Minneapolis Station Area Planning Underway

July 23, 2010 

Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis are partnering to prepare strategic station area plans around the five proposed Minneapolis stations on the Southwest LRT line: Royalston, Van White, Penn, 21st Street, and West Lake.  Station area strategic plans will be based on previous land-use studies and will include platform locations, station access routes, land use concept plans, and an analysis of development opportunities within a half-mile radius of each station. 

The station area planning process is expected to be complete by the end of 2010 and will become the basis for proposals to the City of Minneapolis Planning Commission and City Council.  The plans will also be used to inform the next phase of the LRT project, Preliminary Engineering.  For more information and opportunities to get involved, see the Station Area Planning information page.

Metropolitan Council Approves Southwest LRT Locally Preferred Alternative

May 26, 2010

On May 26 the Metropolitan Council approved light rail on the 15-mile Southwest Corridor between downtown Minneapolis and Eden Prairie.  At the same time the Council approved the locally preferred alternative (LPA), it amended the region's 2030 Transportation Policy Plan to include LRT as the mode of choice in the corridor, making the project eligible for federal funding.

"I am pleased that Southwest LRT has reached this milestone and is transitioning to the Metropolitan Council," said Hennepin County Commissioner Gail Dorfman. "I am confident that Southwest LRT will be a strong candidate in the competition for federal dollars.  Light rail in the corridor will generate strong ridership, connect people with key destinations, and serve as a catalyst for economic development."

"World class cities have growing, vibrant transit systems," said Metropolitan Council Chair Peter Ball.  "The selection of the mode and alignment for this corridor is an important step forward.  It moves the project to the next level and continues the process of building out the region's rail corridor network."

Attend an Open House to Learn More About the Southwest LRT Project 

May 7, 2010

The Southwest LRT Open Houses will be a good time to hear about the current work as well as next steps on the Southwest LRT project.  The Open Houses will include information on the status of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement process; review of historic and cultural resources along the route alternatives; proposed next project phases; and upcoming station area planning for proposed LRT stations in Minneapolis.

Tuesday, May 18 11:30am - 1:00pm
Minneapolis Central Library
300 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN 55401 map

Wednesday, May 19 5:00pm - 7:00pm
SouthWest Metro Station
13500 Technology Drive Eden Prairie, MN 55344 map

Thursday, May 20 5:00pm - 7:00pm
St. Louis Park City Hall
5005 Minnetonka Boulevard St. Louis Park, MN 55416 map

Metropolitan Council Sets Public Hearing Dates for April 12 & April 15

March 2, 2010

The Metropolitan Council is holding a public hearing and taking public comments on amending the region's long-range Transportation Policy Plan (TPP) to include the Southwest LRT locally preferred alternative, referred to as LRT 3A or the Kenilworth-Opus-Golden Triangle alignment.  The Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority recommended LRT 3A as the locally preferred alternative (LPA) in November.

The public hearing will be held at 5 p.m. on April 12, 2010, at the Metropolitan Council offices at 390 Robert Street N. in St. Paul map.  A second public hearing will be held at 5 p.m. on April 15, 2010 at the Hopkins City Hall at 1010 1st Street South in Hopkins. For more information about the hearing process and schedule, click here.

Public comments can be made by email, mail, phone, or fax by following the steps on the Metropolitan Council's website.  The public comment period closes on April 22, 2010.

The Metropolitan Council is scheduled to formally amend the TPP at its meeting on May 26, 2010, completing the LPA selection process for the Southwest Transitway.
 

RFP Available: Southwest Station Area Planning-Minneapolis 

February 12, 2010

The Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA), in cooperation with the City of Minneapolis, is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of Strategic Plans for the five proposed Minneapolis stations along the proposed locally preferred alternative for the Southwest Light Rail Transit line: Royalston, Van White, Penn, 21st Street, and West Lake.  This work is considered to be part of the project development process not the environmental process for the Southwest LRT line.

Download the RFP here.
Download the Appendix to the RFP here.
Download maps of the Minneapolis station areas here.

Notice of intent to propose and questions about the study must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT), Wednesday, February 24, 2010. Please note that HCRRA will be conferring with Metropolitan Council staff before responding to questions.
Proposals must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT), Friday, March 12, 2010.  The HCRRA reserves the right to reject late responses.

Complete details regarding submission requirements are included within the Request for Proposal.

Metropolitan Council to take Action on Southwest Locally Preferred Alternative

January 8, 2010

In 2010 the Metropolitan Council will finalize the locally preferred alternative (LPA) selection process for the Southwest Transitway by amending the regional Transportation Policy Plan (TPP). 

The TPP amendment process will begin with a briefing on the Southwest Transitway to the Metropolitan Council Committee of the Whole on Wednesday, January 20.  Council members will have approximately one month to review background information on the Southwest Transitway before they meet again on Wednesday, February 24, to select the LPA, open the amendment to public comment, and set a public hearing on the amendment.

The public hearing is tentatively set for Monday, April 12, and the public comment period will end on Thursday, April 22.  The Council will meet on Wednesday, May 12, to formally amend the TPP, completing the LPA selection process for the Southwest Transitway

In sum:

• January 20, 2010 -- Metropolitan Council Committee of the Whole meeting: briefing on Southwest LRT project development and planning to date.
• February 24, 2010 -- Metropolitan Council Committee of the Whole meeting: LPA selection, public comment period open, public hearing set.
• April 12, 2010 -- Public Hearing on Transportation Policy Plan amendment (date is tentative).
• April 22, 2010 -- Public comment period closed.
• May 26, 2010 -- Metropolitan Council Committee of the Whole meeting: Transportation Policy Plan amended to include the Southwest Transitway LPA.

Meeting times and locations can be found on the Metropolitan Council’s website.

Questions on the TPP amendment process can be directed to the Metropolitan Council at 651-602-1000. www.metrocouncil.org

Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority Recommends Southwest LRT 3A

November 4, 2009

The Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA) voted on the Southwest Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project’s Locally Preferred Alternative on Tuesday, November 3, 2009. The HCRRA unanimously voted to recommend LRT 3A to the Metropolitan Council for inclusion in its 2030 Transportation Plan.  The agenda, minutes, and video from the meeting are available here.

Southwest Policy Advisory Committee Recommends LRT 3A

October 14, 2009

On October 14, 2009, the Southwest Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) voted to accept the Technical Advisory Committee’s recommendation that LRT 3A be identified as the locally preferred alternative (LPA) for the Southwest LRT project, and that this recommendation be forwarded to the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority. Click here for the PAC Resolution Recommending the LPA for the Southwest Light Rail Line.

Southwest LRT Project Receives $5 million in state bonding

September, 2009

The Southwest Light Rail Transit (LRT) project is slated to receive $5 million in state bonding allocated by the Metropolitan Council for transit improvement.  The bonding is necessary for environmental and preliminary engineering work, allowing the project to move forward for federal New Starts funding.

Southwest LRT Public Hearing October 20, 2009

October 8, 2009

The Southwest Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) is expected to make a recommendation on the locally preferred alternative at their October 14 meeting.
The PAC will consider the recommendation of the Technical Advisory Committee, as well as the comments and concerns raised at the September 17 public
hearing, (click here for a transcript of the hearing) and additional input from residents, neighborhood associations, cities, and community organizations.
The PAC recommendation will be passed on to the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA), who will hold a public hearing:
     Tuesday, October 20 at 4:00 pm
     A-2400 Hennepin County Government Center
     300 South 6th Street Minneapolis, MN 55415 map
To sign up to testify email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; sign up will also be available at the hearing. Comments will be limited to three minutes in length.