> Transportation

Southwest Corridor 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.

On May 26, 2010, the project took an important step forward when 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.

Next, the Council will submit a New Starts application to the Federal Transit Administration to enter Preliminary Engineering.

See a November 2009 article about the Southwest Corridor project.

About the Project

• Project facts
• Project timeline
• Project contacts
• Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Hennepin County website)

 

Council’s transitway vision

• 2030 Transportation Policy Plan

• 2030 Transitways map and summary (pdf)