St. Paul, MN—Rep. Jon Koznick, R-Lakeville, issued the following statement regarding news today that officials from Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council have announced a route recommendation for the Blue Line Extension project.
“After years of cost overruns and delays with the Southwest Light Rail project, it is completely tone deaf that the Met Council and Hennepin County would move forward with plans for what’s sure to be another boondoggle expansion of Light rail,” said Rep. Koznick. “The Met Council has proven time and again that their incompetence and mismanagement of taxpayer dollars, especially as it relates to light rail transit systems, has no limits. This expansion will no doubt be another overbudget and underperforming project that will only increase the burden on Minnesota taxpayers. Instead of proceeding with another train, let’s instead focus on less expensive and more efficient options like express bus and bus rapid transit systems that can serve the needs of Minnesotans without signing taxpayers up for another multi-billion-dollar fiasco.”
The proposed route would extend the existing light rail from Target Field along West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis to County Road 81 in Crystal and Robbinsdale, then along West Broadway Avenue in Brooklyn Park.
Koznick continued, “Both transit safety and overspending need to be under control before the state provides any additional capital for more projects. I will insist that with new project like this, the state is not obligated for the operating losses. Having local partners cover operational cost needs to be the new business model in transit to protect Minnesota taxpayers.”
Last month and on a bipartisan basis, lawmakers approved an audit of the Southwest Light Rail project which is hundreds of millions of dollars over budget, and years behind schedule.
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