Federal funders have recommended that two bus rapid transit projects in Minnesota receive more than $150 million — including a line in Rochester, the first in the state outside the metro area. Bus rapid transit is a model that features buses traveling in dedicated lanes to enhanced stations, with fares collected before boarding to make travel more efficient.
The projects are part of President Joe Biden's fiscal 2022 budget, which also includes $100 million already committed for the Southwest light-rail line, currently under construction.
In all, Biden has set aside $2.5 billion for some 25 public transportation projects nationwide, including four in Minnesota.
The president's proposed budget recommends that the Gold Line bus rapid transit project receive $100 million of $239 million expected from the federal government. The $532 million Gold Line, which would connect Union Depot in St. Paul with Woodbury, received a "medium-high" rating from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), an improvement over a previous lower ranking that could have imperiled the project. Now the line is expected to begin service in 2025.
However, the FTA has placed the proposed Bottineau Blue Line light-rail extension "under review," with its federal funding "to be determined." The project remains in the FTA's funding queue, but its status is unclear.
The Metropolitan Council, which is planning the $1.5 billion Bottineau project, said the change was expected and "accurately reflects" the Blue Line's status — which involves selecting a new route to serve the northern metro.
"From the existing Blue Line to the Southwest LRT project, Minnesota has a proven track record of delivering on these important transit projects," said Bottineau spokesman Trevor Roy, noting the Met Council is consulting with the community about a new alignment for the line.
Bottineau was slated to connect downtown Minneapolis and Brooklyn Park, with service beginning in 2024. But last summer, Hennepin County and the Met Council said they could not reach a critical agreement with BNSF Railway permitting light-rail and freight trains to share part of Bottineau's proposed route. So the longstanding alignment was abandoned.
