White Bear Lake attempts to block 'Purple Line' bus transit plans

A transit line connecting downtown St. Paul with its northeastern suburbs has been in the works for more than two decades. It's grown into a $475 million venture involving the Federal Transit Administration, Ramsey County, the Metropolitan Council and the six communities served by the proposed route with the goal of having electric buses rolling by the end of 2026.

Now, new leadership in White Bear Lake — the city at the end of the proposed 15-mile "Purple Line" bus rapid transit line — want to upend those plans.

A divided White Bear Lake City Council passed a resolution on a 3-2 vote Tuesday, requesting the Metropolitan Council modify the BRT route so "that it does not enter the jurisdictional boundaries of the City of White Bear Lake."

"White Bear Lake opposes the [Purple] line. That is the fundamental message," said White Bear Lake's new Mayor Dan Louismet.

The mayor didn't vote per the city charter, but he championed the resolution. An earlier draft asserted that 89 buses rolling through the city each day will destroy the small-town feel of the lakeside community of 26,000.

"An overwhelming number of our residents strongly oppose this project. The resolution reflects the will of our residents," Louismet said on Friday.

The debate over BRT has been a lightning rod in White Bear Lake politics for years.

Previous votes around the BRT in White Bear Lake have also been divided, but with a three-member majority voting in favor of the Purple Line, formerly known as the Rush Line. Newly elected Council Member Heidi Hughes, who campaigned against the Purple Line, has flipped the balance of power.

"The Met Council will take this under advisement," said Met Council spokesperson Laura Baenen. "The Met Council needs to listen to all the cities on the corridor as well as the funders, who are Ramsey County and the federal government."

Plans are progressing

The reality is, the planning phase is over, Baenen said. The Purple Line is now in the development phase. The route and the 21 stations have been determined after Ramsey County planners hosted nearly 200 events and meetings with more than 3,400 people between 2018 and 2021.

The Met Council has hired an engineering firm. In December, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approved moving the project into the development phase — a key procedural step needed to qualify for federal funding. Ramsey County and the FTA will split the cost.

"This narrative that it's now too late — I reject that outright," Lousimet said. "We are nowhere past the point of no return."

But Ramsey County leaders, who are working closely with the Met Council on the Purple Line, said they remain committed to completing the project.

"This is really about the future of the region's growth, opportunity and economic development," said Ramsey County Board Chair Trista MatasCastillo. "The 3-2 vote is really representative of the emotions of today and not thinking what the future looks like."

The line's electric buses will reduce traffic, lower pollution, align with the county's climate goals and give residents a reliable and affordable alternative to driving, MatasCastillo said.

"This couldn't come at a better time," she said.

The consent of towns along the route is not required to build the Purple Line.

Planners engaged residents

MatasCastillo said the community engagement for the project has been extensive with all six communities served by the line — St. Paul, Maplewood, Vadnais Heights, Gem Lake, White Bear Township and White Bear Lake.

"This have gone through numerous iterations of community engagement, outreach, community conversations and planning," she said. "The work has been really, really good."

"In that early phase, White Bear Lake did give good feedback and changes were made to the project as direct result of public feedback," including the relocation of a station, Baenen said.

Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt, who has lived in White Bear Lake 47 years, said other communities including Maplewood are eagerly awaiting the BRT. Reinhardt said the Purple Line is lined with hospitals and clinics providing critical services that can't be done remotely.

Reinhardt, who lives a half mile from the proposed final station on the BRT, said she also believes it will benefit White Bear Lake, noting that the city grew up around transit when the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad opened its line to the community in 1868.

"We have a downtown because it's built on transit," she said. "A small town still needs to be connected."

Critic: Is it best use?

Tim David, spokesman for the No Rush Line Coalition, said he's hopeful White Bear Lake's opposition will spread to other towns on the route. "It's not just about White Bear Lake," he said.

The group claims Met Council's ridership projections for the line — about 7,000 average weekday rides by 2040 — are outdated because they were calculated before the COVID-19 pandemic decimated transit ridership. Now, with the advent of remote work, the way people use public transportation has changed, and transit planners should take note, David said.

Smaller buses using existing roads and highways is a far better use of taxpayer dollars, and a more efficient way to connect transit riders with their destinations, he said.

The coalition has galvanized opposition with a website and Facebook page, and by circulating a petition with some 2,500 signatures. It has also sent 700 postcards to elected officials in White Bear Lake, held a town hall meeting attracting 200 residents, and supported candidates who oppose the project.

"There's strong opposition throughout the community," said David, a resident of White Bear Lake.

Support for transit

Baenen said Metro Transit ridership has been increasing, including an 11 percent jump in January compared to January 2021. BRT is not a commuter line that only runs during rush hour, she said. Rather, it provides all-day service. Riders can catch a bus every 15 minutes.

"You don't even need to check a schedule," Baenen said.

Shannon Watson, vice president of public affairs with the St. Paul Area Chamber, said there is strong community and corporate support for the Purple Line. A group of supporters called Purple Line Partners include HealthPartners and Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare.

"Our support hasn't changed. We believe in the connectivity of the system," Watson said.

What is playing out in White Bear Lake is the challenge of ambitious, long-range transit planning, Watson said.

"Each of these cities on the line had done a resolution of support at one point in time. Everybody was on board," she said.