Friday the 13th Letter Causes Robbinsdale To Postpone Light Rail Vote

It was the vote supporters and opponents of light rail in Robbinsdale had waited for. It turns out, they will have to wait a little longer.

The Robbinsdale City Council voted to table its municipal consent vote on the Blue Line Extension until Oct. 1.

According to discussion at Tuesday night’s meeting, the extra time will allow council members to further digest a letter sent Friday, Sept. 13, by the Blue Line Extension project office that was supposed to address Robbinsdale concerns. (The letter starts on page 93 of the council packet.) The additional time will also allow further consideration of a resolution to deny municipal consent.

As city leaders and attorneys have pointed out, cities along the proposed route can’t stop the project. Nor can they change the route.

Some Robbinsdale City Council members made that point clear Tuesday night.

“The benefits I don’t think are glaring. There’s no transportation crisis that says we need to do this,” said Robbinsdale City Council Member Regan Murphy. “But I get the feeling that the state and the various organizations put so much time and money into this that they like they can’t make a pivot, a change.”

Murphy pointed out he was in favor of the original line using the Burlington Northern Sante Fe railway corridor.

“The current alignment is shoehorning light rail into our community, into other communities because it’s an easy button, it’s convenient because the Burlington Northern [Santa Fe] Railway did not work,” said Murphy.

The Metropolitan Council and Hennepin County hold the power over the project. With municipal consent votes, cities can only try to address concerns on the current design.

“I feel like we’re not getting what other cities are getting,” said Robbinsdale Mayor Bill Blonigan, pointing out one of his concerns. “I think maybe we’re going to be the only city that doesn’t have an elevated portion.”

Blonigan is referring to the city’s push to elevate the Blue Line over 41st and 42nd avenues to address pedestrian and traffic safety concerns.

Rendering of elevated light rail platform (view from Bottineau Boulevard at 40th Avenue looking south)

The Robbinsdale City Council also voted to a hold a work session on Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. to further discuss its resolution for the Met Council and Hennepin County.

Robbinsdale