Vote Awaits Robbinsdale City Council on Light Rail Project

The Robbinsdale City Council will soon vote on whether to give consent to the Blue Line Extension light rail project. The expected council vote is Sept. 17.

The light rail extension is planned from Target Field Station along West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis to County Road 81 in Crystal and Robbinsdale, and along West Broadway Avenue in Brooklyn Park.

The Robbinsdale City Council can’t vote to change the project to buses or a different route. Instead, members must decide on the project in front of them.

The project has generated plenty of passion and concerns. At a Sept. 3 public hearing, 32 people spoke to the Robbinsdale City Council on the project. Mark Bettenga was one of them. He has lived in Robbinsdale since 1988, but said Tuesday night was the first time he attended a council meeting.

“I don’t envy you guys at all, but what we’re really dealing with is two mindsets,” said Bettenga. “You have us, that have been here forever, thinking ‘wait a minute, you’re going to change our whole town,’ ‘you’re going to make things uncomfortable for us.’ And then we have the younger mindset that said ‘we want change. We want that.’ And I’ll be honest with you, I’m not sure how I’ll feel about it.”

Those who spoke were roughly split for and against. A whole host of concerns were raised including issues surrounding crime, drug use, proper station locations, noise mitigation, and people not paying for tickets. Lane reductions on County Road 81 to make room for light rail tracks are yet another issue.

“Quite honestly, I just do not see how this will benefit Robbinsdale,” said Brenda Remus, a Robbinsdale resident.

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SOURCE: CCX MEDIA