sources. The PE process will take about two years and complete about 30 percent of the design work. See a Sept. 2 news release about the FTA's approval.
About the Southwest LRT Project
- Project facts
- Timeline
- Process and contacts
- Partners
- Meetings, minutes and agendas
- Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Hennepin County website)