Ellison Addresses St. Louis Park City Council, Calls for Continued Advocacy

U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison stopped by St. Louis Park Monday night to give City Council an update on a few federal issues with local impact, including funding for the proposed Southwest Light Rail Transitway.

The Fifth District Democrat said he feels the corridor that would run through St. Louis Park, ultimately connecting Minneapolis with Eden Prairie, is a “high priority” for members of Congress. However, Ellison did say funding was being “scrutinized” at the federal level, and he called on the council to keep pushing for the project to show Congress how important it is locally.

“All of your advocacy is going to be required,” Ellison said.

The Southwest Light Rail Transitway, which is scheduled to open in 2017, is anticipated to cost between $865 million and $1.4 billion. Half of the funding is slated to come from the Federal Transit Administration, with the other 50 percent coming from a metro area sales tax, the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority and the state.

Whether all that funding will come through remains to be seen — while Ellison acknowledged that some in Washington, D.C., might try to cut light rail funding, there are no guarantees being made in St. Paul, either.

The proposed southwest light rail line would make three stops in St. Louis Park — at Beltline, Wooddale and Louisiana avenues. Service would then continue south and west into Hopkins and, eventually, Eden Prairie.

The line is also the impetus for ongoing discussions in St. Louis Park regarding a . The new freight traffic would be coming from Minneapolis’ Kenilworth Corridor, which likely would need to be cleared of freight trains to make way for the new light rail.

In addition to discussing light rail, Ellison commended the city for the completion of a new bridge at Wooddale Avenue and Highway 7 — a project that was aided by federal funds.

The congressman also urged council members to write to his office about issues they care deeply about, including continued funding for the Community Development Block Grant program, which provides money to cities for various improvement projects. Last month, the and others in the community preliminarily received $220,000 via the federal program. However, , as Congress has yet to set its 2011 levels for the program.

“I hope you all feel free to say, ‘Look, this program is very important to the city,’” Ellison told the council. “Write me a letter. I’ll use it for ammunition.”