Bottineau Boulevard Transitway

Bottineau LRT
Overview
Type	Light rail
System	Metro Transit
Status	Proposed
Locale	Hennepin County, Minnesota
Termini	Maple Grove, Minnesota or Brooklyn Park, Minnesota Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Stations	10 planned
Daily ridership	27,000 (2030)
Operation
Planned opening	2021; 4 years' time (2021)
Character	Surface
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead lines
Route map Approved alignment Alternate alignment   Hemlock Lane 97th Avenue Zachary Lane 93rd Avenue Boone Avenue 85th Avenue 71st Avenue Brooklyn Boulevard 63rd Avenue Bass Lake Road Robbinsdale Transit Center Golden Valley Road North Memorial Broadway/Penn Penn Avenue Penn/Plymouth Van White Boulevard Southwest LRT Target Field to Northstar Line Blue and Green lines This diagram:

The Bottineau LRT (Metro Blue Line Extension) is a proposed light rail line extension in the Minneapolis – Saint Paul Metro area, projected to run northwest from downtown Minneapolis along County Road 81 to Brooklyn Park. If built, Bottineau LRT would be the next light rail line in the Twin Cities after the Southwest LRT.

The Bottineau Transitway Alternative Analysis Study, released in 2009, outlined several different alternatives for both the northern and southern ends of the corridor. In 2010, the final AA report recommended the A-D1 light rail alignment as the best option, but also suggested B-D1, A-D2 and B-D2 should continue to be studied. A-D1 and B-D1 were also recommended for continued study as possible bus rapid transit alignments.

There are two northern alternatives:

Alternative A begins in Maple Grove, Minnesota and runs along Arbor Lakes Parkway and 77th Avenue from Hemlock Lane to the railroad tracks of BNSF Railway's Monticello Subdivision. The potential stations were Hemlock Lane, Zachary Lane, Boone Avenue and 71st Avenue.

Alternative B begins in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota near Target North Corporate Campus and runs south along West Broadway to the BNSF railroad tracks. The potential stations are 97th Avenue, 93rd Avenue, 85th Avenue and Brooklyn Boulevard. 71st Avenue Station, though it would run along this alignment's right-of-way, would not be built if this alternative was selected.

Through the middle portion of the corridor, the study has selected a single alternative. This alternative follows the BNSF right-of-way, paralleling County Road 81, from Interstate 694 to 36th Avenue. The proposed stations are 63rd Avenue, Bass Lake Road and Robbinsdale Transit Center. This alignment is known as Alternative C.

The southern part of the corridor has four potential alignments. Three could be used for light rail or bus rapid transit and one would be strictly for bus rapid transit. Every alternative would still terminate at Target Field station.

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Wikipedia