Metro Transit's Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit project, which will improve mobility and transit service in the region’s busiest express bus corridor, secured the final piece of it's funding with news that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) had executed a grant agreement with the Metropolitan Council worth $74.1 million.
“Our regional prosperity depends on advancing our transit system,” said Met Council Chair Nora Slawik. “Transit improves mobility, provides opportunities, and increases our economic competitiveness. Projects like the Orange Line not only connect Minnesotans to jobs, but also create them. Thank you to the FTA for their continued partnership and commitment to advancing more efficient, cleaner transportation options in our region.”
The $150.7-million Orange Line BRT project will run for 17 miles along Interstate 35 linking job centers including Best Buy Headquarters, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Target Corporation and Southtown Shopping Center. The route will connect several municipalities including downtown Minneapolis with south Minneapolis and the cities of Richfield, Bloomington and Burnsville.
"This federal investment will help connect residents to jobs and support continued economic growth in the Twin Cities region," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.
The project was a new addition to the FTA’s FY18 Capital Investment Grant (CIG) program allocations and the Small Starts Grant Agreement (SSGA) is provided as part of the FTA’s CIG program. In addition to the SSGA, funding commitments for the Orange Line have been provided by the Counties Transit Improvement Board, the State of Minnesota, the Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County and Dakota County.
"FTA is proud to join our partners in Minnesota to improve public transportation in the Minneapolis metropolitan area," said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams. "The Orange Line will provide fast and efficient BRT service, improving mobility for the thousands of riders who travel this corridor every day."
Construction on the project began in 2017 after the FTA issued a Letter of No Prejudice (LONP) approval for the joint Minnesota Department of Transportation construction, ahead of the full federal funding commitment. The Metro Orange Line BRT project includes street and highway improvements, upgraded transit stations and improved bus routes. It also includes a transit-only access ramp between downtown Minneapolis and I-35W and a new Lake Street Station, which is part of the work already under construction. The project is scheduled to open in 2021. A future extension of the Orange Line to Lakeville is also envisioned in future years.
“This is an exciting day for the future of our region,” said Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. “Connecting our communities with reliable and accessible public transportation like the Metro Orange Line builds economic opportunity and increases mobility for tens of thousands of Minnesotans. The incredible collaboration between local partners at the city and county level, state agencies, and now the federal government make projects like this possible.”
Late last week, some of the state's Congressional delegation said the grant was imminent following a required 10-day notice to Congress from the FTA that it intended to sign the funding agreement.
