92 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

Not looking good.......  From KARE-TV, Channel 11 in Minneapolis, MN, 8/3/20:

 

    Hennepin County, Met Council scrap planned route for Blue Line light rail extension   

 

 

 

Leaders with Hennepin County and the Met Council say they plan to take the METRO Blue Line Extension "in a new direction" and scrap the light rail line's current proposed route.

 

 

Read

[KevinKorell]

CCX Media, 8/3/20:

 

 

   MOVING ON: BLUE LINE EXTENSION LIGHT RAIL ROUTE TO CHANGE WITHOUT BNSF RAILWAY    

 

 

 

 

Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council announced Monday they would explore other options to create the Blue Line Extension light rail transit through the northwest suburbs without using BNSF Railway lines.

 

More

[KevinKorell]

Sun-Post, Osseo, MN, 8/11/20:

 

   Mayors react to Bottineau Blue Line project move out of BNSF corridor  

 

 

 

With Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railways still refusing to negotiate with the Bottineau Blue Line Extension project, Hennepin County and Metro Transit have decided to move the proposed light rail line out of the railway corridor. The decision was announced Aug. 3.

 

Here is the article.

[KevinKorell]

Mass Transit Magazine, 8/14/20:

 

   Move to again engage BNSF Railway on Bottineau LRT project fails    

 

 

 

Suburban mayors and community groups that support the Bottineau Blue Line light-rail project tried to force transit planners Thursday to more aggressively negotiate with a freight rail company that owns much of the land along its route.

 

Update

[KevinKorell]

Opinion in Minneapolis, MN Star-Tribune, 8/19/20:

 

   Let's reconsider light rail vs. bus rapid transit  

 

 

With recent news that plans for the Blue Line extension are falling apart due to failed negotiations with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad, now would be a good time to discuss (again) whether serving the northwest suburbs with light rail is the best use of local, state and federal transit funding.

 

Opinion

[KevinKorell]

Column in Streets.MN ,  8/17/20:

 

   Rerouting the Bottineau Blue Line    

 

 

 

 

When Hennepin County prevented the BNSF and Canadian Pacific railroads from building a freight connection where their lines crossed in Crystal, that killed any chance of light rail sharing the BNSF right of way for seven miles through Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, Crystal and Brooklyn Park. That alignment is no longer available, so what now?

 

Complete column continues

[KevinKorell]

Opinion in Minnesota Post, 8/31/20:

 

 

    Let’s make a deal: Northstar for Bottineau  

 

 

 

BNSF Railway has ended talks with Met Council over the co-location of freight and light rail transit operations on its little-used Bottineau corridor through the northwest suburbs, claiming it could not “protect the long-term viability of service for current and future Minnesota freight customers.” And yet, the freight rail juggernaut seems willing to work with the same Met Council to add even more Northstar commuter trains to its congested and strategically critical freight main line between Minneapolis and St. Cloud.

 

Opinion

[KevinKorell]

CCX Media, 9/30/20:

 

    BROOKLYN PARK PROPERTY PURCHASED LIKELY TO BE USED FOR LIGHT RAIL  

 

 

An alternative route to the Bottineau light rail project is still up in the air. But earlier this month, the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority purchased the property on the corner of 73rd and County Road 81 in Brooklyn Park. 

 

Update

[KevinKorell]

Mass Transit magazine, 10/12/20:

 

     Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz fully backs METRO Blue Line extension  

 

 

Despite the setback this summer of scrapping original alignment plans for a proposed Blue Line extension to serve Minneapolis and its northwestern communities, project stakeholders have a key ally in Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

 

Article

[KevinKorell]

Letter to Sun-Post, Osseo, MN, 10/28/20:

 

 

   LETTER: Blue Line officials should continue talks with BNSF   

 

 

 

 

The BNSF Railway seems intent to disallow the proposed Bottineau Light Rail to share its right-of-way through our suburbs, at a cost of preventing the most direct route for light rail trains to connect to the existing Blue Line, serving MSP Airport and the Mall of America. 

 

Letter