Newly proposed Blue Line route would mostly stay off West Broadway

Staff members working on the Blue Line Extension Plan have recommended a route that would mostly stay off of West Broadway.

The proposed route would run from Target Field through north Minneapolis, to Crystal, Robbinsdale and Brooklyn Park.

“The recommended route would have trains depart Target Field, travel north along N. 7th Street and 10th Avenue and turn west onto Washington Avenue. The trains would cross a new bridge along 21st Avenue over I-94, run for several blocks, and join W. Broadway near James Avenue. Trains would follow W. Broadway and Bottineau Boulevard to Brooklyn Park,” a spokesperson for Metropolitan Council said.

The recommendation to the Corridor Management Committee came during a Met Council meeting Thursday afternoon.

Many businesses along West Broadway Avenue publically opposed a previous plan because they were worried about the impact to their business and community.

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No action was taken at the meeting and the route must still win approval from the Met Council and all the cities involved, Met Council said.

Met Council also sent a statement to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that reads, in part:

The Blue Line Extension is a critical piece of our light rail network that will serve areas with the highest number of households in the state who do not own a car and rely on transit to meet their everyday needs. These communities have been underserved by transportation and transit investments and continue to experience significant racial and economic disparities related to historic patterns of disinvestment. These staff recommendations are another important step in our effort to better serve these communities. Ultimately, having a preferred, community-supported route will be a significant milestone that sets the stage for additional environmental analysis, engineering, and design needed to identify potential impacts and opportunities associated with the project.

A spokesperson for Met Council