One of the most heavily-contested transit projects in the United States, the Southwest light rail line in the metropolitan Twin Cities area, is encountering increased levels of political opposition.
"The planned Southwest light rail line from downtown Minneapolis to Eden Prairie has run into a major hurdles at the state Capitol, with Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislators backing away from the project," reports Tom Scheck.
Dayton cited an ongoing lawsuit and a proposal to dig the tunnel deeper than currently planned as reasons to withhold support for the project. Specifically, "Dayton said he's also not going to ask the federal government for funding for the project this year or next year."
The article goes on to detail the political support, especially in the Republican-controlled Minnesota House.
FULL STORY: Dayton, Republican leaders say Southwest light rail not a priority
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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