Lakeville approves transit tax to bring buses to city by '09

Article by: Star Tribune
Updated: May 5, 2008 - 11:27 PM

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The Lakeville City Council unanimously approved a Metropolitan Council deal Monday night that will bring buses to the city by 2009 in exchange for an extra transit tax.

Improvements will include two new bus stations in Lakeville, as well as an extension of a high-occupancy vehicle lane on Interstate 35W in Burnsville that will help relieve a bottleneck where 35W and 35E split.

The Lakeville bus stops will be among a host of major Twin Cities transit projects planned with a $133 million federal grant to reduce congestion, including improvements on I-35 and Cedar Avenue in the south metro.

The city, which got the offer from the Met Council about two weeks ago, had a tight deadline to make a decision because the Legislature must issue approvals related to the federal grant by May 12.

The tax would run the average Lakeville homeowner about $36 a year.

SARAH LEMAGIE