The Southwest Light Rail Transit Project is a proposed line from Eden Prairie to downtown Minneapolis providing service to Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Edina, Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Minneapolis, and is approximately 14 miles in length. The Southwest LRT line will connect two of the regions largest job centers, downtown Minneapolis with over 140,000 jobs and the Opus/Golden Triangle area with over 30,000 jobs.
It will connect downtown Minneapolis to the system of existing and proposed transitways including the Hiawatha LRT line, Northstar Commuter Rail line, and the Central LRT line.
- The Southwest Corridor line is forecasted to carry approximately 30,000 passengers per day by 2030.
- Estimated costs and user benefits indicate that the Southwest Corridor project would likely qualify for federal New Starts funding of up to 50 percent of capital costs.
- The Southwest LRT line could enter Final Design in 2013; construction in 2014-2016, and be operational by 2017.
- To date the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA) has spent close to $5 million for the Southwest Rail Transit Feasibility Study, 2003, the Southwest Transitway Alternatives Analysis 2007 (AA), and the Southwest DEIS (underway).
- The HCRRA estimates that the next study phases, the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Preliminary Engineering (PE) will cost approximately $65 million.
