The METRO Blue Line Extension officially has a new route after the Hennepin County Board and Metropolitan Council voted to adopt the revised route modification last week. This allows project leaders to move forward on the project by continuing environmental, design, engineering, and anti-displacement activities in preparation for the eventual full funding grant agreement application to the Federal Transit Administration.
The route was approved after more than 18-months of robust community engagement where project staff participated in hundreds of community meetings, virtual open houses, and thousands of face-to-face community interactions. Feedback received guided decision making through the route selection process. As the project moves into this next phase, project staff will continue to solicit feedback and communicate with the community to ensure the project delivers maximum benefit.
As the project moves forward to construction in 2025, the project anti-displacement efforts will continue. The Anti-displacement Workgroup led by the Metropolitan Council and Hennepin County and facilitated by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs has been meeting to discuss actionable policies to minimize the potential displacement that may occur due to the project.
For more information, visit the Metropolitan Council website.