In January, the Dakota County Regional Rail Authority (DCRRA) and 35W Solutions Alliance approved the Orange Line’s southern terminus in Burnsville. The route will now include two stations in Burnsville, one near the intersection of Nicollet Avenue and Highway 13 and one near Burnsville Parkway and I-35W. Nicollet Avenue Station will have available parking in a nearby municipal ramp and will be within walking distance to the Heart of the City.

The Burnsville Parkway Station idea was co-created by local partners to increase all-day transit service within walking distance to areas south and west of Heart of the City.

With the route and alignment set, DCRRA voted on Jan. 19 to provide $433,720 of its local match, bringing the Orange Line one step closer to full funding.

Metropolitan Council Chair Adam Duininck emphasized the importance of the METRO Orange Line project at this year's State of the Region address on Feb. 11. "The Orange Line typifies how the future of transitways in our region depends on buses and should make efficient use of existing infrastructure," he stated. "Today, current I-35W bus service carries 14,000 riders a day and will nearly double in ridership by 2040. At peak traffic, buses make up 1 percent of the traffic but carry 24 percent of the commuters."

The annual event was held at the Ames Center, within a short walk of the future Nicollet Avenue Station in Burnsville's Heart of the City. The Orange Line project team was on hand to provide information and greet attendees.

This spring, two important public participation processes will begin for the I-35W/Transit Access Project and the Orange Line's Lake Street Station: review of the environmental assessment (EA) and the Minneapolis municipal consent process. 

The EA will document the project's environmental, transportation and community impacts and benefits. The EA, prepared by Hennepin County, will be published in early spring. Project partners will host an open house, public hearing and a 30-day comment period. In May, the City of Minneapolis will need to sign off on the Transit Access Project by providing municipal consent. The process will involve a public hearing at the City's Transportation and Public Works Committee followed by a City Council vote.

Although Hennepin County is not legally required to provide municipal consent, the County Board of Commissioners will approve the Transit Access Project design concurrently with Minneapolis municipal consent. Dates will be publicized as they are announced. Look for additional information in upcoming Orange Line newsletters. 

Planning has begun for an extension of the METRO Orange Line south from Burnsville to the Kenrick Avenue Park & Ride in Lakeville. Station locations, routing, costs and implementation timeline will be refined as part of this upcoming work. The extension would connect the region to hundreds of jobs in southern Burnsville and Lakeville. More details can be found in the Orange Line Extension (OLX) report.