METRO Blue Line Extension Publishes Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
The METRO Blue Line Extension has cleared an important milestone on its road to gaining federal approval to build the line that will connect downtown Minneapolis to Brooklyn Park. The Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) has formally accepted and published the Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement (SFEIS), which identifies the project’s impacts along with the plan for mitigating them.
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the FTA to review environmental impact statements as part of its process for evaluating grant applications for major infrastructure projects. The FTA lays out specific categories such as noise, displacing people from their homes, and impacts on plants and animals. The entire document is more than 2,500 pages long and can be reviewed at BlueLineExt.org.
Following the review period and consideration of comments received, a Federal Amended Record of Decision and Minnesota Adequacy Determination are anticipated. These steps will document the Metropolitan Council’s and FTA’s final decision regarding the environmental phase of the project, prior to proceeding with final design, property acquisitions, and permitting.
This SFEIS follows the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) that was published for community input in June 2024. The SFEIS identifies impacts and benefits of the project, including measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate these impacts.
The Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement documents the following:
- Purpose and need for the proposed Blue Line Extension project
- Alternatives considered
- Anticipated impacts that will result from implementing the project, including avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures
- Description of the proposed Blue Line Extension project’s public involvement and agency coordination
- Amended Draft Section 4(f) and 6(f) Evaluation, assessing park and historic property impacts and includes an updated analysis for the Lowry Avenue station park impacts
- Section 106 assessment of effects on historic and cultural resources
- Responses to comments received during the SDEIS comment period
Comment now
Public comments will be accepted on the SFEIS through June 22.
- Email comments to BlueLineExt@metrotransit.org
- Written comments will also be accepted by project staff at events listed on the website at BlueLineExt.org.
The comment period on the SFEIS, Section 4(f), and Section 106 information is open until June 22, 2025.
Personal information, if provided, may be published in environmental documents that are publicly circulated.
The SFEIS is available on the project website at BlueLineExt.org and printed to view at the following locations:
- Blue Line Extension Project Office, 6465 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 600, St. Louis Park, MN 55426
- Brooklyn Park Library, 8500 W Broadway, Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
- Rockford Road Library, 6401 N 42nd Ave., Crystal, MN 55427
- North Regional Library, 1315 Lowry Ave. N, Minneapolis, MN 55411
To learn more about the SFEIS and comment period, visit BlueLineExt.org.
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