Draft EIS
The Bottineau Transitway project is progressing through the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) phase.  A review version of the Draft EIS document has now been submitted for federal agency review.  After this document advances through federal review it will be finalized and released for public comment.  The date of the Draft EIS release for public comment has not yet been determined.    As the Draft EIS release date and public comment period are established, dates along with information on Draft EIS document accessibility will be broadcast via a broad range of media including this website.

Locally Preferred Alternative
The Locally Preferred Alternative recommendation for the Bottineau Transitway (light rail transit on the West Broadway Avenue in Brooklyn Park - the BNSF Railroad Corridor - Olson Memorial Highway / Trunk Highway 55 alignment) has advanced to the Metropolitan Council for consideration of adoption into the region's long-range transportation plan, the Transportation Policy Plan. Consideration for adoption has been based on public / stakeholder input, technical analysis results, and recommendation by the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority. Stakeholder input has included previous public hearing testimony, the Bottineau Policy Advisory Committee recommendation, resolutions of support from the five cities along the recommended route - Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Robbinsdale, Golden Valley, and Minneapolis - and a letter from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board affirming their commitment to work with Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council on advancing LRT on the recommended route. The public comment requested in the press release found here will be considered by the Metropolitan Council in their official action regarding the Transportation Policy Plan amendment.

Effort Announced to Explore Connections between Theodore Wirth Regional Park and the Proposed Bottineau Transitway
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and Hennepin County (HC) invite the community to attend a public meeting on February 27 and an open house on March 2 to explore possible connections between Theodore Wirth Regional Park and the proposed D1 Alignment of the Bottineau Transitway concept located on existing Burlington Northern Sante Fe (BNSF) Railroad property adjacent to Theodore Wirth Regional Park. These opportunities are part of a multi-day collaborative visioning process that will help the MPRB, HC and community best understand the issues and opportunities surrounding the introduction of the proposed Bottineau Transitway to the landscape adjacent to the park.  The press release for this effort can be found here.

Surface Transportation Reauthorization
On July 6, 2012, President Obama signed Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), a surface transportation program reauthorization through fiscal year. MAP-21 took effect on October 1, 2012, and guidance for projects to be funded under MAP-21 continues to evolve. This guidance is likely to have implications on the Bottineau Corridor process, but it is currently uncertain what these implications might be. More information in MAP-21 can be found here.