Growing concerns about the viability of a project to extend the Blue Line light rail to Brooklyn Park

The biggest concern is the cost. That has ballooned to $3.58 billion for the project.

"This thing is just slowly dying, it's a dying dog, and it's an opportunity now with this report to take a look at other alternatives," says Minnesota state Rep. Jon Koznick (R-Lakeville).

Koznick is co-chair of the House Transportation Committee. He says in 2025, the legislature ordered the Met Council to conduct a study to look at rapid bus transit as an alternative to the extension which would travel over 13 miles through North Minneapolis, Robbinsdale, Crystal, Brooklyn Center, and ultimately end north of Highway 610 in Brooklyn Park.

"For less than 1% of the cost, $120 million due in arterial bus rapid transit, so it's a faster bus than regular route service, and provide some of the same benefits," says Koznick.

The design for the line is about 90% complete according to the Metropolitan Council, but Koznick says it's not too late to put the brakes on it. He also says there are concerns from some business owners worried about the impact construction could have on their businesses.

Koznick also claims some people living on the North side are not in favor of the project.

"The low-income, affordable housing in their neighborhood, that would be gobbled up," Koznick explains. "And the disruption of the train running down the middle of West Broadway."

That is disputed by Metropolitan Council Vice Chair Reva Chamblis, who told WCCO's Sheletta Brundidge that in addition to access to state-of-the-art public transportation, the proposed extension will offer North Minneapolis and the northwest suburbs “opportunities for prosperity that we may not see for another generation.”

“Many under-served and under-represented, particularly the historical African American community, have been excluded from the benefits of big infrastructure projects. I want to make sure we can maximize benefits on behalf of the communities that they are intending to serve,” said Chamblis.

The Met Council and Hennepin County are working jointly to develop this project, which also would receive federal funding. If the project does mover forward, construction is slated to begin in 2027.

The cost growing to over $3 billion echoes the challenges seen with the Southwest Light Rail project. Despite cost overruns and construction delays, 14.5 miles of new light rail have been built from Minneapolis to Eden Prairie. The Southwest Light Rail project was estimated to cost just north of $2 billion, and open in 2023.

As of October, that estimated cost is more than $2.7 billion and the line won't open to riders until sometime in 2027.

Still, Met Council leadership is touting the economic growth spurred by the SWLRT project. They say the project already resulted in $3.1 billion worth of new development in the Twin Cities. That includes over $329 million in new development in Hopkins, including 1,300 new multi-family housing units, including 260 affordable units.