Crystal Council Approves Light Rail Municipal Consent in 5-2 Vote
Just like Robbinsdale did Tuesday night, the Crystal City Council voted to approve municipal consent for the Blue Line Extension light rail project.
The vote was 5-to-2.
Before the vote, significant concerns were raised by some council members, particular communication from the Blue Line Extension Project Office.
“We deserve better partnership from the Blue Line project team,” said Crystal City Council member Taji Onesirosan, reading a letter before the vote. “The project team must do better.”
Onesirosan said concerns about the design weren’t addressed until the “11th hour” by the project team, more than a year after they were initially raised.
Said Onesiroan, “It has been said that this is a generational investment, a 100-year investment, which I agree with. This is a massive change for our community, region and state. So then why are we leaving such important conversations and decision until the last minute?”
‘Flawed Process’
Municipal consent by cities along the light rail line isn’t a vote on whether elected council members support the project.
Instead, city officials point out it’s strictly a vote on project design. They emphasize the project would proceed no matter how council members vote. The Metropolitan Council and the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners hold the power in whether the project moves forward. Those government bodies have indicated support.
Crystal Mayor Jim Adams called it a “flawed process.”
“Nowhere in this process do we have a vote to tell the project office, to tell Met Council how our citizens feel,” said Adams.
What Blue Line Means for Crystal
The Crystal segment of the Blue Line Extension runs two miles long using the median of County Road 81, also known as Bottineau Boulevard. The project will reduce traffic lanes on 81 from six lanes to four.
An interchange at Bass Lake Road and County Road 81 is also planned. Bridges would be built over Bass Lake Road with ramps connecting the two roadways.
According to city documents, the conditions the project office has agreed include the following:
- Construction of additional pavement to allow for a future “choice lane” from 47th Avenue to
southbound Highway 100 to help prevent traffic backups - Snow management around the Bass Lake Road Station park-and-ride
- Increasing the turn radius to allow easier U-turn movements at westbound Bass Lake Road and
Sherburne Avenue - Implementing optimal solutions to protect the Joint Water Commission main on 42nd Avenue
County Road 81 would be raised over Bass Lake Road to accommodate light rail with bike and pedestrian access under 81.
Crime and Traffic Concerns
Mayor Jim Adams felt that traffic concerns caused by lane reductions were never addressed by the project office. He pointed out there’s no commitment from MnDOT on the choice lane to Highway 100, potentially complicating one of the city’s requests.
Adams also stated concerns about crime and impact on the city’s police department.
You can view the full discussion here.
Crystal City Council Member Traci Kamish and Adams were the two members to vote no on municipal consent.
