Tuesday, October 2, 2012
The U.S. senator said Minnesotans must still continue advocating for the project.
U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) is optimistic the Southwest Light Rail Transit project will be completed, but he said Minnesotans still need to show their support. The Obama Administration announced Monday that the Southwest Light Rail project is one of two projects in the country that will be expedited under the "We Can't Wait" initiative. That initiative aims to speed up the various processes required to get a big project off the ground. In a brief interview with Patch on Wednesday at the Eisenhower Community Center, Franken said his role under the expedited process will be to continue to push for the project. Even with the move to the expedited process, Minnesota faces tough political fights over the funding its expected to provide. Neither…
44.933188
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Eisenhower Community Center
1001 Highway 7, Hopkins, MN
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1960016
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Friday, May 11, 2012
TwinWest Chamber President Bruce Nustad issued a statement on behalf of five metro chambers.
(The following news release comes from The Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce, Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce, Edina Chamber of Commerce, Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce and TwinWest Chamber of Commerce.) The Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce, Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce, Edina Chamber of Commerce, Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, and TwinWest Chamber of Commerce have been working together to secure state support for the Southwest Light Rail Transit line that would serve Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie. On behalf of the state’s five largest local Chambers of Commerce, TwinWest Chamber President Bruce Nustad issued the following statement: “The business community is disappointed…
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Susan Haigh criticized the Legislature’s refusal to set aside $25 million for Southwest Light Rail Transit in this year’s bonding bill.
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Thursday, May 10, 2012
(Susan Haigh, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Council, released the following statement Thursday after the conclusion of this year's legislative session.) A bonding bill that omits Southwest Light Rail misses a tremendous opportunity for the state and the Twin Cities region. I’m disappointed that the Governor’s original bonding proposal was scaled back in a way that leaves out this important investment, which has the strong support of business and the six communities along the line. By leaving out Southwest Light Rail, the Legislature put up a serious impediment to private sector job creation along the corridor. The State of Minnesota must continue to make smart investments in critical public infrastructure projects for the region like …
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The District 44 senator criticized his colleagues’ decision to leave Southwest Light Rail Transit out of the bonding bills approved Monday.
Both chambers of the Minnesota Legislature left Southwest Light Rail Transit out of the bonding bills the House and Senate approved Monday. During the Senate debate, Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-District 44)—who represents Golden Valley, Hopkins and St. Louis Park—criticized opponents of the project for ignoring infrastructure that he argues is essential. Light rail supporters wanted the Legislature to set aside $25 million that was to be part of a $125 million total state contribution to the Southwest project. Latz argued that money would leverage millions more in federal funds, which includes a federal share of $625 million. “And while there are those who have, it appears, a moral objection to transit funding—especially rail funding—the fact is …
The $496 million bill passed the House on a 99-32 vote and the Senate 45-22 Monday.
A late-hour contribution to the Southwest Light Rail Transit line is still not on the horizon. The bonding bills the state House and Senate signed off on Monday does not include the $25 million for Southwest LRT that supporters want. The money is to be part of a $125 million total state contribution to the project—which will run from Minneapolis to Eden Prairie, through suburban communities such as St. Louis Park, Hopkins and Minnetonka. Federal money and county funds that are required to be spent on transit would match that, including a federal share of $625 million. Gov. Mark Dayton included the $25 million in his $775 million bonding proposal at the beginning of this year’s legislative session, but the project has so far failed to gain …
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The Met Council released a new video that offers a virtual look at the proposed transitway.
Want a better look at where the proposed Southwest Light Rail Transit line will run? On Monday, the Metropolitan Council released a nine-minute video that offers a guided tour of the route. Using Google Earth, the video takes viewers along the route approved to enter preliminary engineering—from Mitchell Station in Eden Prairie to Target Field Station in Minneapolis. Along the way, narration describes the stops, new infrastructure and other key features of the route. Southwest’s prospects before the Legislature remain uncertain—at least for this legislative session. Talks on the bonding bill that was to contain $25 million for light rail have broadened to cover projects as diverse as infrastructure for the Vikings stadium. But there is not…
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Fridley Rep. Tom Tillberry (DFL-51B) questioned a bid by the firm involved with faulty 35W and Sabo bridges.
Fridley Rep. Tom Tillberry (DFL-51B) sent a three-page letter to Gov. Mark Dayton this week to express his "serious concern" about a bid by an engineering firm, URS Corp., for a pending state contract for the Southwest Light Rail Transit project. Tillberry noted that URS was involved with two faulty bridges in Minneapolis—inspecting the I-35W bridge before it fell and the Sabo bicycle bridge now closed for repairs. In the April 24 letter, Tillberry asked Dayton to "do all you can to ensure that URS does not receive this contract." Tillberry included a personal note: On August 1, 2007, the I-35W Bridge fell. My neighbor, Pat Holmes, was on the bridge. ... I, along with many other Minnesotans, lost a good friend ... Others lost fathers, …
Monday, April 23, 2012
A $444 million proposal headed for the House floor does not contain money for the project.
The Legislature has a new bonding bill headed for the House floor, but it has once again passed over a $25 million request for the Southwest Light Rail Transit project. On Friday, the House Ways and Means Committee approved a $443.9 million bonding bill on a voice vote, which followed the rejection of a $221 million bonding bill that only contained enough to restore the state Capitol. But even though the latest bonding proposal is bigger, it does not contain the $25 million that is to be part of a $125 million total state contribution to the project. Federal money and county funds that are required to be spent on transit would match that, including a federal share of $625 million. Rail advocates say a state commitment is necessary to …
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
The $25 million recommended for the project was not included in a Senate bonding bill, whose details were released Wednesday.
A Senate bonding bill whose details were released Wednesday morning does not include $25 million that Gov. Mark Dayton recommended for Southwest Light Rail Transit—leaving the project out of both that bill and the House version that representatives OK’d last week. The money was to be part of a $125 million total state contribution project. Federal money and county funds that are required to be spent on transit would match that, including a federal share of $625 million. Rail advocates say a state commitment is necessary to assure the federal government that Minnesota is on board with the project. Failure to set aside the money could put the project behind others across the country. But some opponents are wary about putting state money on …
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Churches in Hopkins, St. Louis Park and Minneapolis help residents get involved in Southwest Light Rail issues.
On Tuesday, Hopkins saw yet another meeting about the Southwest Light Rail project. A city official detailed the plan, a community organizer spoke and audience members queried the presenters. Nothing all that unusual. Yet this gathering wasn’t just another light rail meeting. It took place in Gethsemane Lutheran Church and resulted from Gethsemane, St. Louis Park’s Westwood Lutheran and North Minneapolis’ Redeemer Lutheran bringing their congregations together to discuss the project. While light-rail development is typically considered the province of city planners, the churches say they can provide a forum for people to discuss issues associated with that development. “The purpose is, for me, to have our membership look outside our walls …
44.93101
-93.409019
Gethsemane Lutheran Church (ELCA)
715 Minnetonka Mills Rd, Hopkins, MN
/articles/praying-for-light-rail
978473
/locations/6250974
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