Met Council Public Hearing Tonight About Bottineau Transitway

The Metropolitan Council is holding a public hearing about the Bottineau Transitway on Monday, Mar. 11, beginning at 5 p.m.

The hearing will take place at the Metro Transit F.T. Heywood Office Building Chambers located at 570 6th Ave N. in Minneapolis.

“This is an important next step for the Bottineau Corridor and the metro area,” said Council Chair Susan Haigh said in a Met Council press release. “This public comment period begins the process of transitioning the project to the Metropolitan Council and positioning Bottineau for federal funding. This corridor will help in achieving a 21st century transportation system for the metro and further make the Twin Cities a region that can compete on a national and global scale. ”

It’s one of many meetings regarding the proposed light rail line. Residents came in force to the first public meeting held Feb. 27 at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board headquarters.

“The meeting was a great forum to express ideas and concerns,” Patch user and Golden Valley resident Andy Snope said in the comment stream of a recent article. “The impression I got was that participants were positive about being involved with expressing input. The park board was very receptive to all and seemed accommodating to working with concerns.”

Patch user Kasia said that most of the concerns at the park board meetings centered around impact to Theodore Wirth Park.

“These meetings were a way for the Parks Board to get information and comments about how they should plan for such an enormous change,” she said, “and there were distinguished landscape designers from all over the country to provide sketches and design solutions.”

According to the Met Council website, “all interested persons are encouraged to attend the public meeting or hearing and offer comments. People may register in advance to speak by calling Allen Sommerfeld at 651-602-1338 or 651-291-0904 (TTY). Upon request, the Council will provide reasonable accommodations to person with disabilities.”