For more than two decades, the north metro has been told that a modern, reliable transit connection was coming. We have sat through meetings, weighed in on routes, and watched other parts of the region receive the kind of high-capacity transit that sparks development and connects people to opportunity.
The METRO Blue Line Extension (BLE) is our region’s chance to finally finish what we started and to deliver the same level of connection to the north metro that other communities already enjoy.
Some have suggested that bus service alone can meet the needs of our growing corridor. Buses are an essential part of our transportation network. But for the north metro, one of the most diverse and rapidly growing parts of Minnesota, buses alone are not enough. Light rail provides the reliability, permanence and economic pull that cannot be replicated with a bus.
Related: Six things you need to know about the Blue Line Extension’s expected environmental impacts
This is not a choice between buses and rail. Light rail strengthens the broader transit network by creating a backbone that enhances bus connections throughout the region. As our communities grow, rail and bus service working together provide the kind of modern transportation system our residents deserve.
When a community invests in light rail, developers respond. They build housing, open storefronts and create jobs because they know the line is not going anywhere. That permanence gives businesses confidence to expand and families confidence to put down roots. The Green Line and its extension have shown this time and again. Our communities have extraordinary potential waiting to be unlocked. But potential only becomes reality when we build the infrastructure that supports it.
The BLE is more than a transit project. It is a generational piece of infrastructure that will shape how our communities grow for decades to come. It will influence where businesses invest, where housing is built, and where opportunity takes root. The project represents a $3.5 billion investment in the future of the north metro and is expected to generate significant economic activity throughout the corridor. Those benefits will be measured in new jobs, new housing, stronger small businesses, and expanded opportunities for future generations.
Younger generations understand what is at stake. They overwhelmingly support transit investments because they see them as investments in their economic, social and environmental future. They want affordable access to jobs, education, healthcare and opportunity throughout the region. They also recognize that a growing metro area needs transportation options that support future development and help protect the environment.
Residents deserve the convenience and predictability that light rail brings. Trains arrive on a schedule you can set your watch to. They are not stuck in traffic. They do not get rerouted. They are not delayed during a snowstorm. For workers, students, seniors, travelers and families, reliability is not a luxury. It is a necessity.
This project is also about fairness. Hennepin County is not just the Mall of America, Minneapolis, and its developing suburbs. The north metro has waited longer for a high-capacity transit connection. While other communities have seen the benefits of light rail, including new housing, new jobs and new investments, our constituents have been told to wait. At some point, a region has to decide whether it believes in fair access to opportunity. Completing the BLE is one way to show that we do.
A recent Minnesota Star Tribune column noted that the Twin Cities region has repeatedly found ways to support major infrastructure investments in other parts of the metro. Yet when the conversation turns to connecting North Minneapolis and the northern suburbs, the value of that investment is questioned. The north metro should not be asked to settle for less opportunity or less investment than other parts of the region.
Related: Met Council to cities: ‘Is this how you want the Blue Line Extension built?’
The Metropolitan Council’s 2050 regional vision calls for a more connected, prosperous and equitable region. Achieving that vision requires investments that support growth and ensure opportunity is shared across the region. We should be planning for 2050, not 1950. As our region grows, we need infrastructure that connects people to opportunity while supporting sustainable economic development.
We also have a responsibility to finish what we started. Taxpayers, businesses and community members have invested years of planning and millions of dollars into this project. Walking away now would waste that investment and signal that the north metro’s future is negotiable. We do not believe it is.
Our message is simple. The north metro deserves the same level of connection as the rest of the region. We have waited long enough. Let us finish what we started and build the future the north metro deserves.
Jeff Lunde is the Hennepin County commissioner representing Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, New Hope, Osseo and Robbinsdale. Hollies J. Winston is mayor of Brooklyn Park
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