FTA Approved Minnesota Light Rail Project

The US Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has approved the construction of a third light rail transit project in Minnesota’s Twin Cities.

The $1.25bn South-west Corridor will have a length of 15 miles, linking downtown Minneapolis with Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
The LRT project will have 17 new stations and provide a link to three other rail corridors at the Target Field Station in Minneapolis, including Hiawatha, Central Corridor and Northstar.
If approved, the US federal government will contribute 50% of the cost, Hennepin county will bear 10% and the Counties Transit Improvement Board’s five-county sales tax will pay for 30% of the cost.
The construction of the line will begin in 2014 and operations will start by 2018.