(OPINION) Crunch Time for Light Rail

(The following message was sent out by Rep. Steve Simon (DFL-District 44A), who represents Hopkins and St. Louis Park.)

 

Time is running out for legislative action on the Southwest Corridor light rail line this year. I’ve been working with the business community and others to convince key legislative leaders to provide needed funding for the Southwest Corridor. Unfortunately, critics have succeeded in delaying the project—and some of them want to kill it altogether. Now is the time to push for funding, before it’s too late. The project is vital to the future of our region.

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The Value of Southwest Corridor Light Rail Transit

• The 15-mile Southwest Corridor light rail line will connect downtown Minneapolis to Eden Prairie by 2018 (though St. Louis Park, Hopkins, and Minnetonka).
• There will be 60,000 new jobs in the southwestern suburbs by 2030. Our highways can’t comfortably accommodate that growth.
• The estimated ridership for the Southwest Corridor is 10 million by the year 2030, which means real relief from highway congestion.
• 64% of metro area residents support the project, as do all major business groups, as well as companies like Supervalu, Opus, and Park Nicollet.

The Need for Action: A 9-to-1 Return on Investment for Minnesota

• After a rigorous review that includes cost-effectiveness, the federal government has chosen the Southwest Corridor as one of only 12 projects in the U.S. eligible for major funding.
• Federal funding will allow planners to work out a sensible solution to the re-routing of freight rail traffic through our communities.
• Every dollar that Minnesota spends on the project will unlock nine dollars in other funds (from the federal government, existing regional sales tax revenue, and Hennepin County).
• Delaying the project for even one year would increase construction costs by $40 million.
• This year, we are asking for $25 million for preliminary engineering. But legislative leaders refuse to let the project advance.
• If the legislature fails to deliver funding, then Southwest Corridor risks its “place in line” for federal funds. That could put the entire project in jeopardy.

I’m disappointed by the legislative stonewalling, but I’m determined to make the Southwest Corridor the asset that our community deserves.