A group of business and civic groups on Tuesday urged state leaders to fund transit projects in the Twin Cities metro, arguing in a letter that more expansive transit would spur future development.
The letter, addressed to Gov. Mark Dayton, Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, and House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, urged the legislative leaders to support additional transportation spending.
It was signed by businesses that included Target Corp., the utility Centerpoint Energy, and some neighborhood associations representing areas of downtown Minneapolis, such as North Loop. Collectively, the group is known as the 2020 Partners Steering Committee.
"The participants in 2020 Partners have realized the economic and public benefit of transit with the extremely successful Blue and Green Lines," wrote Nick Koch, chair of the group. "Many of our investments are predicated on transit."
Specifically, the group asks the Legislature provide some funding for light-rail projects currently under consideration, including an expansion of the Blue line known as the Bottineau transit way and the Southwest light-rail in the western Twin Cities suburbs.
"Building out a system that includes the Bottineau and Southwest LRT lines will provide our customers, staff and residents critically needed additional smart transportation options," the letter said.
