Bill to halt new light rail projects stalls on House Floor

As costs have risen for light rail projects in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, so have concerns among some legislators about whether the benefits are worth the outlays.

One of them is Rep. Kristin Robbins (R-Maple Grove).

She’s the sponsor of HF14, which would temporarily prohibit Metropolitan Council spending on any other light rail transit projects until the Southwest LRT Green Line extension project is completed.

The primary project affected would be the METRO Blue Line extension, which is proposed to operate on 13.4 miles of light rail track between downtown Minneapolis and Brooklyn Park. That project is still in the design phase, with construction currently slated to begin in 2027.

A Green Line train in St. Paul. (House Photography file photo)

HF14 was debated on the House floor Monday and failed by a 67-66 vote. But the House then approved a motion to reconsider and voted to table the bill.

[MORE: Find details about the bill here]

“The lesson from Southwest Light Rail is that it’s way over budget — a 232% increase from when it was originally proposed — and almost a decade over the time expected for operations,” Robbins said. “For the Blue Line, we have the chance not to make those same mistakes.”

Rep. Jon Koznick (R-Lakeville) successfully proposed an amendment that — as further amended and amended again — would require the Metropolitan Council to perform an analysis that would evaluate bus rapid transit as an alternative. Koznick argued that two bus rapid transit lines currently serve much of the same area through which the proposed Blue Line extension would travel.

“Minnesota’s light rail lines have become a bottomless money pit,” Koznick said. “We need to end these boondoggles.”

Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) unsuccessfully proposed an amendment to the amendment that would require the Metropolitan Council analysis to include the potential financial impacts of federal tariffs and retaliatory tariffs.

Rep. Jim Nash (R-Waconia) said the Blue Line extension should be stopped.

“It’s not going to be on time, it’s not going to be on budget, it’s not going to be done efficiently, and it’s not going to do the thing that you had hoped it would do,” he said.

But Rep. Mike Freiberg (DFL-Golden Valley) spoke of the overwhelming support for the project from the Hennepin County Board and the city councils of the municipalities through which it would travel.   

“All this bill does is burn millions of dollars in order to make a point about fiscal responsibility,” he said.