Nail biting time (again) for Southwest Light Rail
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
The folks who'd like to bring us the Southwest Light Rail line are waiting for a green light.
Wonder where Southwest Light Rail will go? A map of possible routes is here.
They're in limbo, hoping the Federal Transit Administration grants permission to enter the coveted PE or preliminary engineering phase.
The human equivalent is going from childhood to teen status.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
(You're a grownup transit project when you get FFGA, a full funding grant agreement.)
PE means the planners and engineers are allowed to create even more elaborate blueprints.
Predicting the likelihood of Southwest Light Rail ever becoming a reality is tricky.
Obviously the local boosters like it a lot since it connects the wealthy and car congested southwest suburbs with downtown Minneapolis.
The Metropolitan Council likes the project and has given it a high priority among other transit needs.
And the folks at the FTA reportedly like the project.
But take that with a grain of salt. There are somewhere around 100 rail and bus projects across the country in the FTA beauty pageant, all vying for scarce federal funds.
These projects rise or fall to some degree on a community's track record, and so far the Twin Cities is showing it knows how to deliver them on time and on budget.
[image]