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Minnesota Rail Line Lauded As Example In Infrastructure Investment

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited Minnesota to reiterate the need for investment in infrastructure projects like the Central Corridor Light Rail line.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Federal Transit Administrator (FTA) Peter Rogoff showcased the Central Corridor Light Rail project, currently under construction, as an example of meaningful investment in infrastructure.

According to a Department of Transportation press release, the $957 million project will create more than 3,300 jobs in engineering, design, construction and operations. Upon its completion in 2014, the 11-mile rail line will connect downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul.

"Transportation investments are crucial to fixing our aging transit systems and putting more money in the pockets of working Americans," Rogoff said in the release. "Like the thousands of Minnesotans earning a steady paycheck today because of federally-funded projects like the Central Corridor Light Rail Line, millions more Americans are looking for the same opportunity to rebuild our country and economy."

The FTA paid for more than half of the funding for the Central Corridor Light Rail project through New Starts grants. Federal funds also fueled the construction of the Union Depot Multi-Model Transportation Hub in St. Paul, which has produced another 225 jobs. When completed, the facility will house Amtrak and local buses while providing access to the Central Corridor line.

Dylan Scott is a GOVERNING staff writer.
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