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2024 will be a big year for the METRO Blue Line Extension project. Staff will be working on more detailed plans for local review and approval, and we'll be out in the community in more ways than ever! We’ll be working together with residents and businesses to advance this generational transit investment for corridor communities.
 Municipal consent
- This summer, cities along the route will start the process known as "municipal consent," which will include local review and feedback on physical design elements. You will find community meetings and public hearings scheduled in your city starting this summer.
Environmental review
- In 2024, project staff, in partnership with the Federal Transit Administration, will publish the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) and will share environmental findings during the summer months. This document will clearly outline potential project impacts and opportunities. There will be a 45-day public comment period to inform the next phase and the Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement, which will identify solutions for impacts, including how to avoid, minimize, and mitigate them.
Anti-displacement and community prosperity
- The Anti-Displacement Working Group will reconvene in January to guide implementation of strategies to support residents and businesses before, during, and after construction.
- Corridor partners are pursuing a coordinated legislative strategy at the Minnesota Capital to secure investment and policy actions that support anti-displacement and community prosperity work.
- Partners are advancing specific strategies in areas like workforce, mitigation of property impacts, community ownership, and other areas.
Updated project cost and ridership estimates
- Project staff expect to share updated projected estimates for cost and ridership this spring. These are two of many factors the FTA will consider in evaluating the project for federal funding.
Cultivate Arts
- Cultivate Arts will be back in 2024 with a new program consisting of local artists to creatively engage communities on the project. Be on the lookout for engagement activities this summer. Find out more about Cultivate Arts.
As the project moves into these next phases, community feedback will continue to be crucial to inform decisions and design and ensure the project delivers maximum benefits for the communities it will serve.
Project staff are hosting the next community update meeting on Wednesday, February 28. They will provide a quarterly project update and facilitate a Q&A discussion with the community on route and station design, schedule, anti-displacement efforts, and upcoming decision-making opportunities.
Wednesday, February 28 | 5:30 p.m.
Virtual on Microsoft Teams - Click here to join the meeting
Thank you to everyone who engaged with us on this project in 2023! Your input is critical, and many important milestones were reached this past year with community voices at the forefront.
Anti-displacement
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May 2023 – In coordination with Hennepin County and Met Council, Minnesota’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) published the Blue Line Extension Anti-Displacement Recommendations report that provides a strong foundation to help corridor partners ensure the project creates prosperity for people in the corridor today and for generations to come. In June 2023, the project’s Corridor Management Committee (CMC) voted to receive CURA’s report and recommendations of the Anti-Displacement Work Group and committed to advancing this work together.
Advancement of route and station locations
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September 2023 - The Blue Line Extension CMC, including Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council, gave their support for advancing the staff-recommended light rail track route and general station locations for further study in the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Blue Line Extension light rail project.
Funding approved
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September 2023 - Met Council and Hennepin County approved a grant agreement that will provide county funds for the METRO Blue Line Extension Light Rail project to keep project work going through the end of 2024.
 Project staff recently launched an interactive tool on the project website to share engagement metrics and public comments that project staff have collected since August 2020. These comments are from written feedback from surveys, interactive map comments, comment forms, and community meetings. The tool allows viewers to filter comments by city and events for the latest engagement updates.
 If you haven’t already, share your thoughts on the recommended route serving the North Loop neighborhood by January 31. Project staff value your input and want to ensure that this project meets the needs and expectations of the community.
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