I attended the Governor’s SWLRT Discussion today in St. Paul, the room was packed. Initially, an overview of the process and current statistics was presented, The problem is that there is currently a need for $144.5 million and a decision needs to be made before August 31. Two options were given. One option has local governments and agencies providing the money. Option 2 is to shut down the project.
There were numerous comments, pro and con, afterwards. Most of the comments wanted the Southwest Light Rail project to proceed. Most opponents seemed mainly concerned about the cost of the project. The primary exception is the group that has the lawsuit against the project. The issue is the environmental damage and the lawsuit is scheduled to be heard in September 2017.