City Council Passes Blue Line Extension Resolution; Mayor Praises Vote

The Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved municipal consent for the Blue Line Extension LRTfor the station location and alignment of the planned light rail project. The project will proceed with final design and an environmental mitigation work plan.

The project is being led by Metropolitan Council and Hennepin County. The proposed route starts at the Target Field station and extends into North Minneapolis and up to Brooklyn Park, connecting Robbinsdale and Crystal along the way.

"The Blue Line Extension project has the potential to be great for Minneapolis, but that potential won't be realized if our local resident and business concerns are ignored," said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. "We have laid out specific requirements-including adding a stop at Washington and Broadway, addressing traffic concerns in the North Loop, examining impacts on the Grand Rounds, and ensuring a commitment to anti-displacement efforts and resources along the corridor from our partners-to make sure we get the benefits promised through this project."

City staff, along with other local, state and federal partners will continue working to ensure community viewpoints and perspectives from residents and businesses are heard by Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council and documented throughout the process. The resolution highlights the proposed route's potential transit and economic benefits and how it aligns with the City's 2040 Comprehensive Plan and Transportation Action Plan. Additionally, the resolution further advocates for anti-displacement efforts and investments to support residents and businesses in impacted Minneapolis neighborhoods.

"Supporting the Blue Line Extension light rail project was identified by fellow Council Members as a goal in the 2024-2025 Climate and Infrastructure Committee Work Plan, and I was happy to see us unanimously give municipal consent," said Council Member Katie Cashman. "Throughout the tensions in the process so far, we learned that when City Council and City staff give the Project Office clear community-driven demands, they can happen. I'm looking ahead to seeing the concept design come to life as we continue to advocate for safety, transit and mobility connections, and positive neighborhood impacts. I'm glad we gave our municipal consent to keep our seat at the table."

Hennepin County and Metropolitan Council led the project through a process known as municipal consent - all cities along the proposed Blue Line route are required to review and approve certain physical components available at this stage in the design process. Following approval by Minneapolis, all cities along the corridor have granted municipal consent. The Metropolitan Council reviews and analyzes any proposed changes.

"Transit is an essential part of our future as a sustainable city, and I'm happy that my colleagues and I unanimously passed municipal consent for the Blue Line Extension project. I grew up riding the 19 as my commute and was a frequent rider on the C Line and the 5," said Council Member Jeremiah Ellison. "Many northsiders ride these lines out of necessity. They are the most used routes in the metro and yet, the northside has not always gotten the best infrastructure. When I think about the kind of infrastructure northside deserves, the light rail is that, but the kind of impacts that come with transportation-oriented development can cause harmful displacement that is a real threat to the identity and people that live along some of these routes. Municipal consent is about the technical aspect of the route, but my colleagues and city staff have been committed to ensure that anti-displacement has a spot in that discussion. With the resolution that passed today attached to this action, I feel well-equipped to ensure that anti-displacement has a voice in the municipal consent process and becomes a real thing that we are going to execute down the line to ensure that this train is truly for the northside."

Full text of the resolution passed at today's City Council meeting is available here.