Central Corridor Light Rail Construction: A New Season Awaits

Last year, construction began on the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit (CCLRT) project that will connect the two downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Area businesses and community organizations lobbied elected officials and organized to ensure that the CCLRT project would minimize the negative impacts to the many communities that depend on the Corridor's current transit line of University Avenue for their livelihood. HECUA's Central Corridor Internship Program has helped facilitate organizing efforts and collaboration among diverse stakeholders along the Corridor.

That collaboration may prove crucial in the coming construction season. Reports by Minnesota Public Radio and the Twin Cities Daily Planet revealed a poorly-executed initial construction phase, particularly along University Avenue in St. Paul. For residents and businesses along the Central Corridor, now is the time to plan for the upcoming construction season which begins in March.

HECUA encourages its staff and partners to patronize University Avenue businesses as often as possible in the coming months and years, and hopes for a transit system that strengthens the communities along its route. A cogent summary of a recent report by HECUA partners TakeAction Minnesota and ISAIAH of current challenges and opportunities presented by the CCLRT project can be found on PolicyLink's Web site.