A planned extension of the Metro Blue Line north from Minneapolis depended on eight miles of BNSF track.
"A long-planned light rail line from Minneapolis to the northern suburbs has hit a big road block after the $1.5 billion blue line project lost a major partner," reports Pat Kessler.
The project in question is the Blue Line, also known as the Bottineau Blue Line, that would connect downtown Minneapolis to suburban communities to the north.
The partner in question is the BNSF railroad. "The project would share eight of its 13-mile route with BNSF Railroad, and the two sides need to agree on how to fit passenger and freight trains side by side in the same corridor," explains Kessler, but BNSF says there are too many downsides to continue planning the project.
The debacle with BNSF has enabled critics of the project planning. "Republican House Transportation Chairman Paul Torkelson says Blue Line planners 'messed up' the route selection, putting in jeopardy the entire project," according to Kessler.
FULL STORY: BNSF Backs Out Of Blue Line Extension, Leaving Project In Limbo
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research